Evening star., 1951-08-19
Kaesone: Truce Talks Have Takena New Lease On Life

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L last week into a new stage,
probably a crucial one. On We'd
neSday. worn out by IS negoti-
ating SeSsions-15 Of them fruit
lessly devoted to an attempt to
agree on the location of q truce
line along which the fighting might
stop-our side came up with a
proposal for fresh approach to
the problem. The proposal was
that the settlement attempt be
taken over by a subcommittee Of
delegates. The Communists ac-
cepted it. The new setup has
these features:
/. The talks involve fewer peo-
pie. Each side is represented by
two delegates, q stan assistant
and an interpreter. Since negotia-
tions began July 10, flve delegates
had been involved on each side,
and number Of technical assist
ants.
2. The talks are being conducted,
under the new setup, on as infor-
NAL basis as possible. The two
sides meet around rather than
across the table," in the words of
Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy,
chief U. N. negotiator.
8. Most important of all, the SUBJ
committee conducts its discussions
under a tight security blanket.
There are no day-to-day reports
on the progress of the talks, and no
transcript Of remarks which
means, presumably, that there will
be no more speeches.
The American subcommittee ne
gotiatorS are Maj. Gen. Henry I.
HodeS and Rear Admiral Arleigh
Burke. Sitting in for the Comnnu-
nistS are Maj. Gen. Hsieh Fang,
the Chinese who reputedly is the
real boss of the Red truce team,
and Maj. Gen. Lee Sang Cho,
North Korean.
Goldfish Negotiations
The new plan was conceived in
recognition of one of the clearest-
cut facts in the science Of inter-
national politics-that it is prac-
tically impossible to negotiate in
goldfish bowl. In a sense, very little
had been said at Kaesong up to last
Wednesday. There had been lot of
reading-the reading of prepared
statements, which might make
record and might make headlines,
but which was unlikely to make
progress.
The subcommittee which has
taken over at Kaesong is not en-
powered to decide anything. It can
only recommend. But If the plan
works, the world may soon have its
first genuine indication whether
there is a real chance for some kind
of peace in Korea. And the very
fact that the Communists have
agreed to enter into discussions on
this new basis looks like strong
hint that they are genuinely eager
to bring the Korean war to an end.
Another hint, even stronger, was
provided Thursday night, when the
Peiping radio quoted Gen. Nam II,
the chief Communist negotiator,
as saying the idea of truce line
along the 38th Parallel, on which he
has been insisting all along, Is
subject to adjustment. And report
ers waiting outside during the first
informal subcommittee meeting
Friday were startled at one point to
hear a roar of laughter from the
meeting room. No such sound had
been heard from that particular
direction before.
Yesterday, observers outside the
conference room saw the delegates
cherily huddled over map.
These developments came not a
moment too soon. For, in the days
which led up to them, the truce ne
gotiations teetered desperately on
the precipice edge of utter break
down-and all the terrible conse-
quences which might attend upon
their failure.