Evening star., 1953-06-30
Reds and Rhee
Both Scornfu|
OF Truce Bid
Pyoneyung Radio
Says Clark Letter
Lacks Sincerity
By the Assoeiotaci Pra.s

0EOOL, June CU.-4ue NCrCn
Korean Red radio today prompt
ly and coldly rejected the United
Nations Command offer to sign
an armistice now on terms al
ready agreed upon at Panmun-
JON.
Shortly after, President Eisen-
hower's special emissary to South
Korea conceded that President
Syngman Rhee also persisted in
his refusal to accept the truce.
Walter S. Robertson, Assistant
Secretary of State for Far East
ern Affairs. told reporters after
his fifth secret session with MI.
Rhee:
Obviously. there are points
which need clarification in our
negotiations. Otherwise there
would be no need for these meet
ings. President Rhee and I are
trying to work out a solution
which will be acceptable to our
two governments and. at the
same time, sacrifice the prin-
ciples of neither"
Will Continue Meetings.
Mr.. Robertson'S remarks con-
trasted with earlier expressions
Of optimism from himself and
Mr.. Rhee. He said he would
meet again with Mr.. Rhee to-
morrow. He did not say how
long he expected the conversa-
tions to continue.
Communist reaction to U. N.
Commander Mark ClarkS pro-
posal for a truce now-irreSpec-
tive of Mr.. Rhee's opposition
was Unexpectedly swift.
The broadcast from Pyong-
yang, North Korean capital,
charged that Gen. Clark's letter
to Communist military leaders
yesterday lacked sincerity" and
was inconsistent" with the facts.
It insisted there had been Con
nivance" between the U. N. COM
mand and South Korea in Mr..
Rhee's order releasing more than
$1,000 anti Communist North
Korean war prisoners since
June 18.
Pyongyang added that Gen.
Clark'S letter-delivered at Pam
munjom through liaison officers
gave mo guarantee" on the
future conduct of the South Ko-
rean government and that, there
fore, the Communists could not
accept it.
Return of POWs Demanded.
It also demanded again the
return Of all escaped prisoners.
Gen. Clark had reminded the
Red high command that the
Panmunjom negotiations were
for a military armistice and that
while he doesn't control the
South Korean government he
does command its army.
The U. N. commander prom
ised to do his best to get Mr..
Rhee'S cooperation and pledged
his command to enforce the
terms of q truce.
Red China's voice at Peiping
Joined in scorning the U. N. c.
efforts to achieve a truce and
accused Mr.. Rhee of planning
to release Chinese prisoners in
allied prison camps.
A broadcast monitored in Lon
don said that Mr.. Rhee, "em-
boldened as a result of open
American connivance" in the
release of Korean POWs, has
been plotting with the Chinese
NationalistS to free Chinese
POWS.
The allies hold nearly 10000
Chinese, 14.200 of whom have
said they would resist being re-
turned to Red rule. About 100
broke out of a U. N. camp near
PuSan last week, but were
rounded up.
Called Unrealistic Demand.
The Communists officially have
demanded that the allied COM
mand recapture the $1,000 Ko-
rean POWs and prepare to turn
them over to q neutral super
viSory commission as outlined in
the armistice draft agreement.
Gen. Clark told them in his
letter it was an unrealiStic de-
mand, inasmuch as the Koreans
melted into the civilian popula-
ton with the aid of Korean ma
tional police.
The armistice talks are in an
indefinite recess asked by the
Reds June 20. While Pyongyang
radios rejection Of a resumption
of negotiations was not official,