MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH MR. LOVETT
Nov. 15, 1952 November 15, 1952
The Secretary telephoned Secretary Lovett at Locust Valley and related to him the difficulties which were besetting the United States Delegation with reference to the resolution on Korea, stating that the Indians had been trying to produce a draft resolution, and had been encouraged by the Russians and had gotten some of our allies to go along. After the Russians banged the door shut, many of the other countries are rushing over toward the Russian side. The Secretary said he had told our major allies that this nonsense had to end; that we would have to separate the sheep from the goats and be firm about it.
He said that the objections to the Indian resolution boiled down to three very bad points. There was a bare possibility that these might be cured. He had alerted General Bradley yesterday who had gotten the Pentagon people working, and with the State Department people a resolution had been drafted and was being brought up to New York this afternoon.
The Secretary thought it might be useful if General Bradley and Frank Nash could join Secretary Lovett and himself at lunch tomorrow and then meet with the British and Canadians later in the afternoon and lay it on the line. He thought that the military should be brought into this, because the points involved the very ones on which the military had very strong views. The Secretary
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had argued the Military's point of view, but he needed the help of the soldiers in getting this across. This was particularly true on the proposal which was pending, that the prisoners who were willing to go home should be exchanged and the fate of the residue should be argued afterwards. He thought it would be helpful and effective to have the military reasons against this proposal stated by the military. Mr. Lovett interjected that if you don't have an armistice in which this is made clear, you don't have anything. Mr. Acheson said the others had interminable arguments about this.
The Secretary promised to get the new JCS and State views to Mr. Lovett before they meet tomorrow, which meeting Mr. Lovett agreed to have. Mr. Lovett said he would call General Bradley and have him come up for luncheon tomorrow; Mr. Acheson promised to get word to Mr. Nash and bring him out.