The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Evening Gazette, Indiana PA
Korean War Weekly Front Pages
27 April 1952 – 3 May 1952
The Evening Gazette, Indiana PA
A change in leadership.
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The UN command gave the Communists what it called an “overall solution” to the three critical issues blocking the Korean armistice. Details were not disclosed. But the Communists, after agreeing to keep the full-dress negotiation secret, asked for an indefinite recess. Presumably they wanted to submit the plan to Beijing and Pyongyang. Blocking progress in the 9½ months of truce negotiations were the issues of prisoner exchange, nomination of Russia by the Reds as a neutral observer during any armistice, and the UN demand for restrictions on airfield construction.
On Friday Communist negotiators refused to agree to a UN Command package proposal for settling the Korean armistice deadlock. The Red reply was given in a secret full-dress session of armistice delegations. The chief negotiator scheduled another meeting for Saturday. This gave rise to speculation the Communists may have offered a compromise plan. But the brevity of Saturday’s secret Korean armistice negotiations led to further speculation that the Communists had, in effect, rejected the Allied proposal without a compromise.
General Matthew Ridgway’s appointment to succeed General Dwight Eisenhower as supreme commander in Europe brought mostly applause, but General Mark Clark, who got Ridgway’s old command, faced criticism in Congress. The criticism of Clark came from one Senator who said he wanted to review Clark’s WWII record and may ask for a new inquiry. Clark’s crossing of the Rapido River during the Italian campaign had been under previous congressional fire. Bitter criticism of the maneuver was voiced by members of the Texas National Guard, which suffered heavy casualties.
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