TRUCE TALKS HALTED

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26492, 6 August 1951, Page 7

TRUCE TALKS HALTED

,S:> _ ■ - “Enemy Violation Of Neutrality” (N.Z. Press Associating—n .-j-v..

(Rec. 8 p.m ) TOKYO, August 5. talks Secise fn.!, 0 " 1 ’. 5 ' h ’ lt * !d . Korean truce talks because of flagrant violations of Kaesong neutrality by the Communists. ong within United Nations h"nes unTiFthe? detection wiu remain tion from the Communists ® lB * satlsfactor Y explanach.rf'rZd ’“E „":X^ r T ” ner ,Oyo( armed Communist tS wssed 1 K-‘ com ! a !’>' the United Nations V ldlng USed by day< uvitgation at the cease fire session yester-

off teuVvklaUoZ **" br ° ken enemy troops stored »uXI men and newspapermen. The falk« 3J-»rrying servicethe Communists said they would comply with Tstiff demands laid down by General Ridgway. These included the setting up of a neutral zone at Kaesong, and the withdrawal if troops from a circle of five miles

. ~a.vr UA g U LHC VILJ. th 9 e x T er ?J. Ridgway sent a message to Sunv N °lnrt Korean Premier, Mr Kim sung, and General Peng Teh Huai KorS ander ° f the Chinese armies in

, R c ? n ?, e at a time when the truce talks were deadlocked over Communist demands that the Allies give up the territory they captured north of the 38th parallel and fall back to a truce line extending 6.21 miles on each side of the old boundary. General Ridgway’s statement halted the truce talks scheduled for to-day. His message said it had been officially verified that armed forces not belonging to the United Nations command were observed in Kaesong within approximately 100 yards of the conference site. These forces of approximately infantry company strength were proceeding in an easterly direction on foot. They were well armed with rifles, pistols, grenades, and automatic weapons, as well as mortars. General Ridgway recalled his message of July 13 in which he demanded the establishment of an agreed conference area “completely free of armed personnel of either side.”

He noted that on July 14 the Communists replied that they agreed to make Kaesong a neutral zone. “I now invite your attention to this flagrant violation of the assurances which I required and which you promised.

“The United Nations command delegation is prepared to continue the conversations as soon as a satisfacexplanation of this violation and Assurances of its non-recurrence are received.”

General Ridgway issued this statement after a five-hour conference with his staff.