Evening star., 1953-07-27


his own pen-one he had carried
10 years.
He smiled only once, at the
end of the signing.
Artillery doomed not far of
just five minutes before the sign
ing got under way, and just
afterWard another barrage thun-
dered outside the neutral circle.
Large delegations of news
correspondents were on hand on
both sides.
Television and newsreel cam
eras hummed constantly through
the signing.
RadiOmen Described Scene.
The combined American ra-
dio networks carried a running
description of the signing from
the hall itself.
Gen. Harrison's three fellow
American delegates occupied
three chairs at the end of the
allied table to the generals
right. Gen. Nam IFS four Com
munist fellow delegates were
seated at the end of the Com
munist table to their chiefs left.
The other American delegates
we're: Rear Admiral John Daniel,
who negotiated the exchange of
sick and wounded prisoners last
April with the Communists,
Maj. Gen. George Finch and
Brig. Gen. Ralph Osborne.
Gen. Harrison declined to make
any statement to newsmen. Per-
sons close to the general, a lay
Baptist preacher who on oc-
casion has conducted church
services for his men, described
him as having misgivings.
Gen. Clark's message to all
personnel of the U N. command
said the truce means that "our
duties and responsibilities dur
ing the critical period of the
armistice are heightened and in
tensif1ed. rather than di-
minished."
Stresses Nature of Truce.
He warned that the purpose
of the armistice was to permit
the opposing sides to attempt a
solution of the conflict by po-
litical conferences"
g.. I join with you and your
loved ones in the hope that the
armistice will indeed prove to
be step toward peace.
But I must, at the same time
make it plain that although the
thunder of guns dies down and
a welcome silence descends upon
the battlefield, the conflict will
not be over until the govern
ments concerned have teached a
firm political settlement.
Meanwhile, we remain in
strength "a reminder to the
enemy and his emissar1eS that
our might and power StaEd be-
hind the pledges of the United
Nations to defend the Republic
! of Korea against any aggressor
I'VE cannot turn our backs on
the conflict and go home. That
would be reckless and danger Gus
We must face the fact, the stern
reality, that this is not peace,
but a suspension of hoSGilitieS.
"There have been past occa-
s1ons when we lowered our guard,
reduced our military establish
ment, disSipated our strength
ali because we put too much
trust and faith in promises that
later proved to be faithleSs and
untrustworthy. We will not re-
peat that mistake"
Taylor Warns Troops.
Gen. Clark's top field COM
mander, 9th Army Chief Gen
Taylor, placed this meaning on
the armistice in a statement:
''It means that the Communists
have been forced to renounce
their attempt to conquer Korea
by military force"
But, he went on, "the 9th
Army recognizes that the arm
iStice is not a definite end of the
I war. 1t is just a suspension OF
hoStilities, an interruption OF
the shooting, which may or may
not pe preparatory to a perma-
nent peace"
I'VE must be constantly ready
and alert and ready for a re.
sumption of hoStilities in cast
the political discussions breaE
down or the enemy, breaches the
terms of the armiStice
There must be no thought oil
going home until permanent
peace and stability have beer
restored in Korea. The armiStice
does not mean that the 9th Army
can quit and go fishing"
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