Evening star., 1952-04-27

Y. }. JetS Shoot Down MICS in DusL
Flight; other Koreon stories Poee A. Il
Reds the U. N. command delega-
tions could not attend "due to un-
avoidable circumstances"
Col. Andrew j. Kinney, Allied
liaison officer, told the Commu-
nists they would be Informed
when the U. N. command was
ready.
The Reds agreed to the post
ponement, and also to a meeting
of staff officers discussing truce
supervision.
The staff officer meeting got
underway on schedule.
No AmplificatiOn Offered.
The official U. N. command
spokesman, Brig. Gen. William P
Nuckols, said II cannot in any
way amplify" the brief notice o1
postponement.
Un Washington, there was
no immediate explanation for
the delay, but it was learned
that the cancellation of the full
dress session. which had been
billed probably as the beginning
OF a showdown with the Reds
had been anticipated.
(Since there was no evidence
at any point of differences of
opinion between Washington
authorities and the U. N. COM
mander, Gen. Matthew Ridg-
way, most obvious speculation
was that some one of the Allied
governments had belatedly
asked for ain additional day or
so in which to consider the step
about to be taken in the truce
negotiations. Barring some
hitch. it was expected in WASH
ington that the scheduled meet
ing would be held in "a or 48
hourS.)
The Allies asked for the meetina
OF generals and admirals Friday
The Reds accepted yesterday.
Stalemate Indicated.
When the Reds asked what the
U. N. command wanted to discuss
the Allies merely replied "the
armistice agreement.
There had been speculation thai
the United Nations called the
plenary session to present a bold
new formula for breaking the Ions
armistice deadlock.
(American officials and Allied
diplomats in Washington re-
garded the negotiations as NOV
ing into the showdown stage.
They indicated a breakdown
was possible, but expressed hope
it could be avoided.)
The full-dress session was callee
when developments at the Pan.
munjom conference tents indi'
Gated a complete stalemate.
Staff officers appeared on tn,
threshold of reaching genera
agreement until the United Ma
tions command told the Com
Imunists that only $4,000 of NOR
than 10000 military prisoner
held by the Allies had indicated
they wanted to be returned. Thu
Reds demanded that all militar.
prisoners be returned, but agreet
indirectly to voluntary repatria
ton for North and South Korean
civilian prisoners.
Staff Officers Marking Time.
Staff officers considering true
supervision had been markin,
time, apparently awaiting the out
come of the secret sessions OF
prisoners. They had been unabl
to agree on the two main super
vision issues-Communist nomina
ton OF Russia as a neutral in
spector, and an Allied demand TO
restrictions on military airfielt
construction.
Both sides already have agree,
upon nearly 5000 words of a.
armiStice document but nine i'm
Iportant paragraphs remained t
be spelled out. For quite som
time the key to the unsolved is
sues seemed to be the prisoner ex
change problem.
Allies Surprised at Reaction.
The U. N. report that fewe
than one half of the Communis
soldiers wanted to go back hom
appeared to surprise the Allies a
much as it angered the Reds.
During the last several weeks
the Allies screened the $500
North Korean and 20,699 Chimes
military prisoners in addition II
81, 900 North Korean civilians an,
$4,000 South Korean civilians in
termed.
Only 5,100 of the Chinese an
$4,000 of the Korean Reds in
dicated they wanted to be re
turned. The Allies told them the,
would be returned unless the.
forcibly resisted repatriation.
Asked for a definition of forces
repatriation, a U. N. spokesman
said:
THAT means they would kav
to go home unless they would Gu
their throats, drown themselves
have to be pushed along with ;
bayonet or something like that"
This appeared to be modifi
cation of the Allies previous in
sistence that all prisoners b
given a free choice of whether t
be returned. But it left Red stat
officers unsatisfied and nearl
IyxrrorkaA fho to1kS