396.1 GE/6–1454: Telegram

Ninth Meeting of the Heads of the 16 Allied Delegations, Geneva, June 14, 11:10 a.m.: The United States Delegation to the Department of State1

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Secto 435. Priority Canberra 11, Seoul 125, Brussels 11, Luxembourg 5, Ottawa 4, Bogota 1, Addis Ababa 1, Paris 428, Athens 10, The Hague 19, Wellington 7, Manila 10, Bangkok 23, Ankara 2, London 277, repeated information Tokyo 131. Department pass Defense. Tokyo pass CINCUNC.

1.
Ninth meeting of 16 held Monday morning to discuss termination tactics and text 16-nation declaration.
2.

Tactics agreed as follows:

During meeting UK delegation reported Molotov had just told Eden Soviet delegation requesting plenary on Korea Tuesday2 afternoon. If 16 can agree in time on draft declaration, we will agree to Tuesday plenary; otherwise try postpone until Wednesday. Whether plenary held Tuesday or Wednesday, after Communist speakers, Eden as chairman will recess session brief interval. Sixteen will caucus and return to plenary. Two or three allied delegations will then make concluding statements along lines Communist speakers have added nothing new, fundamental issues remain unresolved and no need further consideration of examination by conference of Korean question. Whether or not Communists speak again at plenary, Eden and Wan as co-chairmen immediately after plenary will see Molotov to tell him 16 believe conference is ended and give him copy 16-nation declaration which would be made public simultaneously.

3.
Re draft declaration, 16 set up drafting committee to meet this afternoon composed of: US, ROK, UK, Thailand, Canada. Text generally acceptable but several drafting changes suggested of no particular difficulty except re description of body supervise free elections. General Smith urged quickest possible action complete draft acceptable to all, although compromise on some particular points of view. Suggest all posts urge importance agreed text in time Tuesday plenary session in order avoid postponement plenary which US and several other delegations consider undesirable. Will transmit drafting committee’s text soon as possible.
Smith
  1. A set of minutes of this meeting (AD Verb Min/9) from which the time is taken is in FE files, lot 60 D 330, box 14824. The meeting adjourned at 1: 03 p.m.
  2. June 15.