Evening star., 1954-11-28
Asia i

The United States sizzling pro-
tests last week over Peiping's stiff
sentences for IL American flyers
and two civilian psychological war;
fare experts doubtless will leave
Peiping unimpressed. But they may
help to keep the record straight.
In the first place, the "spy" charge
was patiently trumped-up one. No
intelligence officer in his right mind
would send CaucaSians into Man
churia as spies. Nor would he send
II Of them on one plane.
In the second place no diplomat
worth his striped pants would admit
AS the Red Chinese were now ad-
mitting-that they had negotiated in
bad faith at Panmunjom, where all
prisoners of war were to have been
exchanged.
AS for the 1880 Americans and
Chinese Nationalist" who have
been apprehended in Communist
China since 1851, the figure is prob
ably much too small. Chang Kai-
shek claims the mainland is swarm
ing with his agents. If only 106 of
them have been killed, this must
be good news to the FormoSa gov
ernment.
How many of the 23O were Amer
leans. however, is another matter.
It is reasonable to assume that few,
if any, of the agents were Cau-
casians. And it is known that num-
erous Chinese-Americans have met
with disaster at the Communists
hands on earlier occasions. Peiping
is not likely to oblige with any fur
ther breakdown in its figures, how
ever.
Wuchiu Roid
The heat Peiping's propaganda
escapade generated in the American
public was out of all proportion to
its cold strategic significance, of
course. The event that excited the
Pentagon was a raid on Wuchiu
Island, just off the Communist main
land and opposite Formosa.
Chang Kai-shek's garrison forces,
with a powerful assist, apparently,
from his air force, turned back the
invasion" in less than half a day.
There was no report of American
participation in the island defense.
Chang obviously is bitter about
our staying aloof from the little
island war. He complained last
Tuesday the United States could
stop Communist attacks on the
island simply by announcing she
would defend them.
New Relief Study
The United States prepared to
step up its bid for free Asia's
friendship by an expanded foreign
aid program. The Foreign Oper-
ations Administration announced
last week that Joseph Dodge, former
Budget Director and once an eco
nomic adviser for General Macarthur
in Japan, would review all the coun-
try's economic aid programs. A man
Of his prestige in Congress and the
executive agencies obviously would
be good front man for any new
appropriations requests.
FOA Chief Harold e. Stassen also
invited West European nations to
Join the United States in a joint
effort at economic rehabilitation in
the Far East.
One of the places such help may
be needed Is Japan. Last week,
however, that country was all
wrapped up in a new political fight,
and little concerned with economic
policy. Premier Shigeru Yoshida.
just back from world tour, found
half his party shot out from under
him by an old rival who had been
his early postwar mentor Ichiro
Hatoyama. Mr.. Hatoyama had
bolted with q group of Liberal Party
Diet members to form new party
with the Progressives, another con-
servative party. With the help Of the
Socialists, the new rightist group