Evening star., 1954-01-13
The Korean Prospect

The American-led United Nations Com
mand has done the correct thing, If only from
the propaganda standpoint, in agreeing to the
Peiping- -Pyongyang request for meeting of
liaison officers to discuss the possibility of
resuming the suspended Panmunjom talks
These talks-deSigned to work out an
agreement on the date, place and makeup of
the peace conference called for in the Korean
truce terms-were broken off last December IL
after weeks of futile haggling and deliberate
Communist stalling. They were broken off
when Arthur Dean, special American envoy
representing all the allies in the u. N. Com
mand, staged an altogether justified walk
out after the Red negotiators had accused the
United States of 'perfidy" and rejected-l1is de-
mand that they retract the libel.
Presumably, since Mr.. Dean indicated at
the time that the walkout would remain in
force until such retraction were forthcoming,
our representative at the meeting OF liaison
officers will demand satisfaction on this point
as condition for resuming the talks. And the
ommunists-although they have sent new
note that could cause fresh difficultieS-may
we'll have an acceptable reply to offer. At any
rate, by taking the initiative in the matter,
they have given the impression that they may
really want to renew the negotiations and If
that is So they are likely to retreat from the
"perfidy" charge, thus permitting reopening
of the formal Panmunjom meetings. with Mr..
Dean probably back in attendance.
But this prospect does not in the least alter
the fact that the true intentions of the Peiping-
Pyongyang Communists continue to be wholly
suspect. Thus, even if the Panmunjom parley
is resumed at an early date, the chances are
that they will resort to their customary dilatory
tactics. haranguing our side with such demands
as that the Soviet Union be seated at the peace
conference as neutral participant. Need
less to say, with bad faith of that kind, they
can keep on blocking an agreement for weeks
and months, If not forever. AS for the peace
conference itself, assuming that one Is eventu-
ally held, the outlook seems even less promising.
This is so because there is evidence that
Peiping, reducing Pyongyang to mere vassalage,
has been building powerful defensive fortifica-
tions above the 38th Parallel and is sending
thousands of Chinese into North Korea to
colonize it and make it permanent province
of Red China. Such activity obviously sug-
gests only one thing-that the Communists,
although they may go through the motions
OF negotiations, have no intention whatever of
agreeing to settlement that would unite the
Korean people as free and independent nation.
Nor is it likely that the U. N. can improve the
situation by having the General Assembly deal
with it, as proposed by India at special session
, next month
In sum, barring miracles or some great
upheaval in the world behind the Iron Curtain,
there appears to be no prospect for satisfactory
solution of this problem within the foreseeable
future. That means at best, continuing parti-
tion in the neighborhood of the 38th Parallel,
and it is argument enough for prompt Senate
ratification of our mutual security pact with
South Korea.