Evening star., 1953-04-28
UnpoIotobIe, but

Despite the Snags encountered at the outset
of the resumed Panmunjom talks the chances
still seem better than even that the Communists
will agree in due course to the basic truce terms
insisted upon by the United Nations. But they
have made clear through their preliminary
prisoner -ofwar proposals, that they continue
to be hard bargainers whose negotiating de-
mands and methods are likely to put heavy
strain on any postarmistice effort to work out
def1nitive Korean settlement and promote peace
throughout Asia.
Trygve Lie, former Secretary General of the
United Nations, has just had some SOLDERING
words to say on that score in an address mark
ing the eighth anniversary of the U. MS found
ing. While expressing the hope that the new
try at Panmunjom will result in an armiStice
he has warned that such result-though he
himself would regard it as "a great victory for
collective Security"-can settle nothing in
long sense. AS he has put it, Real peace
and freedom for Korea as distinct from a truce,
may be long time in coming" and he has sug
gested that the United States and it's allies, if
they want negotiated settlements settle
ment encompaSSing Asia as a whole-will have
to make compromises on numerous Far Eastern
issues, including the issue of Red China's quail
ifcations for membership in the U. N.
This idea-the idea of admitting Commu-
mist Peiping into the United Nations to replace
the Chinese Nationalists-m be completely
unpalatable to many Americans. Indeed, in the
present temper of our public opinion, President
Eisenhower, should he come to favor such a
proposal, might be extremely hard put to effec-
tuate it without precipitating domestic polit-
ical storm of the first magnitude Yet the
hard fact remains that the projected truce,
assuming that it is agreed upon, is to be followed
by Far Eastern political conference designed,
among other things, to reach Korean settle
ment to which Red China must be party. In
the circumstances, nothing could seem more
certain than that Red China will demand at
this conference-when and if held-that it be
granted membership in the U. N. Another de-
mand will revolve around Formosa.
These will be inescapable issues at any
postarmistice conference to negotiate an over
all Far Eastern settlement The Kremlin has
made that much quite clear in its weekend
statement in Pravda and IzveStia. 1t has done
so by implying that such settlement will re-
quire Cd recognition of 'the lawful territorial
rights" (including FormoSa) of the Communist
Chinese Peoples Republic" and (2) Peiping'S
admission to the United Nations. On the latter
point the statement pointedly asks, "Who can
consider as normal a situation in which the
largest country in the world, China, is deprived
of the possibility of participating in the work
of the Security Council and the General As
sembly, while some Kuomintang scarecrow"
(the Nationalist government of Chang Kai
shek) ''is being exhibited instead in the U. N.
organs?"
Accordingly, unpleasant as the prospect
may be, the United States must reckon with
the fact that Korean truce will hasten the
day when firm and clear American decisions
will be called for as regards these highly
contentious matters. Perhaps our Government
should refuse to bargain, but how can it refuse
and still hope to negotiate a settlement of any
kind? After all, in this difficult situation, we
are not dealing with people who have suffered
a decisive defeat and surrendered uncondition
ally. Hence-unless we are prepared to inflict
such defeat and exact such surrender-we
can hardly avoid making compromises.