Evening star., 1953-05-16
u. 5. Won't Agree
To Forced Return
OF Korean Prisoners


trying for an armistice in Korea
but never will agree to forcing
prisoners to return to Communist
hands against their will.
This stand was re-emphasizec
in statement issued by the
State Department late yesterday
to make clear where we stand
in the face of some misunder-
standing here and abroad.
Text is Released.
Text of the State Departments
statement follows:
There have been many ques-
tions, and some misunderstand-
ing, about the present status OF
the armistice negotiations at
Panmunjon. It is appropriate.
therefore, to restate our basic
position and to make clear where
we stand.
The Government of the United
States, like the governments OF
the other United Nations men,
bers participating in Korea, has
always wanted peace in Korea.
We did not start the war in
Korea, but we have always been
ready to end it on an honorable
basis. For almost two years we
have patiently and persiStently
sought to bring an end to the
war. Our efforts to bring peace
to Korea were ignored by the
Communists for the first year of
the fighting. When armistice ne
gotiations finally began in July,
1851, the United Nations Com
mand made every effort to reach
an honorable armistice. We have
negotiated in god faith and with
great patience. We are continu-
ing to negotiate in that way.
Year of Deadlock.
The negotiations have been
deadlocked for more than a year
on the question of prisoners of
war. Members of the free world
have affirmed that there can be
no force used to compel the un-
willing prisoners to return to
the Communists. That is the
fundamental issue between us
and the Communists and the one
on which we stand.
Some weeks ago the Com
munists for the first time gave
some basis for hoping that they
may be prepared to meet the
moral judgement of the nations
of the world on the prisoner
question. After several false
starts they finally came forward
with a proposal which, with
necessary notifications and
Qualifications, could form a basis
for an honorable agreement. On
May 13, the United Nations
Command accepted many points
of this latest Communist pro-
posal as basis for negotiation
and proposed some modifica-
tions to make the plan workable.
These suggestions are designed
to make the plan for taking
custody of the prisoners of war
who resist repatriation practic-
able and fair, to protect the
prisoners in question, while at
the same time satisfying the
Communists and the peoples of
the. world that the decision of
these persons to go home or not
to go home is entirely their own.
The United Nations Command
has sought to reduce the. scope
of the problem to give maximum
protection to all the prisoners,
as we'll as to make the task of
the custodial commission man.
ageable.
Most Important Question.
On one point there can be no
question. The principle that
force shall not be used to COM
pei resisting prisoners to go
home excludes every form of
coercion. We cannot, con-
Sistently with that principle,
create a situation where such
persons are offered no alterna-
tive to repatriation other than
indefinite captivity or custody.
The principles for which we have
been striving for many months
and which have been approved
by the United Nations require
that the prisoner question
should be finally settled, that
persons who wish to go home
should be allowed to do so, and
that those who do not, shall be
released within reasonable
time after the end of hostilities.
The prisoner of war question
is no technicality but a funda-
mental point of free world phi
losophy on the integrity and
rights of the individual. Free
men cannot and will not agree
to regard human beings as mere
chatteIs to be held and used as
such. The United Nations Com
mand will continue to explore
every possibility for an honor
able and reasonable solution in
Korea but it will not surrender
a fundamental humanitarian
principle vital to the whole free
world.