Office of the Historian

Matthews files, lot 53 D 413: Telegram

The Commander in Chief, United Nations Command (Clark) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

secret
operational immediate
Tokyo, March 29, 1953—3:48 p.m.

CX 61673. Refs: A. CX 61670;1 B. CX 61281;2 C. JCS 921487;3 this msg in 2 parts.

Part 1.

a. On the assumption that the enemy will proceed with repatriation of seriously sick and wounded POWs independent of a resumption of negotiations, I propose to make the following reply to the Communists:

“General Kim Il Sung, Commander of the Korean People’s Army.

“General Peng Teh-Huai, Commander of the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

  • “1. I hereby acknowledge with pleasure the rec of your ltr of 28 Mar 1953, in reply to my ltr of 22 Feb 1953, and understand that you are fully prepared to proceed immediately with the repatriation of all seriously sick and wounded captured pers on accordance with Article 109 of the Geneva Convention. Accordingly, I propose that a meeting of liaison groups headed by a Gen or Flag Off representative from each side be held at Pan Mun Jom, at your earliest covn, to make nec detailed arrangements for the exchange of these captured pers.
  • “2. In regard to your suggestion that the delegates of both sides resume meetings to settle the entire ques of Prisoners of War, it has been stated many times and I desire to reiterate that this has always been, and still is, the objective of the UNC, provided conditions for resuming negotiations are such as to offer a reasonable assurance of their success. In this connection I invite your attn to my ltr delivered on 20 Oct 1952. I find no indication in your ltr that you are prepd to adpt any of the UNC solutions to the POW ques, nor any constructive proposal by your side which would constitute a valid basis for resumption of delegation meetings. The United Nations psn, stated by the UNC Senior Del in his ltr of 16 Oct,4 that the UNC Delegation was not terminating the negotiations but stood ready to meet with your delegation at any time that it is ready to adpt any one of the UNC proposals or to submit in writing a constructive proposal which would meet the reasonable reqmts of the UNC has not changed. Therefore, until one of the conditions set forth above has been met by you, I must regrettably decline your proposal that the Dels for Armistice Negotiations of both sides immediately resume negotiations.
  • “3. I rqst that you advise me ASAP of your decision on my proposal with regard to the time of meeting between the liaison groups of both sides to arrange for the repatriation of all seriously sick and wounded captured pers. Mark W. Clark, General, USA, CINCUNC.”

Part 2.

a.
My psn with regard to the resumption of negotiations is clearly set forth in the above proposed reply to the Communists, and is in consonance with para 2b of ref B. In the event that the Communists go along with the proposition of exchanging sick and wounded captured pers independent of a resumption of armistice negotiations, I propose to follow the principles set forth in para 2 of ref B, subj to such modifications as you may dir.
b.
As I stated in ref A, the phraseology employed by the Communists indicates an intention to proceed with the exchange of seriously sick and wounded pers as an action distinct from the resumption of negotiations. However, it is my opinion that if the Communists insist [on?] a resumption of negotiations as a prerequisite to the exchange of seriously sick and wounded, their professed intention to proceed with the exchange is not sincere, but is merely calculated to obtain a resumption of negotiations. I therefore recm that no consideration be given to resuming negotiations under any such Communist-imposed condition.
c.
Rqst you advise earliest as to acceptability of reply set forth in Part 1.
  1. For the text of this telegram, which contained the Kim Il Sung and Peng Teh-huai letter to Clark of Mar. 28, see p. 818.↩
  2. For the text of this telegram, which contained the Clark letter of Feb. 22, 1953 to Kim Il Sung and Peng Teh-huai, see p. 788.↩
  3. This telegram contained the suggestions of the JCS for Clark’s reply to a letter from Kim Il Sung and Peng Teh-huai of Oct. 16, 1952, not printed. (FE files, lot 55 D 128) For texts of the Communists’ letter and Clark’s reply, dated Oct. 20, 1952, see Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 10, 1952, pp. 752–754.↩
  4. For a text of this letter, see ibid., p. 752.↩