War: THE TRUCE TERMS

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EACH side made important concessions. The Communists suffered their first setbacK at the truce table even before the agenda was adopted in July 1951. The enemy wanted to discuss withdrawal of all "foreign" (U.N. and Chinese) troops from Korea. The U.N. negotiators refused, and the matter was left off the agenda for possible solution at a post-truce political conference. The second defeat of the Communists was the breaking down of their demand for a truce line on the 38th parallel. The third—and greatest—was their failure to win repatriation of prisoners unwilling to return to Communist control. The U.N., in turn, failed to 1) get a trustworthy inspection system (i.e., one that would tie up the Reds as tightly as the allies originally hoped); 2) win immediate liberation of anti-Communist prisoners; 3) block construction of airfields in North Korea during the armistice.

Highlights of the agreement:

Article I. "A Military Demarcation Line shall be fixed and both sides shall withdraw two .kilometers from this line so as to establish a Demilitarized Zone between the opposing forces." A truce line .and buffer zone were fixed once before, in November 1951. They had to be redrawn last week, after the ground-gaining Communist attacks of last fortnight. At truce time, 2,350 square miles of former North Korean territory are still left in U.N. hands, while the Communists get 850 square miles south of the 38th parallel—a net gain of 1,500 for the allies.

Article II A. All fighting stops promptly within twelve hours of the armistice signing. Within 72 hours, all troops and equipment of both sides are withdrawn from the 2½-mile-wide buffer zone. Within ten days allied forces withdraw from islands north of the 38th parallel. Rotation of 35,000 troops a month is permitted each side, but the level of existing forces must not be raised. Aircraft, tanks, artillery pieces, etc. which are worn out, damaged or destroyed during the truce may be replaced piece-by-piece.

Article II B. A Military Armistice Commission, composed of five U.N. and five Communist officers, of which at least three from each side must be generals or admirals, is established. M.A.C. supervises the carrying out of the armistice terms, and polices the buffer zone.

Article II C. A Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission is established. It is composed of one officer each from Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The N.N.S.C. will have 20 neutral-nations inspection teams, and will watch five Communist "ports of entry" (Sinuiju, Chongjin, Hungnam. Manpo, Sinanju) and five U.N. centers (Inchon, Taegu, Pusan, Kangnung, Kunsan).