ASSURANCES BY DR. RHEE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27072, 22 June 1953, Page 9

ASSURANCES BY DR. RHEE

U.S. Complaint Of Broken Pledge (Rec. 11 p.m.) SEOUL, June 21. In Tokyo General Mark Clark said m a statement that Dr. Syngman Rhee broke personal assurances by authorising the release of non-Communist prisoners from South Korean camps. He said that the prisoners escaped as a result of the South Korean Government’s broken promise, and of the collusion and desertion of South Korean guards.

Such measures as were practicable were being taken to secure the return of the escaped men, the statement said.

General Clark said Dr. Rhee had assured him he would not interfere with the South Korean forces placed under United Nations command. By violating these assurances he had caused deep personal disappointment. General Clark denied there was arty collusion between the South Korean Government and his command in the escapes. The South Korean Government’s acts were a direct violation of authority vested in him. The Republic of Korea had acknowledged this authority and voluntarily assigned command of all its forces to the United Nations for the duration of the hostilities. Both President Eisenhower and himself had forcefully called Dr. Rhee’s attention to his current denial of the United Nations Command’s authority. “The actions of the Government of

Korea on June 18 have also directly violated solemn assurances repeatedly given to me by President Rhee over the last several weeks that no overt or unilateral action would be taken by his government in connexion with the removal of or interference with. Republic of Korea forces under United Nations command without prior consultation with me. “Accepted in Good Faith” “These assurances from the responsible head of a sovereign state I accepted in good faith. It is now tragically clear that President Rhee has unilaterally abrogated his previous assurances and that the mass outbreaks of prisoners were not only aided, but actually engineered by officials and troops of the Republic of Korea Government.”

General Clark said he had considered replacing South Korean security guards but, with the knowledge of the United States Government, had decided against it. One reason was front-line pressure which would have meant transfers which would have caused a serious drain on the Allies. The prisoners escaped and were now dispersed “because the South Korean Government has unilaterally, and without previous notice, abrogated promises voluntarily given, and because of the collusion, defection, and desertion of some Korean Army security guards.”

General Clark’s omission of any reference to Allied action to counter Dr. Rhee’s move suggested to observers that future policy was still under discussion in Washington and among the United Nations members with forces in Korea.

The Peking Radio asked today whether the American side considered itself unable ta control the Rhee clique, and said that if this was the view of the United States Government it

should openly say so. The Communist broadcast described violations of the war prisoner exchange agreement as “growing to dangerous proportions.” It said that it was obvious that the Americans so far had made no serious efforts to recover the escaped prisoners.