Evening star., 1953-07-01
Churchill S Remarks
Are Insult 10 Korea,
Rhee Says in Reply
BY the Assoeiated Press

SEOUL, July 1.-South Ko-
rean President Syngman Rhee
has lashed back at British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill for
criticizing Mr.. Rhee's release of
27,000 Communist North
Korean prisoners from U. N.
compounds in South Korea.
Mr.. Rhee also said u. N.
Commander Gen. Mark Clark
made a mistake" in saying
that Mr.. Rhee violated his wcrd
to the allied commander by re-
leasing the captives two weeks
ago.
Mr.. Rhee intimated that
Mr.. Churchill may have been
misled by incorrect reports. Mr..
Churchill said in London he was
Shocked and grieved' by ,he
POW release.
The aged South Korean leader
set forth his views in written
replies to questions from Maurice
Fagence, correspondent of the
London Daily Herald. The re-
plies were dated Monday and
made public today.
Remarks Taken as Insults.
Mr.. Rhee, wrote:
ITO use the common phrase
frequently repeated by our
friendly nations regarding Ko-
rea, I must say we were quite
shocked by the remarks of the
British Prime Minister, Sir
Winston Churchill. All our peo-
pie take them as insults. But
we do not wish to hurt the feel
ings Of the British soldiers who
are fighting here against our
common enemy, the Commu-
niStS."
Mr.. Rhee also reaffirmed his
determination to press for uni
fication of Korea and to de-
mand withdrawal of Chinese
Red forces from Korean soil.
In other instances, Mr.. Rhee
had demanded simultaneous
withdrawal of allied and Chi
neSe troops from Korea-a sub
ject slated for post-armistice
political conference.
Error Attributed to Clark.
Mr.. Rhee wrote: 1.-THE British
government expressed in it's let
ter to me that it was shocked by
the report of the release of the
loyal Korean war prisoners
(anti-CommunistS) and that I
treasherously violated something.
Indeed, I do not know what I
violated. The gentleman who
wrote to me may perhaps be ex-
cused, because he acted on what
he heard, whether the reports
were correct or not. It was Gen.
Clark who made the mistake. He
thought that ! released the pris-
oners as a first step toward the
withdrawal of the ROK forces
from his command. But having
received my letter, stating that
this was not so. he should have
reported that his charge of vio-
lation was not correct. He has
not done this so far and have
not bothered to take it up with
him. The general is a gentle
man and believe he will sooner
or later acknowledge that I was
unjustly accused"
Gen. Clark, in a letter to the
Communists Monday, reiterated
that the South Korean govern
ment violated its commitment to
the United Nations Command in
releasing the anti-Red prisoners.
Fears No Survival. = T, T,
In re-statement Of his posi-
ton, Mr.. Rhee wrote in part:
I'VE have always supported
and co-operated with the United
Nations as far as possible. But
when United Nations decides to
join with our common enemy to
cease fire we cannot cooperate
with them any longer. If we
leave the Chinese Communist
force with more than / million
troops in North Korea we can
not survive.
I'VE are not asking the United
Nations to remain here fighting
and bleeding for us, nor to tear
up the armistice agreement.
What we are asking is that
United Nations will do whatever
they think best in their own in
terests but just give us a chance
to do our own fighting so that
we win or lose no
TIritol Nofiaac ,,,;II ho blo - 81 ,,