Evening star., 1950-12-28
The Outlook in Korea

AitIlOuSH LIE CHln6Se communists nave
overwhelming numerical superiority for their
impending offensive below the 38th Parallel, the
indications are that our American and allied
United Nations forces are not going to yield
ground in South Korea without making the
enemy pay very dearly for it. But whether the
U. N. can hold firmly along some new stabilized
defensive front, whether it can save itself from
being driven out of the whole country, is ques-
ton involving too many big and obvious "ifs"
for anybody but confirmed optimiSt to answer
in the affirmative
Speaking both for himself and his troops,
General RidgWay-the late General Walkers
successor as commander of our 9Th Army-has
summed up the present resolve of the United
States and the United Nations as whole with
. the simple statement: Il aim to stay" in Korea
That resolve has been underscored moreover by
the fact that General Almonds los 0O0-man 10th
Corps-now regrouping in the Pusan-Pohang
area after its evacuation from the Hungnam
beachhead-has been redeployed to join the 9Th
Army in the continuing battle against the
aggreSSor Accordingly, as far as intent is con-
cerned, there can be little doubt that General
MacArthur's U. NJ command is currently plan
ming to do everything possible to hang on and
eventually roll back the enemy.
But we had better not underestimate the
obstacles standing in the way of that objective
According to General MacArthurs estimates
about 445000 Communist troops (2770OO of them
Chinese and the rest North Koreans) are now
poised south of the 38th Parallel along front
stretching clear across the peninsula. In addi-
ton, nearly million more are either en- route
to the front or in ready reserve in Manchura
Against these, the United Nations has force
of not over 250,000 men, the bulk of them Amer
ican, plus South Korean, Turkish, British and
other allied units. AS far as numbers go, there
1ore the enemy has very great advantage and
there IS no certainty that that advantage can be
onset to decisive degree by such factors as our
superior nrepoWer, our current sea and air domi-
nance, and our ability to hit hard at the Reds
heightened supply lpes-not to mention their
still privileged sanctuary" in Manchuria
However, whether or not these special fac
tors will work significantly in our favor it seems
more than probable that the Chinese Commu-
nlStS, together with their North Korean COM
rades, will find it extremely costly to make good
on their announced determination to drive the
" N from Korea. Tt may we'll be that they will
succeed in doing that but the chances are that
before they do do it, they will be severely cut
up. And after they have forced us to withdraw
assuming that they can really push us out in
due course-they will still have to reckon with
the prospect that the United States and the
united Nations refusing to regard lost battle
as a lost war; will be likely to exert military
pressure against them in other ways and other
places, by sea and air.
In any case, wholly apart from what it may
or may not be able to do in trying to hold on to
Korea or in continuing the struggle if obliged
to withdraw, the United Nations now has everv
reason to brand Red China as an aggressor. It
mas every reason, in view of the imminent often
siVe ana Peipings contemptuous rejection of the
h. -fro
Chlnese Communist regime as regime that Is
Waging criminal warfare against the world neace
organization. What else Is 1t doing if it is not
DONG that? The time has come for the U. N
TO call things by their right names and act
accordingly.