Evening star., 1950-06-26
Russio's Challenge in Korea

the sudden outbreak of war in Southern Korea
is that this is an act of criminal aggression by
the Kremlins puppet northern regime and that
the graveSt consequences may ensue unless that
regime promptly obeys the cease-f -fire-and with
draw resolution adopted yesterday by the Secur-
ity Council of the United Nations.
This is another way of saying that the Korean
situation can bring down upon us all a global
explosion If the Soviet Union-the real villain
of the piece-does not direct its puppets to do
what the U. N has ordered. But the bleak and
ominous fact is that the men of the Kremlin, as
the inStigators of the crime, are not likely to
issue any such directive. That much they have
indicated by their boycott of yesterdays emer-
gency Council session. They have Indicated it,
too, by using Tass their official news agency, to
circulate the colossal but obvious lie that the
forces of democratic Southern Korea, not the
northern Communist regime, launched the at
tack precipitating the war now in progress.
Just how the United Nations-particularly
the United States-will cope with this deadly
challenge is conjectural at the moment. From
the military standpoint, Southern Korea-since
its position is isolated like little appendix at
tached to the great land mass of Soviet DOM
mated Manchuria-can hardly stand up very long
if the Kremlin is determined to take it. Strategi-
cally and tactcally, the defending forces, with
their backs against the sea- will at best be able
to fight only delaying action if the invaders
are heavily supported by RUSSIA fact explain
ing why our own Joint Chiefs of Staff are said
to have excluded the country from what they
regard as the free worlds crucial defensive line
in the Far East.
1t is this consideration-the fact that Korea
is defensively one of the very weakest of the free
worlds positions-that has probably played
large part in tempting the Russians to take the
risk of trying to gobble up the whole country
through their northern puppets. Yet despite the
great and seemingly inSurmountable difficulties
involved in trying to hold the region against
superior force, the United Nations as whole
and the United States especially, cannot afford
anything less than the most vigorous action pos
sible to thwart the Kremlins brazen breach of
the peace. For if such action is not taken, the
prestige of the U. NJ and of our own country will
sink to point so low that there may be no
recovery from it.
Democratic Southern Korea, after all, owes
its existence primarily to the United States
and to the overwhelming majority of the United
Nations, and its government at Seoul has been
recognized by that majority as the only lawful
one in the country. Moreover, our own Nation
has repeatedly assured the free Koreans that
they will never be let down by us or never be left
to stand alone, deserted by their friends in the
West Accordingly, if every possible effort is not
made, now to help them, if we do not do our
best, the Kremlin is likely to win not merely
new territory but also propaganda victory
a victory that might easily wreck the U. N
and fatally undermine our American influence
in both Asia and Western Europe.
1t is much easier, of course, to call for al-out
action in this instance than to define just how
such action can be applied short of war. But
this is a dangerous world, and the free nations
in it must take risks if they are to remain free.
AS demonstrated in Berlin, the Kremlin is in
clned to back down when it is met with deter
mination backed by force, and it may we'll do the
same in Korea In any case, if it is allowed to
get away with this crime because of our failure
to resist firmly in one way or another, our own
and all other Western Powers will suffer defeat
of the first magnitude.