Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-18
Still in Force

Foreign Minister Y. T. Pyun of the Republic
Of Korea has given voice to an emotionally
understandable but altogether ill-founded view
in declaring at his Geneva press conference
that the Korean armiStice has ceased to be valid
and that the ROK government is now perfectly
free to take any action" dncluding unilateral
military action) in an effort to unity the par
titioned country.
Mr. Pyun-whose statement echoes threat
that has been made from time to time by Presi-
dent Syngman Rhee-has based this view on the
fact that the United States, his own country
and the IA other allies in the United Nations
Command have been forced by Communist bad
faith and intransigence to break off the Ko-
rean talks at Geneva and to shift the debate to
the U. N. General Assembly. AS result as he
sees it, the truce agreement of July 81, 1858, has
been automatically rendered null and void thus
leaving the ROK government at liberty to act
in whatever way it may choose from now on.
Actually, however, neither the letter nor
the spirit of the truce justif1es such conclu-
sion. On the contrary paragraph 81 Specifi-
cally declares as follows: "The articles and para
graphs of this Armistice Agreement shall re-
main in effect until expressly superseded either
by mutually acceptable amendments and addi-
lions or by provision in an appropriate agree
ment for a peaceful settlement at a political
level between both Sides" Plainly enough, if
words mean anything, the meaning here is that
Mr.. Pyun is most definitely wrong in his inter-
probation of the present situation.
In Short even though the Communists have
made bitter mockery of the Geneva effort to
negotiate peace settlement for Korea, the
armistice is still inforce Accordingly, President
Rhee and his ROK government, despite Mr..
Pyun, are not free to act as if the truce were
invalid, and it must therefore be hoped that
they will not resort to unilateral military meas
ureS For If they do, If they try to Ego it alone"
against the Reds in the north, they will be TAX
ing gamble of the utmost gravity-one in
which the United States is not likely to offer
them support After all, in our defense pact
with them they have pledge OF American help
only in case they are attacked not If they them
selves are the attackers.
With all that said, however, 1t cannot be
denied that the South Koreans have good rea-
son to be filled with the kind of sentiment that
Mr.. Pyun has just expressed. Who can blame
them? They are faced with an implacable
enemy intent upon keeping their land divided
and ultimately enslaving the whole Of it. Ger
tainly, in such circumstances, no matter how
unrealistic they may be when they talk about
possible armed action, they should have the
full sympathy Of the free woodland not only
sympathy, but also unwavering help to give
them, some day, q united country and the
decent peace they so richly deserve.
It is now illegal for any one in Czechoslo-
vakia to buy or use carbon paper. In Com
munist land, this is terrible, but in many
branches of our own Government wouldn't it
be wonderful?
Midsummer, as we reckon it, is when as
much sand has been tracked into the house as