Evening star., 1953-04-15
No Decision Yet
On Reply to Red
Truce Talk Bid
By Gornett D. Horner

The State Department said
today that mo decisions have
been made yet on how to reply to
Communist proposals for re-
sumption of armistice negotia-
tions in Korea.
This official comment came as
the United States was reported
about ready to agree to resuming
the talks as soon as the ex-
change of sick and wounded
prisoners of war is completed.
It was understood that Swift
zerland might be suggested by
the U. N. command as neutral
state to assume control in Korea
over prisoners now in U. N
hands who forcibly resist being
returned home.
Instructions Denied.
Reports appearing in some
newspapers that instructions
embodying these ideas already
had been sent to Gen. Mark w
Clark, U. N. commander in
Korea, were denied fatty by
Michael j. McDermott, State De-
partment press officer.
mo instructions have gone to
Gen. Clark" Mr.. McDermott
told OlleStiOnerS.
Mr.. McDermott recalled that
the Communist proposals for re-
suming truce talks were made in
note received April 9. Eventu-
ally, there will be a reply to that
note. he said.
'The whole situation" he add
ed, ''is being studied with a view
to drafting that reply.
"We have not asked the Swiss
to take on the job (of supervising
prisoners resisting repatriation
We don't know whether the
Swiss would.
What we will propose to the
Communists I don't know be-
cause no decisions have been
taken"
Mr.. McDermott was asked if
his comment meant that the
United States had not yet de-
cided to resume the truce nego-
tiations. He answered: 1--WE
have not decided what is going
into the reply"
He was asked If he was deny
ing that any approaches of any
kind had been made to Switzer-
land. II wouldn't go that far"
he replied.
Asked if the United States
would consider Switzerland sat-
isfactory for the role of neutral
to assume control of the con-
troversial prisoners, Mr.. McDer-
mott said: 'I would rather not
speculate on what state might
be asked to perform the function
as a neutral" .
Can't Discuss Question.
Mr.. McDermott said he could
not discuss the question of
whether the United States was
ready to agree to resuming the
truce talks until the reply to
the Communists was drafted.
He conceded that some pre-
liminary draft of a reply might
have been shown to some of the
allied nations fighting in Korea.
I'VE are in constant COM
munication with Gen. Clark on
this subject" Mr.. McDermott
concluded.
Representative Short, Repub-
ican, of Missouri, meanwhile,
said the United States should
refuse to undertake any peace
negotiations that would leave
Korea divided.
There can be no permanent
peace or stability in the Far East
or in the world with a divided
Korea" said Mr.. Short, chair
man of the House Armed Serv-
ices Committee.
"After all of the cost in tre-
mendous battle casualties and
billions of dollars for the Korean
war, we can be content with
nothing short of complete vic
torv."
The Chinese and North Ko-
rean Communists have insisted
that agreement on exchange of
sick and wounded prisoners
should be followed by resump-
ton of full truce talks.
The Reds have offered to
waive their previous insistence
on forcible repatriation of pris-
oners by agreeing to have them
sent to a neutral country.