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Editorials—Books
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TWELVE
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WASHINGTON, D. C., JUNE 24, 1951
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W
Korean War Rounds Out One Year
as
World Looks Back, and Wonders
—AP
Stalin looked on,
as
Firepower
In the winter war, Marines made their'longest retreat.
America manned the barricades.
was on our
side; the hills,
on
and
Defense
Department
Photos
theirs.
of ports or Chinese communists in >r dereat roilowed anotner. uen.
military mission at Seoul Indi- jf the first American infantry- vears stars today as an aide to compacted into an area hardly The offensive was in the form
the fight—but only as so-called Walker’s name was one among
at
Delaware.
Inchon,
of
an
landing
the
State
1
than
amphibious
Jen.
Eisenhower.
Invasion
larger
at
that
the
cated
first
“The blond young doughman:
Saturday, June 24, 1950, was a
‘volunteers,” meaning conscripts i nany In the casualty reports that
At home, support of the “police” the port for Seoul.
29, the situation had
be contained by the South boy raised his head.
By
July
might
The
typical day- in the summer sol- Koreans. It soon became evident
the tide of serving in Korean units. Gen. topped 50,000 by the last week in
universal.
weeks
less
Within
two
became
that
Gen.
effort
so
critical
>ecome
bullets caught him as he looked. |
stice—sunny and hot. The Washfixed the strength of January. He died in a jeep acthat this analysis was wrong. The He coughed, cried out once, then talker ordered his troops to There were those at home who battle had changed completely. MacArthur
ington ball team, at Cleveland, North
‘stand or die.” Some stood, some feared a rout—the name “Dun- The Red forces. North and South, the volunteers at 60,000 and locat- :ident.
Koreans
were on the march lied."
was licking Friday’s wounds and
to be heard, not as were riven. Gen. MacArthur had ed them in the Northwest part of
Talk of Allied withdrawal from
-Russian-directed conquest of a
On July 6, Gen. MacArthur1 lied. But the relentless Red push kerque” began
getting ready to take another
heroic
of
withdrawal, but called for the Communists’ sur- the peninsula.
Korea became commonplace—the
to
Pusan
a
1
and
the
sontinued
symbol
danger
became
a real announced that the situation was
peaceful
neighbor
hands.
The
beating at the Indians’
November 23 was Thanksgiving, question was not so much whether
meaning plain, ignominious defeat. render. and talk already had
threat, not only to South Korea, "not serious.” But by the 10th ncreased daily.
silly season was just getting under
By
September, the Korean started about who was to go into a fairly bright day for the U. N. we should pull our forces out as
but
to
the
free
world.
for a negotiated
were within 20 miles of
Reds
Immediate
the
hope
wks
A
photogirl
pretty
way.
troops, to whom the war seemed whether we could get them out. It
At the United Nations, the So- Taejop, and after a counterattack peace faded on August 1, when nights were beginning to give a North Korea and when.
graphed frying an egg on a sheet viet Union
hint of the cold that later would
almost over. Gen. MacArthur was seemed only a miracle could stop
denied
the
over
having
GIs
were
Malik
took
of
seven
Jakob
piously
Russia’s
the
bodies
Housewives were beof glass.
on Indo-China
reported %> have expressed the the avalanche. But the miracle
a finger in the pie. The war, said found in a position destined to presidency of the U. N. Security punish our troops unmercifully. Eyes
moaning the terrifflc cost of a
There had been indications in hope that front-line soldiers might did happen.
But just as the fortunes of war
weekend’s shopping, what with Moscow, had been started by an become familiar; their hands tied Council. The Soviet’s July boytheir nadir, Gen. the preceding months that the be home by Christmas. Triumto
reach
seemed
invasion
of
North
Korea
from
the
oblitersome
faces
had
made
their
the
of
Council
cott
behind
them,
sirloin steaks at 89 cents a pound
fan- Red conspiracy might be ready to phant Americans perched on the 'Operation Killer'
South, instead of vice versa.
small progress possible up to that Walker predicted the most
ated by bullets.
and ground beef at 49.
Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway
N. launch a second minor-league war border of Manchuria, waiting for
U.
all—a
of
big
tastic
thing
lime.
