Evening star., 1952-11-20
West Fights TO Avert
SpIit in lis j. n. Ranks
Over India Peace Plan
By the Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS, N. Y, Nov
20.-Twenty- -one Western allie!
fought today to avert a threatened
split in their ranks over whether
to give India's compromise plar
on Korea priority over the Ameri.
i can resolution they are sponsoring
In the United Nations.
The United States delegation
voicing fears that the Indian pro-
posal on the deadlocked Korean
prisoner of war issue was am.
biguous and would not work out
repeatedly was under strong pres.
sure by British commonwealth ma
tions and France to accept some
variation. at least, of the plar
put forward yesterday by India's
v. K. Krishna Menon in the Gen.
eral Assembly's Political Commit
tee.
There was a threat that, wheth-
er the United States goes along
or not, some of the allies may
throw their support to Mr.
Menon's resolution calling for
four-power commission to handle
the repatriation of prisoners ano
to take care of those who resist
going back to their homeland:
until a political conference de-
cideS their fate.
Hope to Avoid Break.
All parties in the group strug.
gled to avoid an open break. They
planned to thrash out the matter
today after hearing the report OF
an eight-nation subcommittee
they appointed to discuss the
Indian plan.
1t was IN that subcommittee
that United States Ambassador
Ernest A. Gross held ground last
night against growing sentiments
in favor of the Indian resolution
He insisted that Mr.. Menon still
had not clarified antiquities
which the Americans found in his
resolution when he made his i'm
passioned plea for its acceptance
by both sides yesterday.
While not rejecting the Indian
plan outright, the Americans Saic
before they can accept any plan il
must clearly guarantee that nc
prisoner will be forcibly repatri-
ated or forcibly detained and full
assurance that those not wishing
repatriation will not be pawns ir
later political considerations.
Uphill Battle.
The Americans fought an uphill
battle to keep the 21-nation reso.
luton introduced by United State.
Secretary of State Acheson to the
fore as the committees debate
approached it's climax That res.
olution calls on the Assembly tt
approve the U. N. command:
stand in the Panmunjom negotia.
tions and to urge the Communists
to accept those terms for truce
It already has been fatty re-
jected by the Russians and theil
Red allies.
The committee expects to heal
some official reaction to Mr.
Menon's resolution at today:
session. Mr.. Acheson, just re.
turned from the Truman-Eisen.
hover foreign policy talks ir
Washington was tentatively
scheduled to speak Monday.
Armed with assurances thai
President-elect EisenhoWer's in.
coming administration would hole
fast to the present United States
stand against the forcible repatri-
alton of prisoners, Mr.. Acheson
talked yesterday with British For
eign Secretary Anthony Eden on
the Korean problem.
Mr.. Eden also may want to
speak in the Korean debate once
again before he returns to London
Diplomatic sources said his dele
cation. along with those of other
Commonwealth nations, had dis
cussed possible amendments to
the Indian resolution which they
hoped would strengthen it and
dispel American doubts.