Evening star., 1950-07-12
Yanks Dig in Behind Kun River
After Another Retreat in Korea;
U.S.. Fears Use ofRed China Armv
Soviet Volunteers
Expected to Enter
Conflict Soon


today an increasing spirit of deep
foreboding over the magnitude to
which the Korean war may ex-
pand at any time.
But despite the fact that there
were estimates in well-placed
quarters that it might take until
next fall to win in Korea, this
feeling did not grow out of worry
over the capabilities of American
fighting forces to cope with the
originally estimated $4,000 North
Korean Communist troops now
surging southwark.
Rather, the concern they ex-
pressed privately was two-fold in
origin:
/. The possibility that power
thrown into the Korean war by
North Korea's Communist friends
in China and elsewhere may swell
the conflict into a major scale
war even though the theater re-
mains localized in the area OF
Korea.
Soviet "Volunteers" Expected.
2. A growing certainty that
Russian volunteer" soon will be
discovered among the ranks of
the Northern Koreans.
Secretary of State Acheson said
today that offers of ground troop
assistance by other United Ma
tions members would be very
helpful.
He told news conference that
military assistance" to the
unified U. N. command under Gen
Macarthur already has beer
offered by six nations, but did not
specify that these offers included
ground troops.
The Secretary added that aftel
consultation with the Defense De.
partment, the State Department i.
taking up with the u. N. the proper
answers to make to these genera
officers Of assistance.
Mr.. Acheson reviewed in genera
terms the status of contribution.
by other U. N. members to the Ko.
rean fighting as demands grew or
Capitol Hill for at least toker
troop contributions from Other
U. NJ members.
Chang Offered Aid.
He pointed out that British
Australian and New Zealand naval
and air units already are partici-
pating in the fighting, and said
naval and air contributions from
the Netherlands and Canada are
on the way. Nationalist China is
the other country which has Of
fered military assistance. The
Chinese offer has been turned
down.
Definite offers of other than
military assistance-chief1y eco-
nomic-have come from Thailand
Norway, Denmark, Chile, the
Philippines and Nicaragua, he
said.
In all. Mr.. Acheson said, at least
So of the SO U. N. members "have
given at least some moral sup
port" to the U. N. recommends
tions that it's members furnish
such assistance to South Korea
as may be necessary to repel the
invasion.
At a Pentagon briefing this
morning an Army spokesman en-
phaSized that the current with
drawal tactics to allow a buildur
of strength by the American
forces was "the most difficult tt
execute in a war"
Trading for Time.
He said that there was a ridge
laying southeast of Taejon anc
that if the Americans lost the
Kun river line and then the pro-
visional capital, it was hoped thai
they could take up good defensive
positions along that ridge.
"But we can't do these things
overnight" he said.
He said Gen. MacArthur's force.
were trading terrain for time
and added that it was tough be.
caueS you lose your wounded
is not like an advance where YOU
own men pick up your wounded.
Nobody regrets that tragedy
more than the commander"
He reported that the South Ko.
reans were fighting ably and tha
the American and South Korean