But when the boycott
But there could be no ignoring
A big military airplane touched
was made on —in Indo-China, where the Com- the word to go home.
The
Reports
took
over Gen. Walker’s place.
had
'Exaggerated'
prophecy
A
They
push.
the
stopped.
mded,
progress
down at National Airport, dis- the reality of what was happenThe Air Force was "operational” record-sized Amencan television September 13, the day that Louis munist rebel Ho Chih Minh had seen no Chinese in their race to Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the
clearThe
United
States
was
of
Defense,
the
ing.
Secretary
gorging
U. N. war effort regained aggresOn the 13th, 50 B-29s audience was treated to a spec- Johnson “resigned” as Defense been raiding the French frontier. the frontier.
Louis Johnson, and his chief ad- ly in a position of leadership in by then.
and tacle of the “new Soviet man" at Secretary and Congress smarted This prospect was the object of
Korean
a
North
target
hit
Then
Red
China
struck.
Two siveness. Gen. Ridgway strapped
viser, Gen. Omar Bradley. Just the free world. America must
concern. hundred
Western
Gen. MacArthur’s work in the field of diplomacy.
it out.
working on a bill to enable Gen. considerable
thousand
Chinese two hand grenades to his chest,
back from the Pacific, they an- take the lead, and the attack in wiped
C. Marshall to succeed But no one paid much attention swarmed down on the Allies. Our tookrthe field and told his troops
with the press began,
As August aged, the situation George
nounced they had "“all the facts Korea must be met. Along this private war
news reports
the
him.
he
termed
as
when, on October 2, the Chinese lines broke and fell back. Gen. that to him, real estate was secThe Naktong River,
worsened.
about our situation’’ in Asia.
line, President Truman acted.
Minister, MacArthur called it an entirely ondary—the primary object was
of casualties "exaggerated.” At last
Foreign
the next day, the big Communist
At
dawn
barrier
before
Pusan,
major
Three days after war began,
'Paoce in the World*
Lake Success 52 countries were was crossed in force. By August push took place—but not on the Chou En-lai, warned that China new war. President Truman said to kill Chinese.
with U. N. sanction assured, the
As “Operation Killer” began to
A few minutes’ flying time away, United States announced it would asked for troop aid. A few re- 27. the U. N. defense effort was narrowing front before Pusan. would not stand by if North Korea we would use the atom bomb if
were invaded.
sponded.
off, early in March, the enemy
to
assure victory.
pay
President Truman ended a brief defend
necessary
Korea, but not with ground
And the Reds kept swarming
Parallel in
Washington “minimized” the
address at Friendship Interna- troops.
at home and in Ko- withdrew to the 38th
Christmas
closer to Taejon. Lt. Gen. Walton
tional Airport, Baltimore, by saythreat of China’s entry into the rea was far from merry, and New sudden, swift retreat.
Three days after that, the first H. Walker hoisted the blue and
Korean lighting.
Secretary of Year’s was a time of anguish. It
ing, “I dedicate this airport to
By April 1, the first American
of American white United Nations flag over
State Acheson said he believed was a new war all
the cause of peace in the world.” small detachment
dead had been returned to their
the
right—and
was airlifted into his field headquarters, as the war
In their details, the circum- MacArthur s firing. Mr. Acneson China would send no
Nearly half way around the ground power,
troops into Chinese were fighting it in a new native soil, and the war had setKorea and raced to the front, only officially became a U. N. action. stances leading up to the mo- made it plain his low opinion of Korea.
world, little men faced other little
tled down into the "deadlock**
way.
was
not
altered
the
to
be
advancing
to
commit the generalissimo
engulfed by
New names kept cropping up mentous
decision
across an Imaginary line
men
On October 12, China issued the
doldrums. Press and public beVeteran
one in
GIs, who thought they
headlines
the
Yongdok
United States arms in Korea will by events in Korea.
