Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-08
Korean Troop Demand
OF Eisenhower Draws
Fire Of Pentagon
By Robert K. Welsh

Gen. Eisenhower's demand that
South Korean battle lines be
manned mainly by Republic Of
Korea troops has drawn the fire
exploratory rather than direct-of
the Pentagon.
Without mentioning the Repub-
lican presidential nominee or re-
ferring to his recent protest that
Americans should not have to
bear the brunt of the fighting, De-
tense Secretary Lovett told a news
conference yesterday that:
l. South Korean forces totaling
100000 outnumber United States
troops by about so per cent" both
in the field and the front lines.
The total does not include the
Korean Service Corps. supported
by the United States Army. Nor
does it include considerable"
ROK military forces not so sup
ported.
so Per Cent More Casualties.
2. Their casualties have been al
most so per cent more than those
OF the United States, and more
than four times as many are miss
ing in action.
3. United States Army training
OF South Korean manpower, es-
pecially in producing commits
stoned and top commissioned
officers, has brought excellent re-
suits. The training program has
been steadily stepped up, and at
the moment we are doing all we
can safely do" in training and
sending South Korean manpower
into battle.
AS for timetable on eventual
full-scale replacement of United
States troops by ROK forces,
Secretary Lovett explained that
any definite forecast would re-
quire "a degree of military judy
ment."
He said also. he did not mean
to suggest he was completely sat
isf1ed with the degree of South
Korean representation.
Sees Forces Strengthened.
But he added that, "as time
goes on I think we will get more
and more from the South Ko-
reans." AS the number of trained
ROK troops builds up, it will
strengthen the United NationS|
overall forces and permit greater
rotation, if not relief. of u. N.
troops. he explained.
Today Secretary of State Ache
son told a news conference the
Korean government and people
"have with great gallantry done
everything within their power to
defend their own territory"
Gen. Eisenhower, in a speech
at Champaign, Ill.,. last Friday
took the position that. if there
must be a war in the Far East,
''let it be Asians against Asians,
with our support on the side of
freedom.
What we must do, first ALL" he
said, lis to make certain that
those Southern Koreans, of whom
there are 20 million. can be pre-
pared to defend their own front
lines. There is no sense in the
U. NJ. with America bearing the
brunt of the thing, being con-
stantly compelled to man those
front lines. That is a job for the
Koreans. We do not want Asia
to feel that the white man Of the
West is his enemy" I
Eisenhower Quoted.
In addition to his prepared
text. Gen. Eisenhower was
quoted as declaring: 1.-THE South
Korean battle line today should
be manned primarily by South
Koreans. We must intensify-and
I assume those programs are be-
ing intensified - programs of
training the 20 million South
Koreans or those that are neces-
sary to hold their own front lines
and. so far as the U. N. and
American forces have to stay in
that area, to get them back into
reserve and at least eliminate the
losses"
Gen. EiSenhoWer's remarks re-