Evening star., 1953-11-28
President Promises
To Back Freedom
For Puerto Ricans
By the Associo,ed Pres,

BY the Associofed Press
UNITED NATIONS, N. Y,
Nov. 28.-President Eisenhower
has promised to move for COM
plete Puerto Rican independence
any time the legislature of that
Caribbean commonwealth asks
for it.
The offer was announced to
the United Nations General As
sembly last night by chief
United States Delegate Henry
Cabot Lodge, jr. Speaking dur
ing debate on proposed measures
to determine when a dependent
territory becomes self-governing,
Mr.. Lodge said:
II am authorized to say on
behalf of the President that at
any time the Legislative Assem-
bly, of Puerto Rico adopts a
resolution in favor of more
complete or even absolute in
dependence, he will Immediately
recommend to Congress that
such independence be granted"
Governor Halls Proposal.
Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Munoz
Marin declared in San Juan:
This is a magnificent atti-
tude which does honor to the
United States and will show
America and the whole world
the sincerity of the present re-
lationship of voluntary associa-
ton between the United States
and Puerto Rico"
The island, taken by the Unit
ed States during the Spanish
American War of 1898, was re-
Gently given self-governing sta
tus as a commonwealth asso-
ciated with the United States.
Some U. N. delegates have con-
tended that this status is mean
lngless and that in reality Puerto
Rico is still a dependent terri
tory.
This viewpoint lost out in as
Sembly, however. when the CO.
nation group adopted resolu-
ton declaring the island no
longer comes within the mean
ing of the term "non-self gov
erning territory" as defined by
the U. N. charter. The vote was
26-16, with 18 nations abstain
ing.
Mr.. Lodge also is slated to
touch off the heralded Korean
atrocity debate when the as
sembly resumes Monday with
demands that the body condemn
the Red torture killings in
strongest terms.
Biting Resolution.
U. N. sources said he will in
troduce a biting resolution-co-
sponsored by Britain, France,
Turkey and Australia-voicing
the aSsembly'S grave concern"
over the killings and warning
against repetition of such in
humane" acts.
Informed sources predicted the
Soviet Bloc, which bitterly
fought placing the item on the
Assembly agenda, will come up
with charges that South Koreans
committed some atrocities of
their own.
One informant said if the
Reds try that tack they will
get their brains knocked out in
the debate" He declared the
United States delegation has
devastating" mass of docu-
mentary evidence to bolster the
original United States Army re-
port, which claimed the Reds
killed at least 10000 persons,
including 5000 Americans, by
torturing or starvation.
U. N. sources said the United
States decided against seeking
an impartial probe of the Amer
ican atrocity charges on the
ground that no inquiry group
could get through the bamboo
curtain" They said it was also
felt that the weight of evidence
will make the United States case
"irrefutable."
The original Army report, is
sued last month, stirred United
States indignation and a public
clamor for U. N. action. At that
time Mr.. Lodge called on the
assembly to handle the issue on
an urgent basis.
A number of neutral" nations
indicated then they felt that
with the Korean political con-
ference in the offing the United
States had picked a poor time
to bring up the atrocity issue.
Some also said they did not
think the United States Army
report was sufficient evidence to
warrant U. N. action.
Western sources expressed
confidence that the added ma
terial since gathered would win
the support of many of these
neutrals for the atrocity reso-