Telegram from Ambassador Warren Austin to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

37 INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State TELEGRAPH BRANCH 23-D-X Control: 4384 Action Rec'd: January 10, 1951 UNA FROM: New York 8:24 p.m. Info TO: Secretary of State SS G DELGA 503, January 10, 7:37 p.m. P DECLASSIFIED L LTR. 5-30-79 EUR PRIORITY. PROJECT NLT 77.93 NEA FROM GROSS. NARS, Date 6-12-79 FE DCR Re Korea. At 3:45 p.m., January 10, Jebb called to say there was considerable excitement last night when he received word that London had instructed UK Embassy Washington to make new approach along lines of paragraph 5 of statement of principles. Jebb said the instruction from London to British Embassy crossed Pearson's message transmitting revised set of principles. Jebb has now received telegram 2 from London saying that they were extremely interested in this revised statement of principles. (DELGA 498.) Jebb was instructed to get our official reaction and report it as SEA soon as possible. He was also instructed to get in touch with Franks and concert with him. I told Jebb that the Department had considered the paper, as revised by Pearson, and that we would not oppose it. However, our position was subject to two factors: (1) Timing-- to which we attached considerable importance. This meant timing both with respect to promptness of presentation, and a short reasonable interval after adoption to give TRUMAN Peiping opportunity to reply; (2) We would attach importance BARK ARCHIVES NATIONAL RECORDS AND DEPARTMENT to what would follow. We ourselves would assume that if this step failed, we would then be in a position to go ahead on SERVICE" the next step. Furthermore, that we attached importance to GOI agreement to this intermediate step as apparently Pearson also does I told Jebb that our military people were concerned about the wording in paragraph 2 relating to "Iull in hostilities. 11 I said we would interpret this to mean a lull in hostilities pending the working- out of the a cease-fire arr angement. Jebb agreed 08 this interpretation. Jebb said he understood from London that Pearson was going to send Hume Wrong to the Department to say they thought it would be easier for GOI to accept statement of principles if at the end of paragraph 5 the following words were added: "In conformity (over) REPRODUCTION OF THIS MESSAGE IS PROMIBITED