DEPARTMENT OF STATE E X E C U T I V E SECRETARIAT March 4 1965 THE SECRETARY iyafa liaie vc V o u h a v e expressed i n t e r e s t i n t h e subject o f the attached memorandum B e n j a m i n H R e a d Attachment V DECLASSIFIED TOP SECRET E X D I S DEPARTMENT OF STATE E X E C U T I V E SECRETARIAT CojBpietely de-senBiti- allarch 4 1965 S u b j e c t - T h r e e t - - o f i -3ff-tfeH-crn aear Agaxhst CHina i nKorean War We can f i n d n o documentary s u p p o r t i n s u c h s e c i j i c o f P r e s i d e n F ETseiffiower s statemeiit o ' tne P r e s i d e n t t h a t h e Ead'sent'ir'messag t h a t we would u s e nucTear a a i n s t C h i n a i f t h e ' orelan' w a r c o n t i h u e H ' and t h a t h e b e l i e v e d t t i i s w a r n i n g p l a y e d a d e c i s i v e p a r t i n t e r m i n a t i n g t h e K o r e a n w a r a t t a c h e d WfiL ilsyej found messages w h i c h i n d i c a t e t h a t c e r t a i n s i g n a l s were passed both t oNehru a n d t oMolotov which could conceivably have been so i n t e r p r e t e d O n axjl a Secretary D u l l e s t h e n i n N e w D e l h i ti2l Nehru t h a t i f t h eKorean armistice negotiations collapsed US w o u l p r o b a b l y m a k e s t r o n g e r r a t h e r t h a n l e s s e r m i l i t a r y exertion andt h a t this might w e l l extend area c o n f l i c t I Secretary D u l l e s J a s s u m e d t h i s w o u l d b e r e l a y e d t o C h i n e s e New D e l h i 4 2 3 7 5 2 2 5 3 5 In r e p o r t i n g a conversation w i t h Nehru o nthe f o l l o w i n g day M a y 2 2 S e c r e t a r y D u l l e s s a i d N e h u r a i s e d t h e K o r e a n armistice question r e f e r r i n gp a r t i c u l a r l y t omy statement of t h e p r e c e d i n g d a y t h a t i f n o a r m i s t i c e o c c u r e d h o s t i l i t i e s might became more i n t e n s e He s a i d i f t h i s happened i t i s d i f f i c u l t t oknow what e n d might b e L a t e r i nt h e convers a t i o n S e c r e t a r y D a l l e s r e p o r t e d He Nehru brought u p again my r e f e r e n c e t o i n t e n s i f i e d o p e r a t i o n s b u t I m a d e n o c o m m e n t a n d a l l o w e d t h e t o p i c t o d r o p K a r a c h i llTl 5 z 53 On Maj Z j 1953 A m b a s s a d o r J p h l e n w a s t o discuss the J orean a m i s t i c e proposals jwith Xo sptel 860 t o M o s c o w ' 'While a v o i d i n g i n d i c a t i o n o f t h r e a t p o i n t I DECLASSlFltU TOP SECRET E X D I S -2out t oMolotov t h a t r e j e c t i o n these proposals a n d consequent f a i l u r e reach agreement i n armistice talks would create a s i t u a t i o n w h i c h US G o v e r n m e n t s e e k i n g m o s t e a r n e s t l y t o a v o i d Bobaen_Se t Jd f o r t h i s d i s c u s s i o n Moscow 1650 5 28 53 Bohlen reported that he t o l d Molotov that r e j e c t i o n by t h e N o r t h Koreans and Chinese o f o u r a r m i s t i c e proposals would e x t i n g u i s h hopes f o r an a r m i s t i c e a n da failure o f t h epresent armistice talks would lead t o t h e c r e a t i o n o f a s i t u a t i o n w h i c h t h e US G o v e r n m e n t w a s m o s t sincerely and earnestly attempting t oavoid Bohlen reported that Molotov listened with great attention and seriousness and refrained from any sort o f propaganda statement o r a n y attempt to defend o r support t h e Communist p o s i t i o n the following iiminpiiiiiiiit obviously memorized o r a l x WLy --ffr-- r V wi-i-ur J - y Liiu-tii j j _ w w i_ j _ statement j L-t_ t-w-LU i A I - o o - o o ' ' ' ' ' ' w v - - - - The S o v i e t Government h a s taken n o t e o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n y o u g a v e t o me o n M a y 2 8 c o n c e r n i n g t h e a r m i s t i c e t a l k s a t Panmunjom as y o uknow t h e o u t come o f t h e s e t a l k s d o e s n o t d e p e n d o n u s b u t i t h a s been noted w i t h s a t i s f a c t i o n t h a t t h e p a t h t o t h e successful conclusion o f these a r m i s t i c e t a l k s has been mapped o u t Bohlen expressed appreciation f o r t h e statement saying that i f i t meant an a r m i s t i c e i n Korea i t was good news t o w h i c h M o l o t o v made n o comment Moscow 1 6 6 8 6 3 53 TOP SECRET E X D I S 1                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu