Evening star., 1951-08-19
Peace Hope
ZAP Photos.

How strong is that new hope?
No one on this side of the iron
curtain can possibly say at this
juncture-the twists and turns Of
Communist strategy are too many
and devious to warrant prediction.
1t is clear, however, that for the
present the Communists are delib-
erately fostering the impression
that the hope is considerable.
That Peiping radio broadcast
purporting to quote Gen. Nam on
the buffer zone question contained
standard references to the unfair
and unreasonable" nature of our
demands. But it also included one
statement which seemed, in almost
unmistakable terms, to indicate
that the Communists would insist
no longer on the 38th Parallel as
the truce line.
I'VE want the 38th Parallel as
the military line of demarcation,
Gen. Nam was reported to have
said, "but it is possible to adjust
this line on the basis of the ter
rain and mutual defense positions
Of the demilitarized zone If they
are necessary and reasonable"
Terrain and defense positions.
OF course, are. what we have been
insisting on all along as factors
that must be taken into account
In drawing the truce line.
If the Communists actually are
prepared to approach the prob
lem from this point of view, it does
not seem that it should be too hard
to effect a compromise on the
buffer zone issue. For there are a
number of positions between the
present battle line and the 3Sth
Parallel which probably would
prove adequately defensible from
our point of view.
The map above, in fact, shows a
line which, If the Peiping broad
cast can be taken at face value.
might very well be acceptable to
the Reds as merely an adjust
nent" OF the Parallel. 1t runs from
the West Coast along the Imiin
River to a point about IL miles north
OF Uijongbu; thence, north-north-
east to the western end of the
Hwachon reservoir. along the reser-
voir eastward over the heights to
Yanggu, and from there due east
to the coast.
Out Of the voIIey?
While it may be debatable how
much reason there is to hope that
the change in atmosphere at Kae-
song means there is real chance
OF peace In Korea, there is every
reason to pray that it does. For
there can be no doubt that, If the
arn1istice talks do reach the point
Of final breakdown, the immediate
threat of World War III will be
close upon us.
It is nonsense to say, as some
have been saying, that failure to
achieve peaceful settlement in
this particular arena automatically
would signal the start of general
all-out war. Quite conceivably, the
U. N. forces still could fight and win
a strictly localized war in Korea.
But there is no denying that
pressure to carry the fight full
blast to Communist China, follow
ing Gen. MacArthur's line of ad-
vice, would be tremendously in
creased In this country If the effort
being made at Kaesong proved
fruitless. Equally, there is no doubt
that the war could not be carried
full-blast to Communist China
without running the great risk that
Russia might intervene in China's
behalf. Just as China intervened in
behalf of North Korea.
The stakes, therefore, are high
at Kaesong higher than Ameri-
cans as a whole have seemed to
appreciate. It is well that the
chance of peace gave some evidence
last week of finding way out Of
the valley of the shadow in which
1t had been walking.