Evening star., 1951-09-19

IeAt OF ". N. StotemenI. Toqe A W
announced that four unarmed
South Korean soldiers mistakenly
entered the neutral zone.
The Red request for a meeting
raised speculation that the Com
munistS may want to discuss re-
sumption of the stalled talks, or
they may want to lodge another
charge of Allied violation of the
neutral zone.
The Reds broke off the talks
August % after charging that an
Allied plane tried to murder"
Communist armistice negotiators
with strafing fire in the zone the
night before.
The Reds asked for a meeting
with Allied liaiSon officers at Pam
munjom, Communist outpost near
the edge of the neutral zone, at 6
am. tomorrow Is pm. today,
EDIT.
Correspondents Also to Go.
Brig. Gen. Frank A. Allen, chief
OF information, general head
quarters. said the U. N. liaisonI
officers, accompanied by three cor
respondents, would meet with the
Reds.
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, Su-
preme Allied Commander, has of
fered to send liaison officers to the
outpost to discuss resumption of
armistice talks any time the Reds
wished. But he also has insisted
that the Reds are the ones to say
If and when they want the talks
taken up again.
Some observers pointed out that
8 am. was too early in the day if
the Reds wanted to talk about
reSuming the talks.
They said the early hour indi-
Gated more probably that another
Red charge was coming up and
that they wanted the u. N. liaisonI
officers to investigate as soon as
possible.
Others argued, however, that
the Reds might have set the early
hour to get the talks underway
the same day, if that is what they
want.
Tone of the notes exchanged
between the Reds and Allies re-
Gently has been more moderate
than at any time since the talks
were suspended.
Four Held 20 Hours.
The South Koreans who wan
dered into the neutral zone by
mistake Tuesday were held by the
Communists 20 hours, then freed,
a U. N command release said.
The Reds had charged that the
incident was a violation of the
Kaesong neutral zone. The U. N.
took lighter view. 1t said the
four, members of an anti-epidemic
unit, were armed with nothing
more dangerous than DDT."
The command said the South
Koreans were mot mistreated
during their overnight stay in
Kaesong. nor were their items of
equipment condscated or dam
aged"
Their truck also was released by
the Reds.
Investigation of the Red COM
plant, the command said, took
place without incident, and in an
atmosphere almost completely de-
void of tension"
The release from headquarters
of Gen. Ridgway said the United
Nations liaison officers who made
the investigation today noted a
marked change in the Commu-
nists' attitude as they drove
through Red territory into Kae-
song.
Nearly all the Communist SOL
diers along the road stood rigidly
at attention as the United Nations
command party passed." the an
nouncement said. "One soldier
held a stiff salute as the convoy
entered and left the city"
Many of the civilians in Kae-
song smiled as the U. N. personnel
passed by, in contrast with in
scrutable countenances they have
shown on other occasions"
The release said the U. N. in
vestigators questioned the South
Korean soldiers, headed by Sergt.
Ma Kwang Sin, following which
they and the 112-ton truck which
had been captured with them were
released"
During lhe meeting. the release
(See TRUCE, Page A-3.)