Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-09
By Fred Socrks
War Correspondent Of The stor
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SEOUL, Korea. July ga good
number of United Nations civilians
as well as Army folk now in Korea
are worried that the Communists
might try to make the present
cease fire conference look like an
American surrender.
These worried folk were frankly
shocked when the u N. agreed
Ito meet the enemy's agents in
Kaesong which was just about the
ionly town of any size in South
Korea the Communists could move
in and out Of.
It was felt that a ship offshore
or a tent pitched between lines
of opposing foxholes would be
more truly neutral locale.
At the time Gen. RidgWay &C
cepted Kaesong. it was generally
understood the place was in no
mans land"
I personally investigated and
found that while the Reds did not
actually occupy Kaesong they
were sitting Just north of it while
we had roughly a 16-mile. hike to
enter the city.
Enemy Plays Host"
When our first peace mission
took q helicopter to Kaesong yes
Iterday it was assumed they would
enter an open city and one free
of enemy troops. Gen. Ridgway
told the enemy in advance, via
radio. how large our party would
be three colonies. two inter-
prefers, plus pilots and so forth.
1 We figured the Communists
would have the same number.
But, in the words of Col. An
drew Kinney, handsome, brilliant
Air Force colonel who headed our
mission, the town definitely" ap-
peared to be in the hands OF the
enemy and the enemy was GER
tainly "host."
7 Both Col. Kinney and the pilots
reported seeing goodly number
of armed Chinese and North
Koreans around Kaesong and the
house where the parley was held
How many enemy troops? They
could not say. Certainly, Kaesone
during yesterdays conference
was as much an open city for all
practical purposes as Shanghai.
Officers Are Reticent.
When attempts were made by
pressmen to draw from the Army
how they could accept what ap-
peared to us to be a wicked vio-
lation of the understanding, they
refused to comment, which, OF
course, is understandable, for Of
ficers on the spot operate on the
lower echelon and everyone has
finger in this deal from Dear
E Acheson down.
Now among normal people thi:
little matter would make mighty
little difference. Normal people
would say, Let us get on witt
g the talks to end the killing and tt
hell with such small details"
,, But through painful postwar
years we have learned the Com
munists simply do not work tina
way.
The Communists had a numbe
of still and motion picture photog
on the spot to shoot tn
i visiting peace party. They werI
: snapped from all angles.
It is certainly correct to say tina
i our peace makers were photo
: graphed with gun-carrying Com
8 munist troopers in the fore O.
:. background.
S The results when released vii
:. be to give millions of people il
n various parts of this divided worlt
: the impression that the Alice
e peace party came to seek term
S not 10 par1ey as equals.
d AS a wise Chinese once said &C;
picture is worth a thousand words
u. S. Misses Propaganda.
In the calculated opinion o
, most of the representatives of tn
United Nations and newsmen
have spoken to, plus high Arm,
officers and CTS and availabl
diplomats-hardly to mention tn
bitter South Korean population
= our government has not so ia
considered fully the propaganda
:, possibilities of this great meeting
: the main part of which begin
" tomorrow.
70 AS a globe trotting journals
a who has been present at almos
Is every foreign postwar struggle be
: tween freedom and Communism
70 fought with either guns o
~ words-I am personally worried
Dr. sle.s1a..S
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