Memorandum of Conversation with F. S. Tomlinson, R. R. Belcher, John D. Hickerson, and U. Alexis Johnson

NET(KOREA/SD) 583 Copy 3 of 9 copies TOP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF STATE (39) << file Memorandum of Conversation Book DATE: December 26, 1951 SUBJECT: Sixteen-Nation Statement on Korea - Indian Participation PARTICIPANTS: Mr. F. S. Tomlinson, Counselor, British Embassy Mr. R. H. Belcher, First Secretary, British Embassy Mr. John D. Hickerson, Assistant Secretary, UN Affairs Mr. U. Alexis Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs COPIES TO: s/s DECLASSIFIED G UNA Authority FRUS 1951 Valvil Part EUR Pp. 14 47-1448 NEA By DEBNLT Date 3-13-85 FE U. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-61120-1 Mr. Tomlinson called today at our request to discuss the UK's proposal that India be consulted with respect to the proposed sixteen- nation statement on Korea. Mr. Hickerson informed him that following discussion with the Secretary, it was our view that it would be un- wise and undesirable to approach India with regard to this matter and urged that the UK Government not pursue the matter further. Mr. Hickerson stated that our view was based upon the grounds that: (1) India had carefully disassociated itself from the sixteen nations participating in the military action in Korea, India havin been invited to the briefing sessions in Washington of this group and sub- sequently having failed to appear even though on one or two special occasions we had gone out of our way to inform India of the meetings and invited it to be present; (2) if India were consulted it would raise the question of equality of treatment of other nations, such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which also have medical units in Korea; and, (3) the United States continues to attach the highest possible importance to the statement and since we are convinced that India would not subscribe thereto, to consult with it at this time could only result in possibly jeopardizing the issuance of the statement. Mr. Belcher stated that in the UK view there had been a marked progress in recent months in Indian attitudes towards Communist China and that they therefore did not entirely share our pessimism with re- gard to the possibility of India's subscribing to such a statement and, in any event, felt that failure to consult India on a matter of such TOP SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION