Evening star., 1946-10-13

Formerly inspector general OF
United States Army forces In
Korea.
paying hosts. The other half Of Korea
may be Iikened in an ailegorical sense,
to an old-tifhe American evangelical
meeting where many factions try to
get the floor 30 as to incorporate long
dormant and pent up feelings into the
resolutions, while American Military
Government as the moderator strives for
unity. compromise and practicability.
The American soldier stands by cnly -
assist In the organization Of liberss
democratic Korea and to deal appi, I'd
ately with those who finally prove un-
willing to abide by the decisions Of the
Rules. Committee.
Ready for Self Government.
Nevertheless, the American Military
Government has stated publicly both
in Korea and in the United States that
the Koreans have made remarkable
progress in learning how to handle
Korean affairs and that "the Koreans
are ready for self-governmnt." This
last statment was implemented into
operational fact on September II when
Maj. Gen. Archer L. Lerch, Military
Governor in Korea, stated, THE time
has come when Korean directors must
now take full charge OF their respective
departments, and the Americans must
function only in an advisory capacity"
This reality has been carried into effect
and Is limited only until the terms Of
the Moscow agreement are carried out.
It is an objective fact that IN the
American zone free discussions and
enterprise are nurtured by experienced
Korean patriots and American officer
and civilian advisors. No restriction on
free Korean thinking or free speaking
has existed in the Southern zone during
the American occupation, except when
irresponsible license has forced correc-
tive measures In relatively few notori-
GUS individual cases.
Nevertheless, the current major
dilemma facing Korea is not being
solved. No substantial progress has been
made toward bringing about united
Korea. True, in compliance with the
appropriate part Of the communique
Of the Moscow Conference Of the Big
Three Foreign Ministers which stated
the doctrine of free and independent
Korea and the machinery to bring it
about, representatives Of the United
States and of the u. s. s. r. held
limited and disappointing conference in
Seoul, Korea, from January 16 to Febru-
ary 5, 1916. Vital issues, including
critical economic ones, slated for in
cIusion on the agenda were removed
by Soviet refusal to discuss. However.
agreement was reached to allow the
Koreans living Ia one zone to exchange
letters with the Koreans living In the
other. at certain infrequent, specitied
times.
Discussions Break Down.
Later an elaborate full dress Joint
American-Soviet Commission, also pro-
vided for BY the Moscow decision on
Korea, met In mid March and creaked
on into early May issuing harmless, dis
arming and non-revealing communiques
until the eighth and final conlmunique
revealed the complete breakdown Of the
discussions.
In effect, the Soviet Union was tn-5
willing to grant the right Of free speech
to Korean political parties In the estab-
lishment OF provisional Korean gov
ernment. The American viewpoint was
that It was untenable to accede to the
Soviet demand that only those Korean
individuals and groups who had not
opposed either the Moscow decision.