Evening star., 1951-07-10
By Fronk H. King
Associated Pres. General Exeeut.v.


Elective behind the cease-fire con.
ference at Kaesong.
It has placed the United States
in a strange and unprecedented
trole. that Of appearing, in Com.
aImunist eyes, at least. as suing fol
lpeace-as having come into Com
llmunist. territory seeking terms
! that will enable the United Ma.
Itions to withdraw its forces, pre-
Iponderately American, from the
Korean peninsula.
!, Actually that is not true, but il
is true that the United States has
accepted q "face losing" role. II
carries with it degree Of humil-
iation In Oriental eyes.
The American authorities have
accepted this, during the prelimi-
nary negotiations, at least, just te
make sure that no opportunity
: will be lost to try to end hostilities
land save the lives OF men on the
battle line and prisoners in the
hands Of North Koreans and Chi
nese Communists.
Fate of Missing Men Unknown.
! The tragic fact is that the U. N
command doesn't know how many
of the 10000 Americans listed al
} missing are alive, where they may
be concentrated. their care ano
health. or anything else about
them.
The Communists never have
permitted International Red Cross
Representatives to enter North
Korea. In contrast. at PuSan and
Elsewhere, 100000 North Koreans
and Chinese in United Nations
prison camps are fed and cared
for better than many Of the ref
ugee population Of South Korea.
I American prisoners in North
Korea, with bombing raids con-
tinuing. and another cruel Korean
winter not too far of, make an un-
forgettable picture before the eyes
OF the American truce ENJOYS. A
few American prisoners have been
used for the purposes OF Commu-
mist propaganda, by the sending of
messages and broadcasts, but these
are isoiated cases. Likewise. a
few have been sent back to the
United Nations lines carrying
Communist propaganda. They
bring it to assure their escape.
Occasional prisoners elude their
Red capVors. but most of the long
list of the missing have not been
accounted for.
The fate Of prisoners is only
one of the unsolved riddles of the
Korean war. 1t is feared that the
American public may be in for
disappointment, disillusion and
IletdoWn on others.
i First. it may take weeks, many
weeks. to stop the fighting, even
If the talks 60 better than ex-
pected.
! One estimate in Tokyo Saturday
was that 10 weeks might be a
reasonable time - if armistice
terms can be reached at all.
/ Secondly, cease-flre on the basis
of stalemate near the 38th par
allel will not bring the boys home
by Christmas. or even the next
Christmas.
| Rotation of soldiers will con-
tinue, but American divisions will
be tied down on the present
strongly-held and fortified line
until the whole question of the
future of Korea is clear. This
would include the training of an
effective Korean national defense
force, which would take a long
time. This Is an authoritative
military view.
The present 9Th Army under 1t.
Gen. James A. Van Fleet is a
tough and formidable fighting ma
chine. 1t is poised and ready for
instant offensive action on a large
scale should there be treachery
on the part of the Communists
during the truce talks.
| Meanwhile, the shooting war
goes on uninterrupted, especially
by air and sea, with the land
forces carrying on minor opera
tions across a 100-mile front.
/ No Overt Red Activity Expected.
| Overt Red acts to destroy the
negotiations are not expected.
However. based on the day-to-
day chronicle of exchanges, broad
casts and maneuvers since the first
move was made by Soviet Russia
to start the talks, the Communists
have not acted in good faith. This
lis the conviction held BY the high
est United Nations authority.
! Every Red move has been a
propaganda move, twisting and
Imisrepresenting the actual steps
taken. The result is that the
Communist world and it's satellites
are informed that the United Ma
tions have petitioned for an armi-
lstice to avoid defeat and thus have
brought near fulflllment the Com
munist boast that the U. N. forces
would be driven out of Korea
into the sea.
The military facts are that the
Allies have more powerful fight
ing machine in Korea than ever
before; it is getting stronger. and
it is ready for instant action.
The key to the Kaesong negotia-
tions will become evident only
after the American ENJOYS present
their cease-fire proposals. The
reaction of the Communist dele
cation at Kaesong will indicate
the future pattern. Reaction may
not come quickly. Red negotia-
tors may have to refer back to
Peiping, and even as far away
as Moscow, before answers can be
given at the conference table.
Demands May Be Difficult.
The Communists themselves
may demand such things as the