President
drawn athwart a little-known Reds—two rifle companies,
same warning again.
to eye a new and more perhad seen everything in Europe and gan
and four 105 mil- Yongdong—Kwangju. Each name be debated by historians for
A decision on Formosa was
Truman called a conference at
sonal war that Iras brewing at
peninsula. Sentries to the south mortar platoon,
the
advisers
Pacific
in
World
War
The
military
n,
limeter
a
little
the
guns.
showed up on
map
years to come. But the broad out- postponed.
of the line watched uneasily the
Wake Island with Gen. Machome.
learned about something yet more
It had npt been an easy decision, farther South than the last one. line of what transpired, in this described the meager state of our
movements of those to the north.
the future conto
discuss
Arthur,
On April 5, Representative MarThe The
enemy’s aim was clear: week a year ago, is fairly clear by preparedness for the 'Crisis that duct of the war. The Far Eastern horrible—the "human wave” tacBut even as Saturday changed to but it was a popular one.
tin of Massachusetts made publio
the Far
in
of
the
tics
Chinese.
been
had
was
how
it
to
made,
the
precipitated
facts
as
U.
N.
forces
into
the
To
drive
now.
Sunday, there was little or nothcommander seemed to share Mr.
a letter written a fortnight earlier
East.
are fully sea—to
the whole
over
take
Bugles blew in the night. Torches
ing to alarm a South Korean sol- and how it was received,
The Korean decision, which
Acheson’s view that Chinese war
by Gen. MacArthur. Its contents,
At the end of this discussion,
on this peninsula as another Communist
articles
ill
Other
forth
set
blazed.
foot
soldiers
Screaming
border
dier on
duty.
was taken in progressive steps,
talk was mostly bluff.
by now, need no elucidation. They
it was decided we must help arm
Then, as dawn broke, a wave of page. It is enough to say here colony.
is essentially a three-scene drama.
The United Nations advance charged directly into machine-gun were damned in many quarters,
use
our
and
Koreans
South
the
The North Koreans “turned the
and across mine fields, to die
Communist-led troops swarmed that, when the step was taken,
The first two scene# were played own
continued, in most sectors at a fire
including British ones, as "war
ships and planes to evacuate
to solidify comer” as July drew to a close.
in clouds of flame and smoke
across the 38th Parallel to usher public opinion seemed
And
while
at the Blair House dinner table,
runaway
pace.
casualty
talk,” and the hard core of antiwar
the
from
civilians
American
had
President
it
the
the
as
resistance
behind
out
along
Wiping
In a new kind of war.
where officials of the State and zone. The President also ordered reports kept mounting, they were Others clambered over their dead MacArthur feeling gained new
western shore ef Korea, they
and charged on, to hang in death
The Communist overlords In not since World War n.
Defense Departments were dinner the Pacific fleet to head out ol not so touchy a matter in the days
converts.
The news, however, lost no time wheeled and started driving at
on aprons of barbed wire, while
Moscow had resorted to many
of President Truman on
of
as
were
in
ol
days
triumph
they
guests
troubled
the
for
What would happen to Gen.
Harbor
Pearl
the
initial
left
on
the
a
clambered
over
still later waves
damper
omy major port
Rysan,
stratagems before. But this was in putting
the nights of Sunday, June 25. waters oft China. The re-estab- defeat. At the end of September them.
MacArthur? That became the big
the first time they had ordered a enthusiasm. “Reds move 25 more to us.
third
and Tuesday, the 26th. The
lishment of some airbases neai casualties were tabulated at 20,756
question, but the possibility that
Suwon
A young lieutenant colonel of
satellite to wage overt war against tanks into big push
It stopped being war as WestPresident Truman’s Formosa was authorized. There dead, wounded and missing, and
scene was
he would be fired was ruled out.
in
the
60
miles
started
taken—Red vanguard
appearing
infantry
a neighbor.
bedroom—with Army Secretary was talk of supporting the South two weeks later they stood at ern men knew it, and became sim- The informed observers learned
The news broke in Washington south of Seoul—Reds win Chonan, dispatches—one day on the south- Frank Pace featured as an offknown
25,000
ple carnage—nearly
better at 1 a.m., April 11. “MacKorean war effort with air and 26,701.
late Saturday afternoon. There Americans retreat in disorder— ern front, the next day a hundred stage voice on the telephone.
