KOREA: Temporary Roof

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Japan is moving toward democracy and China toward Communism. Thrust out into the sea between them lies Korea, which is moving in both directions. Last week President Truman asked Congress for $150 million of ECAid to keep South Korea stable after U.S. occupation forces complete their withdrawal in a few weeks. If South Korea falters, Communist North Korea will gobble it, and that, in turn, would encourage anti-democratic forces from Japan around to India.

Congressmen wanted to know why Truman thought he had a better chance to hold South Korea than South China.

Neither Harry Truman nor anybody else could give firm guarantees on South Korea, or any other area in Eastern Asia. The anti-Communist position was flimsier than the grass roof of a Korean house; the best that could be argued was that ECAid might keep off the Red rain until stronger protection was built.

"Go Away." Last week TIME Correspondent Sam Welles toured South Korea and got a net impression of hope—hope in the midst of danger from within and without, from Right and from Left. His report:

One day last week a cavalcade of jeeps with 60 Seoul police rattled up to the headquarters of the Korean National Assembly's Special Committee on National Traitors. Disarming guards, they stormed through the building, grabbing documents and arms and arresting the committee's special police. When the committee's chairman tried to stop them, the head of the raiders snapped, "We do this on the personal orders of President Rhee."

At that point, Korea's Chief Prosecutor

Kwon Sung Yul arrived on routine business. "Go away," growled a policeman. When Kwon tried to pass, a rifle barred his way. He angrily explained he was the country's chief law officer.

"Then you can enter," said the policeman, "but I must search you first." He found a pistol which he promptly took. "I have a pistol permit from your own police chief," Kwon shouted. The policeman laughed. "Nobody except us is going to be armed during this raid," he said. "Enter now if you like."

In two weeks, only 500 U.S. troops will remain to train and advise the new South Korean army which faces the big, well-organized Communist army of North Korea along the 38th Parallel. Without internal stability the South might soon be easy pickings for the North. This week's raid was the sharpest episode yet in the struggle between the Korean administration and its legislature over how to achieve that stability.

The government relies on the police, most of whose key officials are hated because they originally worked for Japan. The country is under modified martial law, and there are frequent arbitrary arrests. Since the government took over from U.S. military authorities last August, it has closed 16 newspapers and magazines. The latest was the Seoul Shin Mun, the country's largest newspaper. A government spokesman explained that Shin Mun had "reprinted only 40% of official releases in the past four months and is therefore clearly anti-government."