U.N. AND KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26264, 8 November 1950, Page 5

U.N. AND KOREA

Sir, The United Nations commission on Korea was set up—illegally—by the United Nations “Little Assembly,” and composed of delegates from six countries, all of which were jnt’-Soviet and anti-Communistic. If their report was one of substance, and as they are interested parties to th « report, it would have no legal value. The official version- of the report confirms nothing. The commission made it quite plain, in its report, that it had seen nothing, investigated nothing, and. indeed, knew nothing except what Syngman Rhee had told it. It did not label anything as an unprovoked act of aggression. The report gives—without actually confirming them—Syngman Rhee’s version of the outbreak of hostilities and his denial of the North Korean assertion that it was he who. was the aggressor. Discredited Syngman Rhees statement, in view of his past record, has no value; nor did the commission say it had.—Yours, etc..

XT t JOHN BURBRIDGE. November 6. 1950. [ln almost every respect the correspondent’s assertions are contrary t»o» tact. The commission consisted of nine nations; the Ukraine abstained; India was at least neutral. The commission’s very long report details the close watch it kept on the situation from January until the invasion by the North Korean forces on June 25 including a field trip by United Nations observers along the 38th parallel from June 9. The reports of these observers showed that the South Korean Army was disposed entirely for defence, and lacked armour, air support, and artillery. The North Korean army, even at that time, occupied several salients south of the parallel. and was reoorted to be building up strength for a large-scale attack. All the subsequent events confirmed the accuracy of these observations.— Ed.. “The Press.”]

Sir,—Your footnote to John Burbridge’s letter was conclusive and worth cutting out for reference. The North Korean, Soviet Russian, and Communist Chinese backers are a hopelessly one-eyed, fanatical and wastefully voluble minority, the typically blind who will not see what is obvious to the observant-thousands of oppressed humans endeavouring to escape, not “into” Russia but out over her well-sentried borders, with considerable loss of life. Thousands of Soviet soldiery, including airmen, have escaped from Eastern Germany into the western zone. Millions are thrust into abject slavery without trial. Moscow radio belches unending distortion of the truth. The population is “conditioned” with one-sided, censored news. The-theatre is prostituted to the furtherance of false propaganda. All disagreement is “reactionary.” Opposition is treason fit for the firing squad. Freedom is unknown. Everything is brazenly dubbed the “people’s” this, and that. North Korean backers.’— Yours, etc., NAUSEATED. November 6, 1950.