Evening star., 1950-07-13
US. Counteroffensiye
In Korea Faces Delay,
Defense Officials Say
By John A. Giles

No offensive can be launched
against the Communists in Korea
until ground troops in strength
from this country are landed
there, high defense officials said
today.
The 1st Marine and I'd In
fantry (Army) Divisions are be-
ing sent to the fighting zone from
the United States, but 1t will be
several weeks before they arrive.
Other smaller Army units also
have been alerted.
Gen. Macarthur has four divi-
sion in Japan and it is believed
here that one of them, the Oath,
already has been landed in Korea
in full.
Drive May Be Delayed Months.
1t was evid0nt today that Penta-
gon officials have become con-
Vinced of the necessity of impress
ing on the American public that
even after the Red offensive is
stopped-it will be weeks and per-
haps months before United Ma
tions' forces can be expected to
begin a drive northward up the
peninsula.
Gen. Macarthur will do we'll to
carry out the current delaying &C
tion. they said. Some quarters
feared that American and South
Korean troops would have to fall
back to the port of Pusan and
hold there with the aid of in
tenSive aerial and naval gunfire.
THE present most urgent need
is the logistics build-up," one Of
fetal said. I'm a well-organized
theater of action that is taken
for granted but in Korea the
ammunition, clothing, rations,
vehicles, fuel. tank and artillery
and railroad requirements and
repair facilities and the many
other things must be transported
great distances"
Long Campaign Seen.
A briefing officer yesterday
foresaw "a long and painful cam
paign ahead" and he pointed out
that this country could not de-
nude Japan and the continental
United States of defenses to build
UP the forces in Korea, 4
Original estimates that it would
require three, and perhaps six
divisions to drive the Communists
out of South Korea now begin to
appear conservative.
It was pointed out at the Penta-
gon that it took three months of
campaigning to win Okinawa and
the North Koreans are tough
fighters. They have fought for
the Russians at places like Stall |
ingrad and for the japanese.
Red Cross Acts.
As front-ine dispatches put the
number Of atrocities to membersI
of the United States armed forces
at 18. the American Red Cross
asked the International Red Cross
to keep it advised on efforts to
send a representative to check
on North Korea's treatment of
prisoners. "A Red Gross delegate
already has been Inspecting oper-
ations in South Korea and that
country has signified its adher-
ence to the 1949 Geneva Con-
vention which sets out rules for
humanitarian treatment of mill
tary prisoners and civilians.
Some fears were expressed here
that North Korea-which has been
showing up with new and vast
quantities of weapons of all
kinds-soon might turn up with
submarines. Russia-which ap-
pears to be operating an arms-ald
program for the invaders-is be-
lieved to have about 800 naval
craft deployed near the war area
including between 70 and 80 SUBS
So far as is known here the
Soviet Navy has no aircraft car
riers. Although the 800 total
estimate is numerically large,
there is no evidence that it COM
prises anything like a balanced
force. One unknown factor seems
to be how many of the smaller
Soviet vessels may be landing
craft or types that could be used