Evening star., 1951-02-20
Objective in Korea

Having been severely mauled in their latest
offensive effort, the North Korean and Chinese
Communists apparently are trying to gain time
in which to nurse their wounds and reorganize
for another thrust against the United Nations
lines. But General Ridgway, commander of the
9th Army and all Allied ground forces, has in
dicated that the u N will do its best to deny
them the time. The objective remains what it
has been for several weeks past-namely, to
inf1ict the greatest possible punishment on the
enemy at the least possible cost.
This objective has been described as homi-
cidal rather than geographical, That is to say,
the U. NJ, while striving to keep its own losses
down to a relatively small minimum, is out to
kill and wound many Red troops as 1t can.
That is its chief aim at this time. It has only
an incidental or secondary interest in advancing
northward to recapture territory Indeed, as
General Macarthur has emphasized, the ques-
ton of recrossng the 38th Parallel will remain
purely academic" until the Communists nu-
merical superiority-which they still retain de-
spite their fearsome casuaties-is whitfield down
a good deal more.
The same point has now been made by Gem
eral Ridgway AS he has put it, the Parallel
is of no particular significance in the current
situation and he is therefore giving no thought
to crossing it at this stage his immediate pro-
gram being to destroy the enemys forces in the
present theater of action while conserving the
U. MS. This does not mean, of course, that
either he or General Macarthur has ruled out
the idea of a sweeping northward advance. It
simply makes clear that they are not thinking
in terms of imaginary or artificial dividing lines
in Korea but in terms of strictly military opera
tion designed to be so Furnishing that the Red
aggressors may be deprived of the will and
wherewithal to launch serious new offensives or
f0 irfo ofol jofoo
Actually, as far as the 38th Parallel is con-
cerned, the United Nations military command
still has authority to recross it and may in fact
do so If such an advance is found to be advis-
able. The authority derives from the october
resolution-wfich has not been rescinded-
In which the U. N. General Assembly, by vote
of At to 5, implicitly but emphatically recon-
mended that General Macarthur send his Ameri-
can and Allied troops northward and take what
ever other measures might be necessary to in
sure stability throughout the whole of Korea
Naval and air strikes continue to be made far
north Of the Parallel and ground blows pre-
sumably will be struck there again when and If
they become feasible or essential
With the coming of spring, however, the
Korean mud is likely to handicap our mecha-
nized Allied forces, whose tanks and heavy ar
tillery need solid ground for maximum effective
ness in attack operations. This is one of the
military factors-wholly apart from political
considerations-that bear upon the question of
unleashing another U. NJ offensive north of the
38th Parallel A stalemate Is thus possible In
the months ahead But if General Ridgway and
his troops continue to inf1ict grievous casual
ties during the remainder of the winter, the
Kremlin- serving Chinese Communists conceiv-
ably may be receptive to negotiated settlement
paving the way for united and genuinely free
Korea.