Evening star., 1953-04-14
Truce
Continued From First Page)

mated before they are freed to go
back to their communities.
The Communists were still
awaiting a United Nations reply
to their latest request for re-
sumption of full scale truce ne
gotiations at Panmunjom.
Await Clark's Decision.
There was no indication when
Gen. Mark Clark, U. N. Far East
commander, would answer. He
had told the Reds earlier that a
renewal is the second order of
business" to the disabled prison.
ers exchange.
The Communist Peiping radio
said the world is watching to
see whether the United States
Government will show genuine
good faith" in settling the Ques-
tion of exchanging all prisoners
of war, the issue blocking a
Korean armiStice.
In PuSan South Korea'S For
eign Minister Pyun Yung Tai
told the National Assembly:
South Koreans prefer death to
an armiStice without the unfit
cation of South and North
Korea" There has been specu-
lation about possible settlement
without unifying Korea.
Three Conveys to Start.
Tomorrow morning three con-
voyS totaling So vehicles were to
be on the way from the Yalu
River on the Manchurian border
to Kaesong, the Red prisoner
holding point and truce head
quarters, 6 miles from Panmun-
JON.
The conveys probably carry
no more than half of the 600
U. N. prisoners.
About 12O are Americans. The
Communists have not announced
the order of delivery.
The first Communist convoy
departed from Chonma, just be-
low the Yalu River in extreme
Northwest Korea.
Second Convoy Ready.
The convoy is marked with
red crosses on the hood and red
flags on the rear of each vehicle.
Conveys on both sides have been
guaranteed immunity from at
tack.
The Communists said a sec
ond prisoner convoy was to leave
at 6 am. Wednesday a pm.
EST Tuesday, from Nampo,
about 125 miles northeast of the
Red Manchuria air base of An
tung on the Yalu River. A third
convoy was to leave Pyoktong,
about SO miles southwest of
Nampo.
Both conveys, the Communists
announced, would remain over
night at Yongsan, eight miles
north of the Red Korean capital
of Pyongyang, and will then
travel as one unit to Kaesong.
This is the last stop before the
Allied prisoners are brought the
final six miles to Panmunjom
for return to Allied hands.
Agree on Details.
The only discussion at PAN
munjom today was meeting of
low-level staff officers of both
sides. They agreed on wording
of English, Korean and Chinese
versions of the document in
cooperating mechanical details
for the exchange.
The staff officers were to meet
at II am. Wednesday g pm.
Tuesday EST.
Inside the Panmunjom neutral
circle United States Army engi-
neers had just about finished the
reception center where allied
prisoners will be passed into
friendly hands. They erected
seven main tents.
At the northern rim North
Korean and Chinese labor squads
with pick and shovel continued
work on the Communist recep-
ton point. A..
For the first time since they
started Sunday the Reds brought
in equipment larger than a hand
shovel. They had five trucks
hauling gravel to cover roads in
the reception area.
Just outside the neutral circle
allied artillery and mortar shells
rained in on Chinese positions
at intervals through the day.
The Red position almost circles
the entire Panmunjom zone.