Evening star., 1951-10-04
Notes on Korea Truce
Renewed, but Choice
OF Site Is Unsettled
By the Associoted Press

by me Associoted Press
TOKYO, Oct. 4.-In an abrupt
exchange of messages today, Red
and Allied commanders each pro-
posed that Korean truce talks be
resumed immediately-but dis
agreed on site.
Gen. Ridgway injected new
note into the situation by telling
the Reds to pick a new site-aS
long as it was in no-man's s-land.
II it looks satisfactory to him.
he said, armistice negotiations
could resume at once.
Earlier. Communist commanders
proposed immediate reopening of
talks at the original site, Red
controlled Kaesong.
The talks were broken off alb
ruptly by the Communists Au-
gust %.
The Reds started today's rapid
exchange by suddenly breaking a
week-long silence. AS new
Allied offensive roared within
earshot of Kaesong, they an
sWered message Gen. Ridgway
sent them last Thursday.
Reject SOnghyon Site.
The Reds rejected Ridgway's
suggestion that talks start anew
near Songhyon, a no-mans-land
village miles Southeast of Kae-
song. They said the suggestion
was devoid of reason"
Inc Communists said it would
proVloe no new assurance that
neutrality agreements would he
observed. Instead they suggested:
Both sides Immediately resume
the conference at Kaesone, At
the first meeting . appropriate
machinery should be established
70 Supulate a strict agreement
concerning the naturalization of
Kaesong." "a
Two hours after announcing the
text OF the Communist communi-
cation Gen. Ridgway replied. He
told North Korean Premier Kim
II sung and Chinese Gen. Peng
Teh-Huai:
l nave already made clear to
you my views regarding the un-
suitability of Kaesong as a con-
ference site. :. Satisfactory con-
oitlons for the resumption of the
armistlce talks can only be in
sured by moving the conference
site to an area where it is not
under the exclusive control of
either side.
Since you reject my sugges-
tlon to meet at Songhyon. I pro-
pose that our delegations meet at
site selected by you and ac-
ceptable to me. approximately
midway between our respective
front lines, where the armistice
discussions can be promptly re-
sumed."
Gen. Ridgway's answer thus
gave the Reds the surprising priyi-
lege Of selecting the truce site
but still held to the United Ma
tons commands stand that Kae-
song was no longer in the run
ming.
The United Nations command
ers answer was released in Tokyo
as Red radios in Pyongyang and
Pelplng were reporting details of
the Communist message. 1t was
delivered only this morning in a
brief meeting of liaison officers
In no-man'S land.
Opposes Kaesong.
In their long distance negotia-
tons to reopen talks which the
Reds broke off August %. COM
manders of both sides have been
concerned with guarantees against
neutrality violations-real. i'm
aglned, or as Gen. Ridgway
Charged, in some instances faxed.
Gen. Ridgway has been unwilling
to return to Kaesong because of
the long list of Red complaints
OF neutrality violations. He denied
all but two of them-and said
both Of those were accidental,
He pointed out that the Song
hyon area is not under domination
OF either side. 1t would afford
equal rights to both, said Gen.
Bradley, chairman of the United
States chiefs of staff. Gen. Bradley
left Tokyo only yesterday after
conferring with Gen. Ridgway and
visiting the Korean front.