The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-05-04
NartPakistan
.AsEaretaker
.OPOW Group

a OPOW Group
al eutral Nation
o. Q. 1kayed By Allies
i'd 70 Take Reluctant
% Red War Prisoners
lPANMUNJOM R-The Allies
u animated Pakistan today as a
~ eutral caretaker for war prison
FRS who won't 60 home, and
Warned the apparently surprised
JReds: Time is "fast running out"
in the Korean truce talks.
Although Pakistan was one of
the four Asian nations listed by
the Reds as acceptable neutrals,
the Communists sat mum.
Without even mentioning the
Allied choice the Reds asked and
received a recess until IL a. m.
tomorrow, possibly to consult
higher Red officials.
1t. Gen. william X. Harrison
Jr., chief U. N. delegate, nomi-
mated Pakistan at the beginning of
the meeting and then told the
Reds:
1--WE are obliged to tell you once
again that we will not engage in
protracted and fruitless discussion
during the current negotiations, |"
which began April Is.
The Communists Saturday sug-
gested Pakistan, Burma, India and
Indonesia as acceptable hosts for
the $1,000 Red prisoners who won't
60 home.
Pakistan was the third nation
nominated by the United Nations.
First was Switzerland, which the
Reds opposed. Then Sweden. The
Communists insisted on an Asian
nation. They want the reluctant
POWs shipped to the neutral
country for screening after an
armistice is agreed upon. The
AtGes want a neutral country to
assume control of them in Korea.
Harrison told reporters:
1.-THE current negotiations are
really no different from last sum-
mer." The Allies broke off the
meetings Oct. 8 when the Reds
kept stalling on the prisoner ex-
change question.
Harrison said no time limit has
been set for the armistice talks,
but twice inside the conference hut
he delivered an implied warning
that he would end the talks again
Ii the Reds did not begin to pro-
duce.
Harrison reminded the Reds that
they mentioned Burma, Indonesia.
Pakistan and India as suitable
Asian neutrals.
He said that unless they had
named these four for propaganda
purposes, 1--WE must assume that
you consider each of the four"
to be neutral. and competent and
therefore suitable.
I'm our sincere effort achieve
an agreement -. we are pre-
pared to meet you halfway in the
matter Of a neutral nation. Al
though we have previously nomin-
ated Switzerland ard Sweden we
are now prepared to nominate one
of the four countries which you
have named. We now nominate
Pakistan, an Asian nation both
neutral and competent, and oe OF
the four whose suitability you OBJ
| viously implied in your question
to us. Now we expect you to dem
onstrate your sincerity by agree
ing to have this power serve as
custodial neutral.
BASED on your own statements,
we expect that our nomination viii
be quite acceptable to you and
win result In quick agreement on
this issue. II so. then this will
have been the first indication since
these talks began that there may
be some justification In our agree
ment to meet with you again. We
hope that this indication may not
be nullified by subsequent nego-
tiations."
North Korean Gen. Nam n. chief
Red delegate, answered with q
statement apparently prepared In
advance. He insisted that the first
order Of business should be an
agreement that unwilling prisoners
should be transported physically to
4 neutral nation.
Nam statement gave no clue
to the reason the Communists had
requested and received q one-day
recess over the week end.
His argument vas largely q re-
peat of what he had said before.
Harrison told Nam:
"You have agan failed 10 name
your candidate Tor the neutral na-
ton. After all the effort cur side
has made to reach an equitable
compromise in this issue. even
nominating one al the Asian states
Indicated by you rs suitable. the
continued evasion by your side can
only be considered n inspired BY
motives other than those of reach