FIGHTING IN KOREA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27580, 23 December 1950, Page 7

FIGHTING IN KOREA

Another Message To Peking CEASE-FIRE COMMITTEE’S EFFORTS Rec. 10.30 p.m. NEW YORK, Dec. 21. The Korean Cease-fire Committee today informed Peking that it would wait until next week before making a final report to the United Nations Political Committee on the chances of stopping the fighting in Koreo. ’ The message to Chou En-lai is beForeign Minister of the Chinese People’s Republic, said: “We hope to receive your reply to our earlier messages regarding cease-fire arrangements in Korea. The Political Committee of the United Nations has now taken a brief recess, but will meet again very shortly to consider, among other things, a full report from the Cease-fire Group.” The message to Chop En-lai is believed to have assured Peking that the cease-fire proposal was only the first step towards a peaceful settlement of all Far Eastern issues. An earlier message said that the Korean Cease-fire Committee met unexpectedly today. It was reported that the committee had sent another message to Chou En-lai, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China. It is understood that the committee has not received any reply to its first two messages to Peking. The committee announced that it will not meet for the next few days, “ barring developments.” In its second message to Peking the committee said that a halt in the Korean fighting would greatly improve prospects for talks on a general settlement of Far Eastern problems. “ United Nations Would Survive ” The United Nations Secretarygeneral, Mr Trygve Lie, said today that he believed world peace could be preserved. He declared that the United Nations would survive whatever the outcome oflhe Korean war. Mr Lie added that he had “hope and confidence ” in the three-man commission appointed by the General Assembly to seek a cease-fire in Korea. “I still believe none of the big nations and none of the small nations want war,” said Mr Lie. Asked if he included the Chinese Communists, Mr Lie referred the questioner to statements by the Chinese Communist envoy, Wu Hsuichuan, that the Peking Government desired peace, and hoped for peace.