But by then Americans were in Chinese dead in a single day’s Arthur Fired,” the headlines read,
no decision af
but
naval
action,
Michaelis’
Mike
miles
to
the
north.
battalion
trapped
had been virtually no hint of im- United States
the Red capital of Pyongyang, and fighting. And though Chinese life and the war in Korea was pracThe two principle actors in the yet on this point.
became
Wolfhound
regiment
pending conflict in Korea—what behind Red lines.”
South Koreans were only 15 miles seemed cheap, the price in dead tically forgotten for the moment.
were
next
without
the
came
question,
That
decision
And the news took a more per- known as the “fire brigade.” drama,
few reports there had been from
from
Manchuria. Gen. MacArthur and wounded that the Allies had
the
made
who
President Truman,
Forgotten or not, the war connight at an almost identical dinthat country dealt with elections sonal tone as the front-line eye- Admiring GIs said of him, “He’ll
said the end of the war was near. to pay was no small one.
and
Secretary
Acheson
House.
Mr.
decisions,
Blair
actual
ner
at
or
a
dead
witness dispatches came in. Tom either be a live general
and possible economic aid.
As October closed there were reDespair increased as one report (See KOREAN STORY, Pg. C-5.)
Still alive. Michaelis of State Acheson, who actively was the man with the plan. With
Word from the little American Lambert of AP told of the death colonel.”
counseled the course of action U. N. approval, he said, South
on which the President decided. Korea should be supported by sea
Military aid tc
Gen. MacArthur does not appear and air action.
in the cast at all, although his beleaguered Indo-China and tc
made itself strongly the Philippines should be stepped
influence
The question will not down:
trap and destroy a considerable
By George Fielding Eliot
tributed to the coming on of the felt in the third scene—the one up. Finally, notwithstanding SunWalsh
K.
Robert
There may be a number of
By
How do we win in Korea? The
part of the Chinese forces in
be
comshould
to
there
day’s argument,
Korean war. Senator Wiley of involving the decision
Americans, this June. 1951, who
Whether its effect would
cannot
drive
us
out.
Korea.
enemy
not likely to happen unless the
Wisconsin was one of these, and mit American ground troops to the support for Formosa that the
wondering
he thought the President had
themselves
find
That has been demonstrated.
be decisive in ending the war
Dewas
necessary
Korea.
their
air
South
Chinese
use
of
thought
first
to
military
the defense
power
he also was one of the
been mistaken in his decision.
whether we ever should have
But how do we win? How can
can hardly be predicted. It is
against United Nations troops
ask: “Where do we go from fense Secretary Johnson played Chiang should be protected from
become involved in the Korean
to
a
the
war
satiswithin the means now
we
of
bring
probably
Acheson,
State
Secretary of
and bases first. If they do not
here?” But even he voiced no no Important part, except in ad- the mainland by our 7th Fleet—
In June, 1950, however,
war.
available to the Far Eastern
factory end?
should
be
mainland
course, came in for a great deal , immediate
the
and
equally
“air
do
the
tacit
that
too,
that
Formosa,
present
objection to the vocating
there seemed to be practically
command, should the tactical
To suppose that there are no
Of criticism. The Korean debe protected from him. Formosa,
truce” seems likely to continue,
action.
"There defended.
President’s
no such doubt on anybody’s
situation seem to justify the
Mr.
in
is
of
with
this
end
mind
cision was a reversal
in other words, should be neu- plans
if only for the reason that most
seems to be nothing other than
risk.
part.
to suppose that Secretary of
Acheson’s
tralized.
policies, and Mr. force which the Russians un- Dinner at 7:45
of our friends in the U.N. will
Defense Marshall (on the record
Congress, almost to a man,
as au tne worm snows, tnu
Acheson should resign. So said
not go along with any direct
Dinner was at 7:45 at Blair
derstand,” he said.
Navy Favors Blockade
applauded the decision to resist Senator Taft. So also said
that historic Sunday. Mr. was precisely the decision whicl the ablest master of strategy of
air attack on Chinese territory
House,
critic
of
most
famous
Another operation, also withThe
the attack on South Korea—and
Senator McCarthy and Senate
which might bright into operaTruman, who had been spending was made that night. There wa: our times) and the Joint Chiefs
them all finally—Gen. MacArStaff
(all
officers
of
the
of
in
available means and involvtha1
highThe
the sending in of American
had
It
was
decided
no
dissent.
