Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-04-11
Truce
Continued From First Page)

ruce
Continued From First PageO
prisoners, including 3,198 Amer
leans. The U. N. holds about
$4,000 North Koreans and Chi
nese Reds.
Observers at this advance
U. N. camp were openly hopeful
that a completion of the sick
and wounded exchange agree
ment will lead to a truce in
Korea. They pointed out that
if both sides could agree on 10
points for exchanging disabled
captives in less than four hours
of conference time, they should
be able to agree on the re-
manning eight paragraphs of the
armistice draft.
Officials agreed that Red peace
overtures should be studied care
fully. But they also agreed that
if the Communists sincerely want
an armistice they will get one.
Signing Is Simple Ceremony.
The signing of the pact for
exchanging the disabled cap
tives was a simple ceremony
1t started at 1903 pm. Q0:08
pm. EST. Friday and lasted
only 2l2 minutes.
Not a word was spoken dur
ing the signing
Admiral Daniel signed first.
He scrawled his signature on six
sets of documents, two each in
Korean, Chinese and English.
Then Gen. Lee signed.
When the pact was signed,
Gen. Lee arose and pressed for
a quick renewal of the truce
talks.
Admiral Daniel replied that
he would inform his superiors.
Then Gen. Lee suggested that
liaison group meetings should
be resumed within one or two
days to, discuss and decide on
the date for resuming the pie
nary sessions"
With that the meeting ad-
journed. No date was set for
another meeting but it appeared
likely the U. N. command would
call another session soon.
Admiral Daniel Pleased.
Admiral Daniel emerged from
the conference hut waving the
document and smiling broadly.
He told correspondents:
"It was a pleasure for me to
sign this agreement today for
repatriation for sick and wound
ed personnel. You will recall
that the United Nations COM
mand has repeatedly urged this
move since first making it in
December, 1851"
Admiral Daniel told the Reds
that the Allies would be ready
on 70 hours notice to start de-
livery of sick and wounded at
Panmunjom. The Reds said
they would let him know tomor-
row how soon they are ready to
begin.
Thus, at the earliest, the ex-
change probably would not begin
before the middle of next week.
Admiral Daniel asked Gen.
Lee for a breakdown of the group
of Is sick and wounded which
the Reds said included men
from Turkey, Greece, the Meth
erlands and Canada. The Reds
said they would let him know
soon.
Before the 10-point agreement
was signed Admiral Daniel made
one more appeal-the third in a
week-for the Communists to in
crease the number of allied
prisoners they will return.
Appeal Brushed Aside.
For humanitarian reasons,
Admiral Daniel said, II again
request that you use the broad
est Interpretation of the degree
of sickness in determining the
final number of captured per-
sonnet who will be repatriated.
We will do the same"
Gen. Lee replied: "Our side
considers that there should be
no further dispute about this
question"
just before the signing, Gen.
Lee entered for the record a
statement reserving the right Ito
request that the sick and injured
captured personnel of our side
not repatriated this time will be
handed over to a neutral state
so as to secure a just solution
to the question of their re-
patriation after an armistice."
The sick and wounded exchange
was worked out on the allied
insistence that no disabled priS-
onor be forced to return against
his will. That principle is con-
tanned in the Geneva convention.
Once the major proceedings
were finished staff officers of
both sides met to complete minor
administrative details. They
already have agreed on the re-
ception sites inside the Pam
munjom area. The exchange
will be carried out from 9 am.
to 6 pm. daily.
Safe Conduci for Conveys.
The agreement guarantees
against attack OF conveys NOV