Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON DECLASSIFIED E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 Guidelines, March 6, 1982 September 26, 1950 State By. Dept. DEB NLT, Date 6-7-85 SECRET SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS USSR A UK Foreign Office official has given the Department copies of communications from the UK Ambassador in Moscow containing his views on the Soviet re - action to the turn of the military tide in Korea and the possibility that the USSR might regard the occupation of North Korea by UN forces as a cause for war. The UK Ambassador points out that, although there have been no indications in Moscow of the official Soviet reaction, the Soviet leaders undoubtedly are seeking means to minimize Communist setbacks in Korea and its potential conse- - quences. He believes that, while the Soviets presumably would welcome a restoration of the status quo as originally proposed to Gromyko, the Soviet leaders are considering the possibility that UN forces will occupy North Korea and ways of either: 1) fore- - stalling such occupation, or failing this, 2) neutralizing the danger it would constitute. He feels that the Russians will be hesitant to put forward detailed proposals on either count but would take full advantage of any well-intended but naive proposals which might be put forward at Lake Success. If no such opportunity is presented to the USSR, he believes the main Soviet effort would be in the propa- ganda field, where in addition to attempts to becloud a real setback to Soviet plans, the Kremlin will be anxious to distract attention from it by staging a diversion elsewhere with Berlin and Indochina as obvious possibilities. In analyzing the possibility that the USSR might risk total war in order to restore its prestige and eliminate a threat to its security, the UK Ambassador, after citing ar guments for and against this possibility, concludes that the arguments against Stalin's risking war seem the most likely to prevail. He points out that, if this is so, the political tactics and publicity involved in settling the Korean issue will have far-reaching consequences and will vitally affect the course of events throughout Asia. He feels the handling of the situation will provide a unique opportunity to remove Asiatic suspicions of western selfishness and "American imperialism. "