Evening star., 1951-08-13
Allies Pondering Aim!
OF Communists in
New Korea BuiIdup
By John Randolph
Associoied Press War Correspondent

UNITED NATIONS HEAD
QUARTERS, Korea. Aug. 13.-
The Communists have made big
military buildup in Korea.
The question is: Are they plan
ming a new offensive if the Kae-
song armistice talks finally COL
lapse, or are they pouring in
troops merely to strengthen the
hand of their negotiators?
High Allied officers agree that
the enemy has plenty of power
and can attack if he wants to,
but Allied intelligence is uncertain
whether such an attack will come.
A few intelligence officers will
say "propably,' but they say it
with nothing like the certainty
which they were able to forecast
the big Red offensive of last jan
uary, February, April and May.
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway con-
f1rmed the Red buildup in his
report to the United Nations
August 3.
Here is some of the evidence
available in Korea to suggest an
Immediate Red drive if the Kae-
song conference founders:
/. Unusally heavy truck traffic
through North Korea toward the
front, starting at the first mention
of armistice talks late in June and
continuing through mid July.
Some Air Force pilots reported
seeing up to 1000 trucks at time
in this period, boldly using lights
at night despite air attacks.
After July Is this traffic eased
off. This suggests the Reds had
completed whatever preparations
they had in mind.
2. An entirely new vigor in the
North Korean army. North Ko-
rean units are on both the extreme
eastern and western ends of the
front and have been putting up
some of the most violent resistance
to small 'limited-objective" Allied
thrusts.
Their performance is infinitely
better than that Of the wretched
North Korean 1st Corps which was
knocked to pieces last April.
This lends support to reports
that the North Korean army has
been thoroughly reorganized and
retrained.
3. Communist artillery has be-
come more plentiful and bolder.
Every part of the front now re-
ports Red artillery fire as a rou-
tine matter, whereas few
months ago it was exceptional.
The Reds then relied almost en-
tirely on mortars for e-caliber
flre.
One Of their artillery barrages
in July in the Chorwon sector
totalled about 1000 rounds, a re-
spectacle amount even by Ameri-
can standards.
Red prisoners and deserters in
variably talk about plans for a
new offensive" In the past they
have usually been right.
In July, however, they men
toned dates from July Is to 25.
These passed without incident.
Now prisoners talk about Septem-
ber l. Whether this means any
thing is open to question. but
when it looked in mid-July as if
the Kaesong talks would break
down, the Chinese commander,
|Peng Teh-huai. told his generals
to take up positions for an imme-
diate Red attack if the talks
failed.
Troop morale may be a factor
in Red plans, and it is hard to
analyze. Five times the Chinese
have hurled themselves at the
Allies in all-out offensives. Each
time they have gained less and
lost more men
Some deserters say they quit
because they did not want to make
another drive against the deadly
Allied firepower.
The Allies, on the other hand.
have made up all their own land
losses and manpower losses since
last Observation-Disclosures. They
are in good position for whatever
comes.
AS one division intelligence Of
ficer told his general:
"Sir. the enemy can either at
tack or defend"