Telegram from David K. E. Bruce to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of Suite NLT(KOREA/SD) $92 3 TELEGRAPH BRANCH 18 B.X Control: 1346 Action Rec'd: January 4, 1952 UNA FROM: Paris 8:31 .m. Info SS TO: Secretary of State DECLASSIFIED G NO: 3976, January 4, 2 p.m were EUR Authority FRUS 1952-54 Parts DCE By DEB NLT 141 879 NIACT. Date 3 -13-85 EYES ONLY FOR THE SECRETARY AND HICKERSON FROM BRUCE. DEPTEL 3790, January 3 After numerous conversations and interviews drafts, re- drafts, and clearances and detailed consideration by top officials French Govt, we have now (rpt now) received from Schuman reply to Secretary's personal message contained DEPTEL 3780 Jan 2. Free translation of reply follows: "I have studied your message of Jan 3 with the attention and interest I attach to all your communications. I regret that you did not consider it possible to accept the revisions that I had proposed to you in the draft com- mon statement, the final drafting of which was communicated to me on Dec 28. Although my more recent suggestions had as their aim only to return, with the addition of one word, to the first version which had been presented to me by you, I understand the reasons for your insistence which Ambassador David Bruce has explained to me. I am certain that for your part you appreciate the diffi- culties which the French Govt must face. Because especially of the threat which hangs over Indochina, the French Govt has the duty of neglecting no precaution in order to avoid having the armistice in Korea, whose conclusion it keenly desires, produce a further aggravation of the situation in the Far East. It is in this spirit and in order to avoid the delay that you rightly fear, that I have decided to give my agreement to the text which has already received the agreement of the other interested countries. You will understand that this agreement is, however, accom- panied by the two following reservations: (One) The final part of the statement could not (rpt not) imply any change In the agreement according to which all measures REPRODUCTION OF TN SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION MESSAGE IS PROHIBIT