Evening star., 1951-01-14
Munich-Minded

Truce Committee, which has been approved by
our own Government, looks very much like
betrayal of the principles for which so much
American blood has been shed in Korea.
The new plan is in five stages. These call
for:
Cd Arrangement of cease-fire, with safe
guards against its use as a screen to cover prep
aration for new aggression.
60 If and when cease-fire occurs, con-
Sideration should be given to further steps
toward restoring peace.
60 To permit the carrying out of the General
Assembly resolution that Korea should be "a
unified independent, democratic, sovereign state
with a constitution and government based on
free popular elections" all non-Korean armed
forces will be withdrawn by appropriate stages"
Arrangements should be made in accordance
with United Nations principles for the Korean
people to choose their own government.
a. An interim administration should be set
up.
(5) AS soon as agreement Is reached on
cease-fire, the Assembly should set up commit
tee consisting of representatives of Britain, the
United States, the Soviet Union and the Peoples
Republic of China to try to achieve settlement,
in conformity with existing international obn-
cations and the U. N. Charter, of Far Eastern
problems specifically Formosa and admission of
Red China to the United Nations
That is the smiling face of this truce pro-
posal But we should consider what lies beneath
the surface.
Under the vague wording of this proposal all
that would be needed to bring Point 5 into
operation is a cease-f1re. What we are saying
here to the Chinese is that if they will stop
fighting we will sit down with them, the Russians
and the British and try to settle the questions
of Formosa and their admission to the U. N.
hat
believe for a moment that we would not be
obliged to agree to let the Chinese have Formosa
and to admit them to the U. NJ? We have
said, bravely, that we would never enter into
any settlement OF the Korean question which
rewards aggression. But if this proposal is not
in contemplation reward for aggression, what
in the world is it?
At this point, one should turn back to Article
OF this proposal. Is its reference to unified
Independent, democratic" Korea merely an ex-
preston of a pious hope which the authors
know will never be fulfilled? If not, why the
vague language? What is meant by the with
drawal of non-Korean forces by appropriate
stages?" Why is not the setting up of this
independent Korea, with its free elections, made
a condition precedent to any discussions under
Article 5? II the Koreans are not to be sold down
the river as were the Czechoslovakians at
Munich, why does not this proposal lay down
conditions to safeguard their independence in
clear and unmistakable terms?
The answer, one may fear, is all too obvious
The Communists, first the North Koreans and
then the Chinese, with Russia always in the
background, launched this aggression to enslave
all of Korea, not to set up there free, inde-
pendent and democratic country. They have,
by force of arms virtually attained that objective
Who thinks they are going to turn back now?
Who would have the slightest faith in discussions
with them, looking to that end? The Chinese
OF course, might agree to a ceaSe-fire it, as
starter they are going to get Formosa and
ticket of admission to the U. NJ If these things
are to come first, and if decent political settle
ment in Korea is to be pushed back into the in
definite future, the effect would be to give the
Communists precisely what they want They
might very well agree to that. But if the
United States and the United Nations agree
to 1t, they will have betrayed every moral prin-
ciple on the basis of which our young men were
sent out to Korea to fight and die
1t is clear enough that Korea, so far as the
original u N. objective is concerned is a lost
cause Perhaps we have no alternative but to
get out of Korea. But 1t is one thing to battle
for principle and suffer defeat; quite different
thing to compound defeat with self qualification
Great causes are not sustained by weak
knees. Munich-minded men have never been
able TO achieve decent peace. II any sub
stantial number of the U. N. members are so
lntimdated by the Chinese Communists that
instead of being willing to indict them for the
aggressors that they are, they are resigned to
shabby deal in Korea, that is their affair But
this country, in The Stars judgment, should
have nothing to do with it.
Peace of Mind