Evening star., 1952-12-26
Eisenhower Believed
Planning 10 Ease u. 5.
War Burden in Korea
By John M. Hiehtower
Associated Press Stoff Writer


istration for dealing with the
Korean war appear likely to aim
at putting new pressures on the
Chinese Communists while easing
the battle burden of American
forces.
To this end. the belief here isl
that. as a minimum. President
elect Eisenhower and his Secre-
tary of State-to-be, John Foster
Dulles, will promptly call for:
l. A United Nations economic
blockade of Red China.
2. Maximum speedup in train
ing South Korean forces and
their assignment to front lines.
How far beyond these minimum
actions the new President and
his advisers may be willing to go|
remains to be seen. Despite his
trip to Korea, his unprecedented
mid = Pacific conferences with
prospective aides and his meeting
with Gen. Macarthur in New
York, Gen. Eisenhower so far has
not tipped his hand.
Stain Adds Uncertainty.
A new factor of uncertain
weight was injected into the
knotty situation yesterday with
publication by the New York
Times of a reply from Premier
Stain to four questions posed by
the Times. q.
Stain said Russia is interested
in ending the Korean War, and
that he would cooperate in any
new diplomatic approach toward
a truce. However. the question re-
mained: How much of a price
would he pay for peace?
A mere public Endorsement of
lpeace in Korea is not noticeably
different from the past Russian
position, which-at least for prop
Uganda purpoSes-has been in
favor of true. The new state
Iment, however. raised the ques-
ltion whether Premier Stain may
have been convinced by now that
the Communists have nothing
more to gain in Korea.
Some authorities here believe
that Gen. Eisenhower's major
plans-charted in broad outlines
aboard the cruiser Helena-are
still fluid and may continue so
until. upon taking office. he gets
a final look at all the Korean
information and gets full author
ity.
Rebuff on Prisoner Issue.
At the same time, there are ele-
ments in the situation and some
factors in Gen. Eisenhower's and
Mr.. Dulles own thinking which
clearly point to probable lines of
action.
Earlier this month the United
Nations General Assembly had it's
Korean peace appeal to the Chi
nese and North Korean regimes
thrown back in its teeth. The
Reds made clear they would only
make peace on their own terms
that is. when and if the United
Nations was willing to stop insist
ing upon voluntary repatriation Of
prisoners.
The rejection had not been un-
expected. Two months ago the
Truman administration had con-
Sidered what to do in such a Situ-
alton. The conclusion then-a
conclusion certain to be laid be-
fore Gen. Eisenhowers people
was that if the United Nations bid
peace was spurned by the Reds,
the United Nations itself ought
to undertake some new action.
] The State Department feeling
was that the minimum would be
for the United States to take the
lead in seeking General Assembly
enactment of an economic block
ade of Red China. Truman Off
cials decided not to pursue the
matter. largely because of the
impending change of administra-
ton.
Would Ease U. S. Burden.
The General Assembly has re-
cessed until February "a. That
will give the Eisenhower group
more than a month after taking
office to prepare recommended
tions for United Nations consid-
Grafton.
Both the general and Mr.. Dulles
argued during the campaign that
United States forces, as the first
team" of the free world military,
should be disengaged from the
Korean fighting as rapidly as pos
sible and that this could be &C
complished by expanding the
training of South Koreans.
/ Actually, the Truman admin
istration has had a large-scale
program producing hundreds of
new Korean soldiers every week.
but Gen. Eisenhower has intimated
that more may be done.
i Mr.. Dulles has argued publicly
that to replace American divi-
sions with Koreans would remove
two great incentives Russia has
for seeing that the Korean war
goes on: l. 1t would end the COM
: mitment of an important segment
of American military power, and
CD it would end Moscow's oppor-
tunity to propagandize the war
as a fight of white men against
AsiaticS.
| Maru paths Oman