Milford chronicle., 1952-12-19
TRUlIAN's KOREAN WAR A HEADACHE
FOR EISENHOWER

When the Korean war started President
Truman called it police action. Few men
would have the temerity to apply that name
to it now. In terms of casualties and eco
nornic cost, Korea has been a fuIl-scale con
fict.
u. S. News & World Report recently ran
a lengthy article on that war, in which it
dealt with the problem of what President
elect Eisenhower may be able to do to end it.
First Of all, the bare statistics are stagger-
ing and hoTTifying- especially so when we
consider that the war is now 100 per cent
stalernated and. nothing resembling victory
is in sight. Allied losses total $4,000, Of
which United States forces suffered 128,00O,
South Korea I15,000 and other nations H.
000 By comparison, the United States had
10000 casualties during the first two-and-
a-haf years of the Pacific phase of World
War ll-less than for the comparable period
Of the Korean war.
Measured in money, the direct cost to
US Of the Korean conflict has passed the
$4,000, 100000 mark, and the indirect cost
has been tremendous. Measured in mate
Tial we have shipped more than 122OO,OOO
tens of gas and oil to Korea, and over 20,
100000 tons of munitions, trucks and other
supplies.
y. S. News summarized the alternatives
that, in the opinion Of military leaders, will
confront President Eisenhower in his search
for an end to the war. First, the scope of the
war can be extended, with bombing of Man
churia, blockade Of China and so on, in a
mighty effort to win decisive military vic
tory Second, the war can still be confined
to Korea but stepped up in intensity, with
the objective Of pushing the communist
forces to the very end of the peninsula
Third, Nationalist Chinese forces, from For
mosa, could land in China proper and create
major diversion. Fourth, during a period
OF time (the military say it would take sew
eral years. south Korean forces could be
built up and trained to take over-a solution
which General Eisenhower has mentioned.
Firth, other Asiatic troops might be en-
ployed within KOrea-Japanese, FilipinOs
and Nationalist Chinese. Sixth, we could
Withdraw entirely from Korea, which is the
least likely alternative of all, in the light of
the views of the EisenhoWer-DuIl team.
Lastly solution based on two or more of
these possibilities might be tried
Y. 5. News speculated whether Eisen-
hover would consider General MacArthur's
plan for winning the war. This was bold.
far-reaching concept which included the
bombing of Manchuria, a Nationalist Chinese
invasion of the mainland Of China, block
ade of the China coast, and the arming and
supplying of anti-red guerilas within China.
Argument in favor is that this, vigorously
enough prosecuted, could bring Red China
to her knees Argument against is that it
could mark the start of third global war.
There is one point that is undoubtedly in
the forefront of Eisenhower's mind and the
minds if his aides-and it is a point which
many people seem to overlook. u. S. News
put it this way; Korea is only part of a
bigger conflict in East-West relations. It's
solution, to be successful, must not compro-
mise the Vests future chances in Indo-C China,
Malaga, Europe, in the U. ~, in any war
that may lie ahead" This is a tremendous
complication indeed
5000