The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Press, Pittsburgh PA
Korean War Weekly Front Pages
6 April 1952 – 12 April 1952
The Press, Pittsburgh PA
Spring was in the air.
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Communist newsmen covering the truce talks hinted on Sunday that bargains might be in the making to solve the prisoner of war and Russian neutrality issues and bring an early peace to Korea. Optimism reached a new high among observers at the UN base camp at Munsan although there was little on which to base it except the Communist correspondents’ remarks, a series of recent small developments, and a general feeling in the spring air. The next day Allied and Communist headquarters soft-pedaled their propaganda voices and restrained truce negotiators as top commands of both sides worked separately on delicate strategy plans that could bring the Korean War to a sudden end.
Congressional leaders warned against any deal in the Korean peace talks which would return anti-Red Chinese and North Korean prisoners of war against their will. Thousands of enemy soldiers, carrying surrender pamphlets promising food, clothing, and fair treatment, had surrendered. Although the UN didn’t promise they wouldn’t be sent back to face almost certain death as deserters, most of the prisoners thought that was the case. They would not have surrendered otherwise. Approximately 20,000 POWs had rejected Communism. There had been pitched battles between Communists and anti-Communist prisoners on Koje-Do, an island prison camp off southern Korea,
The Communist air force, staggered by the destruction or damage of 53 of its jet planes during the past eight days, stayed out of sight of prowling American Sabrejets. On Sunday, the Sabres patrolled northwest Korea’s “MIG Alley” as far north as the border with China without finding a single Russian-built jet.
(Photo courtesy newspapers.com, Pittsburgh Press)