Evening star., 1951-11-30
Confusion Over War
Lifted Partly, Fighting
On Lesser Scale Seen
By John N. Hiehtower
Assoeia'ed Press Stoff Writer


The fog OF confusion over the
status of war and the prospects
for peace in Korea lifted some
what today. In the estimate of
responsible authorities here, sew
eral points now stand clear:
l. The fighting can be expected
to go on but not. for the time
being, with the same intensity as
before the present conditional
agreement on a cease-fire line.
2. Ground action by United
Nations forces presumably will be
limited in the main to artillery
pressure on the enemy, recon-
naissance patrols checking on Red
troop dispositions and limited at
tacks if needed to knock any
suspicious Communist concentra-
tlons off balance.
3, Naval and air action will
continue full tilt; in fact, air
combat may well be stepped up. :
Two Principal Issues.
4. U. N. ground fol ceS are not
expected to try to advance theil
line since such areas would be
given up should truce negotiations
be successful within the 30-day
armistice line agreement.
5. The expectation in Washing
ton is that these negotiations will
be successful if the enemy COM
mand agrees (a) to prompt and
complete release of all Allied
troops held as prisoners and (b)
to some type of inspection of
forces during the armistice.
s. It truce negotiations drag on
past the 30-day period ending
December 27. but if there ap-
peared then to be a good chance
for completing the negotiations.
an extension of the date would
seem to be possible.
The conflict of news reports and
of1cial statements issued during
the last two days is attributed by
some authorities here to a mis-
calculation or a lack of under
standing as to the impact of news
that there had been even a limited
slackening of the war.
Van Fleets Motive.
The military instructions which
Gen. James A. Van Fleet issued
as 9th Army commander. the
nature of which have not been
officially disclosed, are regarded
here as an effort on the generals
part to adjust the fighting to the
current truce situation.
Gen. Van Fleets Headquarters
sad yesterday his orders had been
mlSlnterpreted at lower echelons
III Korea. Presumably this mis-
Interpretation was responsible for
the fact that for time ground
fighting came to virtual stand
still and word spread at the front
that kind of cease-fre was in
effect.
What was really intended, as
authorities here understand the
situation. was that pending fur
ther developments in the truce
talks, U. N. forces should not
engage in combat for territory
which in few weeks they might
have to yield under terms of an
armistice.
Didn't Anticipate Excitement.
What was lacking for almost a
hours was some official explana-
ton to make this clear. The mis- 4
understanding probably would
never have arisen at all had either
Gen. Van Fleets or Gen. Matthew
B. RldgWay's headquarters antici-
pated the excitement that would
be raised when even some of the
shooting stopped.
ForeWarned of the reactions.
either headquarters could have
provided in advance informa ton
as to the meaning and extent of
actions that were due to become
public anyway.
Gen. Ridgway has contended all
along there would be no end to
hostilities until a full armistice
had been reached,