Evening star., 1953-09-25
The Woyword MIG

The United States seems to have decided to
try pleasing everybody-friend and foe alike
involved in the story of the young North Korean
pilot who fled to Seoul and freedom in Soviet
made MIG15 jet fighter plane
To begin with, General Mark Clark chief
of the United Nations Command, has announced
that he will be ready to return the plane to its
"rightful ownership" (RuSSian? North Korean?)
just as soon as that ownership is established.
In addition he has declared that he has now
withdrawn-for "this period of armistice dis
cussions" his celebrated April offer of a daz-
zing cash award to every detecting Communist
pilot bringing an undamaged MIG to the U. N.
side.
The Red high command, although it may
respond with a lot of ungrateful snarls, ought
certainly to be pleased by this especially because
of the trouble our Government has taken to
stop the Air Force, in mid-flight, from trans
porting the wayward MIG to the United States.
OF course, since our experts have already had a
good look at the thing and at other Soviet-built
jets of the same type. it is doubtful that our
gesture is depriving us of any important tech
nical information. STILL it is nice gesture, and
the Communists should be duly appreciative.
BY the same token, our allies in the U. N.
should be pleased, too. For our willingness to
return the MIG, coupled with the withdrawal
of General Clark's offer, shows that the United
States-far from being provocative as some
have charged-iS striving to approach the
enemy with sweet reaSonablenesS in prepara-
ton for the So-caled peace talks at the
projected Korean political conference. AS for
the detected North Korean pilot, who claims
never to have heard of the reward plan, he also
has plenty of reason to be pleased After all,
besides being eligible for American asylum, he
apparently is going to receive a tax-free wind
fall of 100000.
Certain aspects of this story may seem to
be somewhat on the silly or topsy -turvy side.
Be that as it may, however, we can be reason
ably sure that the escaped pilots exploit has an
Importance to us that is we'll worth a big
reward. For he has brought to us information
Of more than passing interest, including O
observations indicating that MIG flyers consider
our Sabrejets decidedly superior, (2) testimony
confirming American charges of direct Russian
participation in air combat against the u N.
in Korea, and 90 evidence pointing to Com
munist truce violations.
But perhaps more important than all this
is the fact that this young man has given the
world another dramatic example of how lands
behind the Iron Curtain are filled with an urge
for liberty at every level of society, not ex-
cepting the armed forces What he has done, in
SnorI, is CypIcal OF WHdC H1lllonS anu WAAoAS
of the oppressed yearn to do-not to receive
cash award, but solely to escape from Commu-
mist tyranny and live again in the clean air of
freedom.
So this story of waywardness in the sky
even though some may detect bits of sardonic
comedy in it, has completely unfunny mean
ing as damning commentary on the nature of
Red totalitarianism-a thing that can count on
no mans love or loyalty, but only on his fear
and hate