Evening star., 1953-07-23
Truce Signing
Near Despite
Blast by Rhee
But Red Radio Calls
ROK Chiefs Stand
Wrecking Pretext'
By the Associcted Press

. allies and communists appeared
on the threshold of a Korean
armistice today even as the Red
Peiping Radio warned that re-
newed South Korean opposition
has put the truce "in great
danger"
Authoritative allied sources in
MunSan said one or two minor
points remain to be ironed out.
They said one or two further
meetings of staff officers might
be required before the full dele
cations are called into session
to fix a date for signing.
One source close to the nego-
tiations said work is progressing
rapidly but the armistice has not
been wrapped up"
Staff officers repeatedly COM
pleted arrangements Thursday
for exchanging prisoners or war
who want to return home.
The staff and liaison officers
recessed without scheduling fur
ther meetings after Thursdays
sessions.
Early Signing Possible.
There were persistent reports
here that truce signing could
come within 72 hours. These
reports lacked official confrma-
ton.
An advance party of Swiss
and Swedish members of a COM
mission which will supervise an
armistice arrived in Korea from
Japan.
Communist radio stations re-
acted promptly and violently TO
President Syngman Rhee's state
ment Wednesday that South
Korea will follow its own course
of action unless the Reds agree
within six months after a truce
is signed to evacuate North
Korea.
Peiping said the statement
was nothing but a pretext to
wreck the armistice." And the
broadcast added:
Continued American con-
nivance with Rhee has placed
the Korean armistice in great
danger"
At the same time, however,
the Red broadcasts did not say a
truce was impossible. And Red
workme men at Panmunjom
hammered away at a new build
ing for the armistice signing
ceremonies.
Rhee Repeats Conditions.
On a visit to the battle front
during the day, Mr.. Rhee told
Associated Press Correspondent
John Randolph he would not OBJ
Struct an armistice under Ger
tain conditions.
IF we can see our way to sur
vive, we can reach agreement, I"
Mr., Rhee said. But if we cannot
see our way to survive that is a
different thing
The old statesman has said
many times his nation cannot
survive divided and with Chinese
Communist troops in the north.
Before Mr.. Rhee left Seoul for
the front he talked for SIS
minutes with United States Am
bassador Ellis o. Briggs.
Mr.. Briggs delivered a mes
sage released in Washington by
Secretary of State Dulles. The
statement said the United States
presumed Mr.. Rhee would abide
by assurances that he would not
impede an armistice.
A high South Korean source
said late Thursday that a State
Department note delivered to
Mr. Rhee Wednesday was quite
unsatisfactory"
The source, who asked not
to be identified. said the letter
failed to give satisfactory ans
Wers to questions raised by
South Korea during talks last
month between Mr.. Rhee and
Assistant Secretary Walter Rob-
ertson, President Eisenhower's
truce envoy.
There were some answers to
some questions and no answers
to other questions. Quite un-
satisfactory" the source said.
South Korean Prime Minister
Paik Too Chin said the. United
States Government is threaten
ing to withhold a billion dollars
in military and economic aid
unless "the Republic of Korea
completely abandons it's oppo-
sltion to American ideas as to
an armiStice."
| Mr.. Paik called the billion
dollar aid program the minimum
(See TRUCE, Page A-22.)