Minority Leader Wherry.
tion
the
mutual assistance
the week end in Independence,
thur himself—had something to
est professional ability) are a
troops.
latter called the “new policy”
no effort which would seriflown back to Washington in the Gen. MacArthur should be placec
clauses of the Russo-Chinese
ing.
say on the subject in his mesa “complete repudiation of the
afternoon. As the group gathered in command of our effort. Then : pack of nitwits. No harm can
It is not easy, today, to think
ously detract from our essential
treaty.
sage last August to the Veterans
a few of
State Department.” These statein the living room before dinner, was talk, that evening, of th< : be done by discussing
military aid to Europe, would
back to the mood of brave optiAnother possibility is the tacof Foreign Wars convention in
the possibilities.
ments are interesting today, in
be a naval blockade of the
Mr. Acheson filled the President possible use of American grounc ;
mism which prevailed when we
tical
use of atomic weapons to
which
Chicago—the message
The requirement is to bring
view of the testimony of Dein on a meeting of the U. N. forces if the situation became s<
Chinese coast. American naval
first picked up the Red gauntnumbers
even
out
larger
wipe
marked the official opening of
no
fense Secretary Johnson
officers strongly favor this idea
Security Council which had been serious as to warrant it. But thii i such pressure to bear on the
let. But it may be healthy to
of Chinese troops in Korea
his feud with the administraCommunist government of China
Acheson fan—that the Secre—indeed the Chief of Naval Opcalled, at our request, at S pm. subject was not given serious con
do so.
are already being killed by
than
President
tion, and which the
Council had told North sideration at that stage; it stil i as to compel that government
The
tary of State was almost singleerations, Admiral Forrest P.
This
methods.
Senator Taft, it is true, conpre-atomic
ordered him to withdraw.
of South was hoped the South Korean i to stop fighting in Korea and
the
out
for
to
Korean
get
responsible
handedly
/orces
Sherman, advocated it openly
in
be
an
extension
would
scope
tended that President Truman
withdraw from the country.
decision to fight for Korea.
"The decision of President Korea. It had asked U. N. mem- could hold without our troops.
during his testimony before the
of the “Operation Killer” idea.
had by-passed Congress. NevThe pressure will have to be
Russell committee. As Admiral
Truman on June 27,” he wrote, bers to assist in the execution of MacArthur Not Consulted
Most Republicans, of course,
It has two disadvantages. It
ertheless, the general prinsevere. Such a loss of face as
not to help
and
resolution
this
Sherman pointed out at that
flame
of
a
adof
critical
the
"lighted
hope
remained
would give the Russians a preciple was right, and he would
no
had
MacArthur
So far, Gen.
giving up in Korea would entail,
time, any effective blockade
of
ministration decisions and polithroughout Asia that was burn- the North Koreans.
of
the
effects
such
view
weaphave voted for it if the question
will not be easily accepted by
been consulted in the decision
would have to be a United Nacies which, they said, had coning dimly toward extinction.”
Sven before dinner, Secretary
ons, which might be of great
had been presented to the
making. Nor, at the time tha
any Chinese government,
tions blockade. It could hardly
the
into
Formosa
to them later on.
Johnson brought
advantage
Senate, he said.
i
wa
decision
of
courses
are
several
There
the Monday night
be a unilateral act by the United
And it would further devastate
picture. In December, the State announced, had the U. N. ac action which might be useful.
Senator Smith, Republican,
States without incurring risks at
its
circularized
battered
Korea.
had
poor,
Department
of New Jersey “thanked Cod
tually asked its members to hel] > The one most frequently menleast as great as those of bombFar East missions to the effect
of
There
is
'
■
Th
course,
always,
arms.
the
MacArthur
with
has
tioned
Korea
administration
South
during
that the
ing Chinese territory. But once
that the fall pf Formosa to Red State
Department had assurance hearings was, of course, exten- chance of another amphibious adopted as a sanction against
changed its policy and reached
China was to be expected—and however, that such a reques t sion of the air war into Chinese
operation such as the landing
an aggressive policy regarding
an aggressor by the United Nadidn’t much matter. The Presi- would be forthcoming—and i t territory.
at Inchon. Such a move, at a
the Far East.”
tions General Assembly, a naval
dent later had announced that our came
is
But
it
after
be
done.
well-selected
This may
moment, might
along on Tuesday
blockade could cause the Chiforces would not interfere in the noon.
