Evening star., 1951-04-15


Communist bases in Manchuria
and giving Chang Kai-shek the
green light for an invasion of the
Chinese mainland.
But American policy making Of
ficials concede-albeit reluctantly
that the possibility that the
war in Korea will spread, making
it mandatory that we do both Of
these things which Gen. Mac
Arthur has advocated with such
force. is by no means excluded.
Although it is not only Presi-
dent Truman's policy but also
United Nations policy to prevent
the spread of the Korean war to
other parts of Asia, thus almost
certainly setting off World War
III, there are too many factors
beyond Mr.. Truman's and United
Nations control to make it Ger
tain that the wsn will not spread.
Chinese Buildup Continues
We do not know at this point,
for instance, what effect a re-
newed Communist offensive
against the United Nations forces
would have on the rest Of the
United Nations. For two weeks
or more before his dismissal Gen.
MacArthur's headquarters had
been reporting a growing buildup
of Chinese Red strength. Since
his custer the Pentagon has dis
closed that 18 more Chinese divi-
sions have been identified in or
behind the line in Korea.
But certainly as long as the
Chinese Communists are being
kept off balance by a grinding
U. N. advance there will be no
disposition in the United Nations
to go beyond present policy limit
ing the war to Korea.
While it is admitted in official
quarters that the bombing of
Chinese bases in Manchuria
and use of the Chinese National
lists are not dead ideas, those
quarters insist with even more
force that two prior conditions
must exist before the American
Government would consider
either of these drastic actions.
First, all hope of a negotiated
peace must have disappeared OF
been SO thoroughly destroyed
that it would be. futile. to. look
for such an end to the fighting
/ Second, the United States, il
it proposed such steps to the U
IN, would have to have such solie
backing among all member ma.
tions. that is in the Assembly
rather than the Council, thai
there would be no doubt that
other members were accepting
the risk of general war and were
committing themselves to full
ARMED support. come what may
This does not mean that the As
sembly would have to be unan-
imous, but it would mean tina;
the majority supporting the idea
of stronger action would have to
be big enough-and include pow
erful enough nations-to assure
the success of the policy decided
on.
Still Hopes for Peace
Although several of the other
big Western powers would be
willing to settle with the Chinese
Communists on weaker terms
than this Government could pos
sibly accept, the idea that a ne
gotiated peace with the Peipine
Reds is still possible runs through
all policy-making Offices Of the
Western governments.
While Mr.. Truman's dismissal
Of Gen. Macarthur could be in
Iterpreted as assurance to the
Chinese Communists that the
United States is sincere in its de-
sires for a negotiated peace, the
President saw fit to state specifi-
cally-although still somewhat
ambiguously-the Western terms
for a cease-f1re. He listed these
as follows:
Cd Fighting must stop. On the
Chinese side this would mean
cessation of resistance to U. N
troops advance to point where
unification and rehabilitation of
the country could begin.
90 Concrete steps must be
taken to insure that fighting will
not break out again. This means
that the Chinese Communists
must cease their buildup III
strength, which raises the threat
Iof a renewed Red offensive, and
must take out of Korea enough
men to completely eliminate that
threat.
49, There must be an end to
the aggression. This is the am
biguous part of the statement
There have been two aggressions
lin Korea, one by the. North Ko-
lreans on June Is last year, the
Iothe" by the Chinese Commu-
inists last December, when they
Icrossed the Yalu River in force
Ito drive Allied forces into South
Korea.
| Just what the President meant
and what the United Nations
would consider, an end to the
i aggression perhaps was left pur-
poseiy vague. in order to provide
latitude for negotiation. However
there has been no indication vel
that the Peiping regime will pick
lup the peace ball.
| The United Nations Good Offices
ICommittee, created as a result o1
the Assembly'S denunciation of the
Chinese aggression. took fresh hope
from the Macarthur custer ano
convened Immediately to consider
what steps might be taken. II was
decided, however. not to put for
ward any new peace plan at this
time, but to await a possible
lPeiping reply to previously unan-
1swered communications. No such
reply has come yet.
NHoonuyli1o tho rns,aovoI ~