Evening star., 1954-05-09
Geneva Press Conference
Even Newsmen Can I axe
Only So Much Red Cuff
BY Crosby S. Noyes
Foreign Correspondent Of The Stor


GENEVA.-The room is filled
with cigarette smoke, people
and strained nerves. Behind a
green-covered table the Chi
nese press officer, Huang Hua,
veteran of the Panmunjom
truce talks, is coming to the
end of his daily briefing on the
session at the League of Ma
tions palace. Translated bad
~ into staccato English by
the interpreter on his right.
his attack on Western propoS-
ais for Korean settlement
might under other circum-
stances be considered funny.
South Korean aggressors
started the war by striking
north across the 38th Parallel
in June, 1850. Cannibalistic
Americans launched germ war
fare in Korea. Wall Street
warmongers seek to subjugate
all of Korea, including free,
democratic North Korea. with
their plan for United Nations
supervised elections. Asia
is for Asians and the United
States had better get out if
it does not want to be pushed
out.
For a week the allied press
corps has been listening
patiently to this talk. They
have heard all about the SLAM
derous rawlings of American
lackeys. Calmly they have
noted down the charges of
American aggressive inten-
tions in Asia and jotted down
such comments on Western
unity as the old Chinese prov
erb: Birds of same kind of
feather always get together"
And now the reporters have
had enough.
It's hard to say how a thing
like this gets started. Ordi-
narily, newsmen can listen to
an endless amount of nonsense
without forgetting their man
ners. But on this particular
day as the questioning period
gets under way sponta-
neous decision seems to have
been reached to give Huang
Hua a bad time.
The Poyoff
In a sense it is the payoft
of a week of Illustration in
trying to make contact with
the rulers of New China-of
lectures delivered by Chinese
press officers on impertinence
of reporters who inquire into
personal affairs of diplomats
of barbed wire and locked
gates-of futile banalitieS ex-
changed at official receptions
over glasses of vodka and sweet
Chinese champagne. Here for
the first time an official repre-
sentative of Communist China
is asking for questions and the
bubble of Oriental inscruti-
bility so carefully wrapped
around the Chinese delegation
at Geneva has burst.
The first question is de-
livered in a casual British
drawl.
Il think you've made the
point, Mr.. Huang, that the
Chinese considered it an act
of aggression when the United
Nations troops approached the
border between China and
Korea. Tell me, sir, would
China consider it an act of ag-
greSsion today if French Union
troops advanced to the border
between China and Indo-
China"
The press officer hesitates,
froWns, and begins his answer.
1T is well known that only
the United States wants to
enlarge the war in Indo-
China. Other nations taking
part in the Geneva Conference
seek to end the war and re-
establish a peaceful, demo-
cratic government in Indo-
China. American aggressions
in Korea and against Chinese
territory in Taiwan have been
the main obstacles to peace in
the Far East"
Another questioner takes
over.
II didn't understand your
answer, Mr.. Huang. Would
China consider it a cause for
intervention If French Union
troops reached the border of
Indo-C -China?"
The answer cracks out harsh
ly: THE Peoples Republic of
China is in Geneva to help find
a peaceful solution in Indo-
China through arbitration and
negotiation. 1t is only others
who want to prolong the war
to further their imperialistic
schemes against the people of
Asia"
But at the moment, sir, the
war in Indo-China is still 60
ing on. Can't you tell us what
China would do If French
troops reached her border?"
The press officer pauses and
a faint magenta flush appears
on the back of his neck. He
glanceS over at the simpaSSive
men in dark uniforms sitting
at table at the side of the
room.
II think" he snaps, that it
would be better not to answer
such hypothetical questions.
AS the laughter dies away
another queStioner comes to
his feet.
you have spoken several
times about American aggres-
sion against FormoSa. The
event slips my memory. Could
you tell us more about it?"
II am sure the facts are well
known to all Of you. I shall not
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