Evening star., 1947-03-01
Hodge Here to Urge
Basic Policy on Koreu

DuSiC TOItCy on NoTeo
Situation Called Bad for Presiise
Of u. S. Throughout Far East
By Jay G.. Hayden
Lieut.. Gen. John r. Hodge, United
States commander in Korea, has been
returned to Washington by the War De-
partment in an effort to push both
President Truman and the Republican
Congress to determine basic United
States policies with respect to Korea.
In particular, Gen. Hodge has pro-
posed to the President that appropri-
ations for the Korean occupation be
handled In separate bill, instead. of
being Jumped with those for other occu-
pied areas. The main purpose OF this
is to bring home to Congress the con-
ditions which, the War Department
believes, make necessary continued occu.
patton Of Korea and to secure an appro-
priation commensurate with this re.
sponsibility. .
Aside from questions Of high policy In
voaved. stan members accompanying
Gen. Hodge assert that the Korean oc-
cupation is an example OF shocking
mismanagement," which is seriously de-
moralizing the American personnel en-
gagged and damaging United States
prestige throughout the Far East
Most Of all this condition is attributed
to the fact that Korea is at the end Of
our supply lines, both material and
human. 49,
Japan Supplied First. .,.a1a
Food. coal, medicine and every other
sort of supply goes to Japan first, and
there seldom is enough left to meet
needs of troops in Korea, much less
those of its native population. s
Korea similarly gets last choice Of per-
sonnel. The men generally prefer not to
60 there, and the more competent
among them are picked of by occupa-
tional commanders closer to Washing
ton. Enlisted men are young, insufici-
emily trained, bored and homesick.
Most Of the money allotted to aid the
populations Of occupied countries goes
for food, fertilizer and transportation,
and Korea has gotten very little In any
of these categories.
Besides having been MIXED Of every
transferable resource by the Japanese,
most Of its manufacturing facilities and
industrial raw materials are In the Zone
occupied by Russia. Gen. Hodge is sup
posed to prepare the Koreans for self
government but no text books and few
school facilities of any sort have been
supplied. ,..a-
Said member of the generals stan,
Unless we re-educate them, the Ko-
reans will never establish sound GOV
ernment, and we're supposed to stay
around until they are able to govern
themselves"
Basically, Of course, much Of the din
Guilty arises from the surprise character
Of the Korean occupation. While it
may have been anticipated vaguely, no
preparation was made for It,. Least
expected of all was joint occupation
with Russia, which is the cause of many
American difficulties and the major 20
litical and military involvement.
Independence Promised. >.-
At Cairo. in 1s43, the United States
Britain and China promised Korean in
dependence "in due course" and the
Moscow agreement of December, 1945,
pledged Russia to this goal-with the
added stipulation that there should be
joint American Russian trusteesIiip for
five years.
But Gen. Hodges efforts to carry out
this program have been blocked by
Russian insistence on suppressing all
Korean elements that have dared even
talk in favor of independence. Further,
Russia has blocked all measures Of
Korean economic unifcation.
Gen. Hodge has added the additional
startling assertion that the Russians
have drafted all able-bodied Koreans
between II and Is in their zone into
native army the purpose of which may
be to take over and rule Korea In the
Communist manner, including Southern
Korea If the United States should aban-
don it.
Certainly the time has come when
Congress should Ak Korean policy, and,
If this entails continued occupation, pro-
vide the requisite men and facilities.
North American Newspaper Allisueel