AMMUNITION FOR U.N. TROOPS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26984, 9 March 1953, Page 7

AMMUNITION FOR U.N. TROOPS

“Enough To Counter Any Attack” (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Mar. 8. Mr Charles Wilson, the United States Secretary of Defence, said tonight that the United Nations troops m Korea had enough ammunition "to counter any enemy attack.” Notifying the Senate Armed Services Committee that he and his ex perts would testify before them, Mr Wilson said: “I would like to assure members of this committee and the country that there is enough ammunition available in the Far East Command to counter any enemy attack in Korea.”

In Seoul on Friday General Mark Clark said there had been rationing of artillery ammunition in Korea, but "there was always enough whenever we needed to shoot it—in any quantity.” General Clark, the United Nations Far East Commander, said that the Bth Army has enough ammunition to stop any Communist offensive in Korea.

He was asked to comment on General James Van Fleet’s statement to Congress that the United States troops in Korea had been handicapped by a serious shortage of ammunition.

"As far as ammunition is concerned, there is always a shortage, particularly in artillery ammunition, in the minds of people who want to shoot it,” said General Clark.

“In every war— l recall in Italy—we rationed ammunition. Here, there has been rationing of certain types of artillery ammunition, but whenever we needed to shoot it, either we were on a limited offensive or when the enemy was attacking, we always had ample.”