CRUCIAL DECISION MUST BE MADE— U.N. Advance Into North Korea May Be Imminent

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1950, Page 6

CRUCIAL DECISION MUST BE MADE— U.N. Advance Into North Korea May Be Imminent

LONDON, Sept. 29.—Diplomatic circles in London/ be wve that the Indian Government, has told Britain and the United States that it cannot support a decision to send United Nations forces, north of the 38th Parallel m Korea. The Indian Government’s view is understood to’have been conveyed to the British delegation to the United Nations. British and American officials in New York recently have emphasised that a decision to cross the parallel would be essentially a military one. Security Council decisions already on record authorise General MacArthur to restore peace “in the Korea area,” and not only in South Korea, these officials maintain. Clearly a decision on crossing the parallel is now imminent and may have to be taken within the next 24 hours. . T Diplomatic quarters m London say that the British draft resolution on a settlement for Korea presupposes a military crossing of the parallel at some time. On no other terms could a reunion of Korea through an election supervised by the United Nations be foreseen.

Support For Crossing Reuter’s Paris correspondent says that the Conservative newspaper Le Monde has suggested that the United Nations forces should not stop at the parallel. “The war can end. only by a total victory of the United Nations,” it says. “It is not a question only of driving the Northern armies back beyond the 38th parallel, for that would be a limping solution, eminently favourable to the aggressor. It is indispensable to beat them to obtain their surrender and their disarmament.”

Le Monde adds that Britain was reported to be seeking the support of Asian countries for her proposals for a Korean settlement “The assent of India would be particularly precious, because of the conciliatory position she has adopted since the beginning of hostilities,” it comments.

A New York message says that the United States delegation to the United Nations has drawn up a tentative plan for the future of Korea after the war is won.

The main point of the plan is that the United States Government will urge the United Nations to throw its entire weight into Korean reconstruction and development. The United States, according to American sources, would like to see Korea made into a “pilot project” or show piece to demonstrate to Asia what the United Nations can do in helping an underdeveloped territory. This would entail concentrating all

the social, economic and health facilities of the United Nations and its specialised agencies upon Korea. The United States is also prepared to use som'e of its military and engineering forces already in Korea, to help to rebuild war damage. Future Developments

Other points in the American programme are:— (1) Korea must be free, independent and united. This cannot be achieved by return to the pre-

war status of the country. f (2) The method of unification can best be devised by the strong United Nations Commission, on the spot. (3) The Korean people should be consulted by election. The question remains open whether the

elections should be held throughout

Korea or only in the North. (4) The post-war settlement of the Korean problem should not be negotiated by any one nation. American circles emphasise that the

United States has no desire for military bases in Korea. (5) The United States favours the admission of Korea to the United Nations as soon as possible.

This American programme, which fits into the framework of the British resolution, may be expanded into a general plan for Karea at a late stage of the General Assembly session.