Evening star., 1952-05-23
General Ridgwoy's Report

III MS adQreSS 10 congress General RidgWay
besides reviewing the military operations that
have been carried out in Korea during the
tenure of his command in Tokyo has placed his
main emphasis on the Panmunjom truce talks
and the "incalculable" Importance of American
relations with Japan. The two subjects are
closely related. Considered either separately or
together, they obviously are factors of the high
est significance in both the immediate and long
range outlook for war or peace in Asia
AS far as Japan is concerned, General Ridg-
way has been at pains to reasSure the American
people that it is country on our side, with it's
policies firmly linked with ours and those of the
allied non-Soviet nations. At the same time.
however, he has reminded everybody that al
though sovereignty has been restored to it by
the San Francisco peace treaty. it is still virtu-
ally diSarmed and faced with very serious eco
nomic problems. Accordingly, as it undertakes
now to become self-supporting and to build up
its own defenses, it must have help. Above ALL
1t must have the protection of the American
armed forces stationed there in keeping with the
special Tokyo Washington security pact.
This is SO, as General Ridgway has said
because japan today-wholly apart from the fact
that it is of vital Importance to the United Ma
tionS in Korea-is vulnerable to the threat of
internal Red Subversion and Kremlin- directed
external aggression. Were it to be left standing
alone at this stage, it would be vacuum of
power Sorely tempting the Communists to move
in and take over. In view of the Asiatic build
up of Soviet armed strength-especially in the
form of modern jet planes-that danger can be
ignored only at the risk of creating grave peris
for our own country and the entire free world
not only in the Korean theater but throughout
the Far East in general.
Although he has spoken confidently of our.
allied ability to hold the line in Asia General
Ridgway certainly has not had anything cheer
ing to say about putting an end to the war over
there. In his opinion, the unprecedented viru-
lence of the Reds lying propaganda accusing the
United States OF using germ and gas weapons
should be taken a warning that our world
still faces deadly danger. Further, by implica-
tion, he has suggested that that propaganda
may in fact mean that the Communists have no
intention whatever of agreeing to an armistice
at Panmunj jom-or at least not to the no.
compromise terms that have been laid down by
the U. NJ. especially the condition against the
forcible repatriation of prisoners
In any event, re-emphasizing the firmness
OF the U. Ms negotiating position, General Rdg-
way-who must now reckon with the same threat
in Europe as he has ably dealt with in the Far
EaSt-haS once again served notice on the enemy
that there will be no retreat from those terms
The decision for or against a. truce is thus up
to the Communists, and to them alone. II they
decide against or II they merely adhere to their
present tactics, renewal of full-scale hostilities
may become inevitable, and that in turn could
mean an enlarged war encompassing other parts
OF Asia. That is one reason why the security Of
japan is OF paramount Importance.