Telegram from Warren Austin to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State TELEGRAPH BRANCH 24 Action Control: 13502 Rec'd: July 25, 1951 UNA FROM: New York 9:01 p.m. Info TO: Secretary of State SS DECLASSIFIED G NO: 145, July 25, 6:27 p.m. L EUR NARS, 7-24-79 FE PRIORITY. P DCR Re Korea - Reporting to UN on armistice. We are most appreciative of opportunity to comment on DEPTEL 30, July 14, on question of reporting to UN on Koreanarmistice. We have given careful consideration to possible courses of action set forth in DEPTEL and to arguments pro and con in each case and we feel approach along lines of course (c) a combination of SC and GA action, is preferable. Comments below are, of course, based on (a) assumption that armistice on terms satisfactory to us will be concluded, and (b) essentiality keeping in foreground our thinking in planning UN action that Korean developments but one phase in broad and complex program to resist Communist aggression. 1. SC action. A. From constitutional viewpoint as well as in long term interest of maintaining effective collective security system involving strength and unity of UN members, report in our opinion should be made to SC in first instance. From charter viewpoint SC continues to be UN organ primarily concerned with maintenance peace and security and therefore logically equally concerned with termination hostilities. Furthermore, resolutions of SC initiated military action to repel aggression and established UC under US, requesting that US report to SC. From viewpoint solidarity within UN we are impressed, of course, by strong UK and French view that report must go to SC. B. We have carefully considered question what type of res would be consistent with SC function, assuming that there would be subsequent GA action. Most important objective to be achieved in SC is to get SC approval in simple, clear-cut terms of substance of armistice. We have in mind a res which would (1) call attention to para 6 of res of July 7, 1950 and to the report on the armistice submitted by USG pursuant to that res; and (2) note with approval the terms of the armistice. We also feel that it would be desirable to devise a formula for reference to the GA. This might be accomplished by simple clause informing GA of action taken by SC. Alternatively, consideration should MESSAGE IS PROMISITED