Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-08
Chang, Korean ChieI
Call for Conference
On Pacific Alliance
BY the Associated Press

BY the Assoeiatsd Press
CHINHAE, Korea, Aug. .8.-The
leaders Of Nationalist China and
the Korean republic called today
for conference of Asian powers
in the immediate future to draft
a Pacific alliance against Com
munism.
The request came in a joint
statement by Chinese Generals
simo Chang Kai-shek and Presi-
dent Syngman Rhee Of South
Korea after two-day conference
here. They asked President FL
pidio Quirino of the Philippines
to summon the nations.
Mr.. Quirino, in the United
States on his way to visit Presi-
dent Truman, had no comment.
He and Chang laid the founda-
ton for a Pacific pact last month
in a similar conference at Baguio
in the Philippines.
Concept of Union Changed.
Since the Chang -Quirino
meeting, the picture has been
changed by these developments:
l. Mr.. Quirino recast last week
his entire concept of the projected
Pacific union and eliminated all
reference to Chang and his
crumbling Nationalist regime in
China.
2. The United States issued its
White Paper on China two days
later and labelled the Chang
government a failure in the civil
war against the Chinese Com
munists.
A spokesman for the Philippine
President said last night that Mr..
Quirino would make no statement
on any phase of the projected al
lance until he had talked with
Mr.. Truman.
Solidarity Seen Needed.
In their call for a conference,
Gen. Chang and Mr.. Rhee said:
I'VE are strongly of the opinion
that countries of the Pacific in
general and Far Eastern countries
in particular are facing a greater
danger from international Com
munism today than any other part
of the world.
Solidarity and concerted &C
ton among these countries is
more urgently needed than else
where. 1t is our firm belief that
the world cannot be free if Asia
is to go under and mankind can
not afford to be divided into half
free men and half slaves"
They suggested Mr.. Quirino set
the conference for Baguio.
After issuing his statement,
Gen. Chang boarded his plane
and left, presumably for his hold
out bastion of Formosa. He re-
refused comment at this time"
on the American white paper.
Agreement Announced.
The Chang Rhee statement
said 1--WE have arrived at full
agreement concerning the idea Of
a union as set forth in the joint
statement issued by President
Quirino and Generalissimo Chang
Kai-shek on IL July. 1949. at
Baguio ."
There was nothing noting that
Mr.. Quirino's concept of the pact
since that time had left Gen.
Chang out of the picture. Neither
was there any reference that the
Philippines had declined to at
tend the Chinhae conference.
Mr.. Quirino has been repre-
scented as believing Gen. Chang
and his regime must be dropped
from the pact plans if British
Commonwealth nations are to be
won over to the idea. These ma
'tions are considered essential to
the success Of any Pacific al
lance.
United States Cool.
The rub. as seen by informed
quarters in Manila, is that the
commonwealth nations would not
care to be Identified with any
project that commits them to
support Of the Chinese Nation
alists. For instance. both Malaga
and Burma are having their own
Communist troubles. And the
Chinese Communists constitute a
threat to the British colony OF
Hong Kong.
The United States, too, has
F.. been cold to the idea of a Pacific
counterpart OF the Atlantic ALI
ance. Secretary of State Achesor
has told the Asian nations. how
|, ever, they should 60 ahead if they
desire without American partici-
, patton.
Since Mr.. Quirino came out
with his nom Chang slant dis
patches from Manila and Wash
ington have indicated the United
States is warming up to the alli-
ance plan.