The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Inquirer, Philadelphia PA
Korean War Weekly Front Pages
30 December 1951 – 5 January 1952
The Inquirer, Philadelphia PA
1952 dawns with little progress toward peace.
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As 1951 came to a close, the Korean armistice talks, doubly deadlocked and embroiled over the deaths of hundreds of American war prisoners, reached their most crucial stage since the cease-fire was drawn 32 days ago. Joint subcommittees were stalemated on two issues: whether the Reds should be allowed to build airfields during an armistice, and the fate of 50,000 missing UN prisoners. The Reds gave a plain implication that they would consider breaking off the talks rather than accept an Allied demand on the airfield matter. But one UN spokesman said that the Allies would be in peril of losing the war if that proposal was accepted. When the UN proposal was read, a senior spokesman said to the Communists, “The hopes of all who seek peace in Korea are in the balance. The issue is in your hands.” In addition, the Reds objected to any introduction into Korea during the truce period of military weapons and ammunition, as specified in a new UN proposal.
On New Year’s Eve, Supreme Commander Ridgway officially refuted Red claims that 44,000 Communist war prisoners were missing as truce negotiators met again at Panmunjom, with the talks deadlocked and in danger over the captive issue. A special statement from Allied HQ said that 6,600 Communist prisoners had died in Allied POW camps. This was about five percent of those captured against 77 percent of Allied prisoners who died in Red camps early in the war. It was said that the Communist deaths occurred because of the poor physical condition of the troops when captured. The next day the Communists agreed to give a full accounting of the 50,000 missing UN captives, but UN negotiators said the efforts to arrange supervision of a war truce had reached a “dead stalemate.” The Allies agreed on Wednesday to an “all-for-all” exchange of prisoners and displaced civilians, but the Reds must strip their army of all captured former South Korean troops who had been conscripted. The UN had been standing on a demand for a man-for-man exchange, which would help prevent unaccounted-for Allied prisoners. Surprisingly, the Reds turned down the UN proposal, possibly because they misunderstood it; the Allies in turn rejected their negative reply.
Late in the week, Communist fears that masses of Red soldiers might refuse to return to Communism added a new handicap to the deadlocked negotiations. The Reds bluntly rejected an Allied plan for the exchange only of those prisons who wanted to go home. The Allied camp just as bluntly told the Communists that they should study the scheme more before deciding finally. In addition, the Allies gave a chilly reception to word from Paris of a Soviet proposal to turn the armistice deadlock over to the UN Security Council. The Allied command was expected to turn it down, refusing to entrust the security of its army to the diplomats. On Saturday, the US was reported to be advising her allies that a Korean armistice – if obtained – should be supported by an implied ultimatum to the Reds. This would put them on notice that an all-out air-sea war would be waged against Red China if the truce was violated by new aggression.
(Photo courtesy newspapers.com, Philadelphia Inquirer)