The Korean War, 70 Years Ago, The Times, Chester PA

Korean War Weekly Front Pages

6 January 1952 – 12 January 1952

The Times, Chester PA 

“The way will be dangerous for years ahead…”

*****

The United Nations rewrote its war prisoner exchange program in an attempt to meet Communist objections, but the Reds said it still was “unacceptable.” Communist negotiators on the prisoner subcommittee nevertheless were unusually amicable in contrast to their recent recalcitrant hostility. UN circles speculated that the Reds were trying to demonstrate by their adamant refusal to compromise that the Allies might just as well accept Russia’s demand in Paris that the Security Council take over the truce talks. At the end of the week armistice negotiations had bogged down completely on the twin questions of military aircraft construction and involuntary repatriation of war prisoners. The Communists told UN delegates they were just wasting their time in trying to get the Reds to say whether they intended to build air fields in North Korea during a truce. In another armistice subcommittee, the UN and Communist delegates spent 4½ hours rehashing old arguments over the UN plan to let war prisoners choose whether they should be repatriated.

The 5th Air Force disclosed that it had suffered its heaviest losses of the Korean war – 16 planes –during the past week. Three American Sabrejets were shot down by Communist MIG-15 jet fighters in air battles during the seven days ending Friday. Red anti-aircraft guns accounted for the other 13 downed American planes: four F-80 Shooting Stars, four F-51 Mustangs, three F-84 Thunderjets, one B-26 light bomber, and one F-4-U Marine Corps Corsair fighter bomber. Never before in the war had the 5th Air Force lost so many planes in a seven day period.

The 82nd Congress returned for its second session on Tuesday with hot fights already brewing over universal military training (UMT) and foreign aid. Under a law passed in 1951, Congress committed itself to UMT in principle only, and agreed to act on specific plans for the military training program early in this session. Many members doubted that Congress would actually put UMT into operation as long as the present draft law was in effect.

In President Truman’s State of the Union speech, he said, “The way will be dangerous for years ahead, but if we put forth our best efforts this year – and next year – we can be ‘over the hump’ in our effort to build strong defenses.” He also stated, “In 1954, we hope to have enough equipment so that we can reduce production of most material items substantially. The next two years therefore should be the peak period of defense production.”

The congressional economy bloc swung into action with firm opposition to a 10% military pay raise which would cost about $80 million a year [$839 million in 2022]. Legislation to grant pay increases to all members of the armed services and retired military men was put on the calendar earlier in the week to be considered by the house next Tuesday. One congressional leader, who asked not to be identified by name, said there would be a sufficient number of southern Democrats and Republican votes to block 2/3 approval of the bill.

(Photo courtesy newspapers.com, Chester Times)