Overwhelming Support
nese Reds a vast amount of
Mr.
But
situation.
Formosan
The decision to commit Ameri
Senator Knowland, Republitrouble. It would cut off all
Johnson argued now that, with can troops in the Korean wa
can, of California urged “oversources of outside supply excommunism on the march in Asia, was made in the dark mornim
for
the
whelming support”
cept by overland routes from
the island must not be allowed-to hours of Friday, the 30th. Th
President’s move.
the Soviet Union.
fall to the enemy. Gen. Omar Korean military situation ha<
Senator Bridges, Republican,
oi
me
Bradley, chairman of the Joint gone from bad to worse.
O:
existing
capacity
of New Hampshire called the
Chiefs of Staff, backed Johnson up Thursday, the National Securit;
Asiatic rail lines is utterly inKorean
decision a
“damned
in this opinion.
So far as our Council had met at the Whit
sufficient to supply a nation of
good move.”
security was concerned, Bradley House with the President am
over 400 million people with oil,
Some of the recorded reacsaid, Formosa was more important the State and Defense Depart
machinery, steel rails, electrical
than Korea.
tions
of those days make
equipment and all the other
ment officials. The problem be
strange reading in the light of
things China must import, to
Everybody went in to dinner. fore the group was posed by on
the current great debate over
Without America:
The crisis in Korea was the sub- grim fact:
say nothing of weapons and muGen. Mac Arthur’s proposal to
nitions for the Korean war. The
ject of a general conversation troops, the Korean war would b
try to win in Korea by going
total pressure thus exerted on
throughout the meal. After coffee, over in a few days. The difflcul
after the Chinese Communists
the group remained seated around ties and risks of our intervenim
the Red government at Peking
in their own territory.
the table. The talk got down tc on the ground had been thrasher
would be enormous and could
brass tacks. Mr. Acheson said, in out at some length—no actus
be decisive.
Reporting sentiment of a
effect, that if the North Koreans decision was reached.
Senate Republican conference
Assuming that the Kremlin
But now, in the night, came i
got away with this, there would
last June 26, Senator Milliken
is not ready for war, Russian
be no stopping the rest of the message from Gen. MacArthu:
of Colorado noted that most
leaders would have an easy out
Russian satellites.
just back from an inspection o
members believed the Korean
on this one, while they might
All
our
air
am
zone.
Again Mr. Johnson switched the the battle
situation should not be used as
find it difficult to avoid taking
subject to Formosa. The most naval support would be futile, h
provocation of an all-out war.
a more serious view of air atimportant thing, he said, was foi said, unless we sent in the troop:
He pleaded for “cool heads.”
tacks on Chinese cities without
This
was
it.
us to support the Chiang Kailosing face among all their
About the most critical ReAt 4 am. tha telephone rang b:
shek regime there. Acheson desatellites. It is becoming more
publican in those days was
It apparently was ai Mr. Truman’s bed. It was Arm
murred.
and more clear to all concerned
Senator Kan. It was he who
this point that a “really violenl Secretary Frank Pace, relayin
that something effective and
made the statement that the
Th
discussion” took place between the MacArthur message.
definite has got to be done, that
President had “apparently arSecretaries Acheson and Johnson President’s voice did not soun
the Korean war cannot be alrogated to himself the authority
to which the latter referred in hit sleepy—send the troops, he salt
I lowed just to drag on and on.
for declaring war.” But he did
before the Sen- And within a few hours, th*
recent
testimony
^
(CoprrUbt, 1951. General Feature*
The “meaifrinder”; a personal affair.
SurpriM mi Inchon vu complete.
were on the way.
“* “ “
not, at the time, actually an
Corn.)
By William Hines
It Was
—
a
Hard Decision
—
—
*
At the Time,
Nobody
Where Do We Go From Here?
Kicked
—
>
<
■
■
|
0
X
<
r
?
*
I
Part of Page of Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), June 24, 1951