TRUCE TALKS IN KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27047, 23 May 1953, Page 7

TRUCE TALKS IN KOREA

British Desire For “End To Wrangle” LONDON, May 21. He was quite sure the United States earnestly desired, as Britain did, an end to all the wrangle about the repatriation of prisoners of war in Korea, said Sir Winston Churchill in the House of Commons today. Mr John Strachey, the former Minister of War, urged that the Communists should be asked to suggest a way out of the practical difficulties since the issues of principle had now been decided.

Sir Winston Churchill replied: “If you are suggesting that either the United States will accept whatever will be the final terms the Communists insist upon, or the British desert them I would surely differ from that.’’ , JAt Strachey denied that he was implying that suggestion, and said the Korean war could not be continued on the basis of administrative points. The Prime Minister said the point of honour concerning no forcible repatriation had been conceded by the Communists. but points of substance were outstanding. They were: (1) The proposal that the five members of the truce commlssidn should send considerable forces to Korea.

(2) Failure to lay down a time limit for detaining prisoners who refused repatriation. Sir Winston Churchill said he had not hesitated to express the British view through the regular channels to the United States Government. “Most careful consideration had been given to our representations.” He added that there were great practical and administrative problems involved. “The proposal that two Communist States, Poland and Czechoslovakia, should each send powerful armed forces into South Korea raises obvious difficulties in which the opinion of the South Korean Government, which at present has more than 20 well-armed divisions employed, cannot be treated as negligible,” he continued. “These are practical difficulties of high consequence on which a divergence of opinion may Well arise. If no way of surmounting the disagreement can be found, we must patiently seek alternative methods.” “Time Limit Must be Found”

The second point of substance also raised serious issues, he said. »

“The idea of keeping men indefinitely in captivity because they will not agree to go home to, the countries which sent them out is one which cannot be accepted. A time limit must be found. “All these issues are being studied, and it is probable that new proposals of a constructive character will be made by the United Nations Command when the talks are resumed on Monday. I am sure that if the other side wished to have a settlemeht it could have had it long ago. “I am personally quite clear on this: that we have every intention of standing firmly by the Allies with whom, Under the late Government, we entered this war.”