Telegram from Secretary of State Dean Acheson to the Department of State

INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State RE 6-1-X SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION Action Control: 4917 UNA Rec'd: November 13, 1952 FROM New York 11:38 p.m. Info SS TO: Secretary of State G EUR NO: DELGA 188, November 13, 10:50 p.m. NEA ARA DECLASSIFIED FE PRIORITY. HRH Authority LIMITED DISTRIBUTION. M.615 By DED NLT Date Re Korea 1. Fol report of meeting Secy and Gross with Krishna Menon, November 13, a.m. Menon still without giving draft to Secy, said he had made revisions of earlier draft in light of discussions with Secy and Gross. Referring to draft suggestions we had previously given him (DELGA 151) Menon criticized language para 1, particularly phrase "unrestricted opportunity to be repatriated", as well as final clause this para. He said that statement of principle as embodied in para 1 had been put to CHICOMS and rejected (it was not clear whether text had been sent to Commies or whether Menon was inferring Commie rejection from previous exchanges with Peiping on general question of repatriation principle). Menon said his own redraft made it clear no force would be used and that PWs would have full "freedom to return". He also discussed our suggestion for an "impartial commission" which he said would be objectionable to CHICOMS but stated that he would be prepared to amend his formulation re establishing Pole-Swede-Czech-Swiss commission plus umpire by adding clause "unless otherwise agreed". Re our para (B) (2), DELGA 151, he thought significance of "disposition must be spelled out and that substance this sub- para might be added to his res "without excluding other things". Secy then attempted to bring Menon back to first principles and pointed out importance of establishing understanding of ideas between Menon and himself, since it appeared from pre- vious discussions and from this one that some confusion might have arisen by reason of too much discussion of words and phrases. Secy expressed view first major point on which understanding must be reached is that under the Indian proposal, as we under- stood it, we would be agreeing to send resisting POWs to captivity until they agreed to go back home; or alternatively they wld be turned over to peace conference. They wld for an indefinite SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY, IF CLASSIFIED, IS -12/ PROHIBITED 123 16-67338-1 GPO