Memorandum from John Ross to John Hickerson and Dean Rusk

ONP Korgen NLT (KOREA(SD)416 so EYES ONLY TOP SECRET UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS MEMORANDUM June 7, 1951. TO: UNA - Mr. John Hickerson and FE - Mr. Dean Rusk FROM: USUN - John C. Ross on SUBJECT: Korea - New French Proposal for Action to End Fighting Mr. Lacoste, during visit this morning on other matters, said he was under instructions to raise with us a new French proposal for action to end Korean fighting. He said Bonnet had raised it with Mr. Rusk yesterday, and the French Ambassador in London was instructed to raise it with the British Foreign Office. The UK told the French Foreign Office on May 30 they thought the time was ripe for new Korean action. The British said they did not have plan then and they have not yet proposed anything specific to the French. The French agreed time was ripe and now make following proposal: The heads of the British, French and US Governments should multaneously issue identical statements. The three Powers would not be speaking for UN but they do in fact have main responsibility for maintenance of peace. Their three Ambassadors in Moscow would simultaneously make demarche there; perhaps similar demarche would be made in Peiping through the UK Ambassador. Proposal would be for a cease-fire with a demilitarized zone north of the 38th parallel. UN observers, appointed either by the UC or UNCURK, would' see that zone was kept cleared of troops. Negotiations would then take place for settling the Korean affair. Negotiations would not now take place on other Far Eastern problems such as Formosa and UN seat. Lacoste commented personally that aggressors have not given any indication that time is ripe. However, he speculated whether pattern of attacks across parallel, withdrawal behind it, and renewed attacks across it, might not indicate that in their blind way they were trying to show their objective was simply to keep UN forces out of North Korea. DECLASSIFIED EYES ONLY TOP SECRET E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 State Dept. Guideline, June 12, 1979 PROJECT NLT 77-92 By NLT- HL NARS, Date 6-10-80