DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: July 13, 1950
SUBJECT: Secretary\'s Message to Bevin
PARTICIPANTS: Sir Oliver Franks, British Ambassador; Secretary of State Acheson; and Mr. George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary
COPIES TO: G - Mr. Matthews S/A - Mr. Jessup S/P - Mr. Nitze S/S FE - Mr. Rusk EE - Mr. Yost
Sir Oliver stated that Mr. Bevin had received my message through Lew Douglas and was appreciative of the full and frank exposition of our views. He said they will study the message and will reply later. In connection with this Sir Oliver stated that apparently Mr. Bevin had been disturbed about the phrase "serious consequences" which Ambassador Douglas had used in the supplementary presentation of my message. I assured Sir Oliver that what we intended to convey was that we regarded most seriously the possibilities of our policies drifting apart, and that there was no other meaning intended. Sir Oliver said he was sure of the, but that he wanted to reassure Mr. Bevin who was apparently disturbed.
Sir Oliver handed me a copy of the message from Sir David Kelly to Mr. Bevin reporting on his conversation of July 11 with Mr. Gromyko \(copy attached\).
Dean Acheson
EUR:GWPerkins:ebw
DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: July 13, 1950
SUBJECT: Oil to China
PARTICIPANTS: Sir Oliver Franks, British Ambassador; Secretary of State Acheson; and Mr. George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary
COPIES TO: G - Mr. Matthews S/A - Mr. Jessup S/P - Mr. Nitze S/S FE EE BNA
During the course of my conversation with Sir Oliver today I took up with him the question of oil to China stating that our companies had agreed voluntarily to stop shipments and that we felt that it was important that all shipments be stopped to China, particularly North China. Sir Oliver asked if we were sure that no oil shipments were being made from the United States by other than the companies which normally trade in China. It was stated that we believed this to be the case but that we would check to make certain and would inform Sir Oliver. Sir Oliver indicated that he felt that the military in the U.K. would in inclined to agree with our position on oil, but that the political side would probably be slower, and pointed out that although the U.K. was in complete sympathy with the U.S. on Korea the tension was not as high at present in London as it is in Washington.
Dean Acheson
EUR:GWPerkins:ebw
Message from Sir David Kelly to Mr. Bevin dated 11th July, 1950
I called on Mr. Gromyko at 4 p.m. this afternoon. I told him you were glad to note the Soviet Government\'s wish for peaceful settlement which was also earnest wish of his Majesty\'s Government. I said that by specified proposals he no doubt meant offers binding if accepted. The Security Council had made recommendations which had received the overwhelming support of the United Nations and proposals in this case\(?\) could only be made by His Majesty\'s Government if they carried assent of other United Nations chiefly concerned. We could not in view of our collective responsibility run so far ahead as this. Out preliminary suggestion was that the forces asking for peace ought to join together to bring about cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of North Korean forces beyond the 38th parallel without concerning themselves for the moment with other causes of differences which have arisen in the more distant or more recent past in connection with the Korean question irrespective of other circumstances. Plain fact was that hostilities were due to the fact that North Koreans had crossed the 38th parallel and best suggestion His Majesty\'s Government could make as member of United Nations Organization was to urge Soviet Government as a member of United Nations Organization to add their efforts to the other United Nations by using their influence with the North Korean Government. I said that North Korean aggression was challenge to United Nations who we felt sure would not entertain proposals under which if North Korean forces did withdraw, United Nations forces should thereupon be withdrawn or responsibility of the United Nations Commission in Korea would be diminished. I said I was not speaking for any other Government or organization but for His Majesty\'s Government who felt deeply about the dangers of the present situation and earnestly appealed to the Soviet Govt. to join their efforts to those of the other United Nations and use their influence to secure a return of peaceful negotiation. I said I would be glad to pass on any suggestions which he had to make. With expressed object of elucidation Mr. Gromyko tried to formulate essential points as in rapid exchange of dialogue I impressed that we were making preliminary proposal that Soviet Government should use its influence with North Korean Government to procure cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of their forces beyond 38th parallel. As be asked about phrase that Soviet Government should use its influence I said that Soviet Government naturally had special influence with North Korean Government and we were appealing to them as member of United Nations Organization to use it. He said interrogatively "you say you do not wish to run too far ahead with proposals with regard to the United Nations" and I repeated that we were making a preliminary proposal to get matters back to the field of peaceful negotiation. Mr. Gromyko said the Soviet Government would be informed of my proposal but that the hostilities had been "provoked" by South Korea. To my comment that I knew there was a difference of opinion he said it was a difference of nature not of opinion. I pointed out that anyhow the North Koreans were fighting far south of their frontier. As he repeated that he had no other comments to offer I concluded by saying that His Majesty\'s Government felt that the cause of peace was of such importance that they felt entitled to approach the Soviet Government as a member of the United Nations with an appeal to help to stop hostilities without prejudice to other questions which remained to be settled and that we put forward our suggestion as a step to pave the way to an ultimate solution. He repeated that he would inform his Government. I was accompanied by a member of the Russian Secretariat but the conversation was conducted in English. Mr. Gromyko was polite throughout.
BRITISH EMBASSY Washington, D.C.