The transfer of the anti-Communist Chinese, prisoners of war to the Korean demilitarized zone, in accordance with the terms of reference for the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, has again caused the Chinese press to express fear over the safety of these POWs and to urge that every precautionary measure be taken by the United Nations Command to prevent them from falling once more into Red hands.
The Chung Hua Jih Pao declared on September 13 that although it is clearly stipulated in Paragraph 3 of the terms of reference that no force or threat of force shall be used against these war prisoners to prevent or effect their repatriation and "no violence to their persons or affront to their dignity or self-respect shall be permitted in any manner for any purpose whatsoever," there is still the possibility of the Reds, with the connivance of the Indians, carrying out their intrigue of coercion or forceful repatriation in the prisoner camps. Making a careful study of the Korean, Armistice Agreement, the paper pointed out that Paragraph 10 of the Annex, which slates that "nothing in this agreement shall be construed as derogating from the authority of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission to exercise its legitimate functions and responsibilities for the control of the prisoners of war under its temporary jurisdiction," has provided the so-called neutral commission a loophole to take whatever measures it sees fit in the interests of the Communists. "America and the United Nations must not overlook the contradiction between Paragraphs 3 and 10 and the possible dangers involved," said the daily. "The Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission must not be allowed to abuse its authority and the United Nations Command, during the ninety-day period after the commission takes over the custody of the prisoners, must be on the alert against such abuse."
The Chung Hua Jih Pao further urged representatives of the United Nations Command to record every answer given by the anti-Communist Chinese war prisoners to the Communist explaining representatives during the "brain-washing" period. Said the paper: "If any prisoner of war whose previous record proves that he is strongly opposed to repatriation applies for repatriation to the Red-controlled Chinese mainland, then the United Nations Command should immediately ask for an inquiry into the reasons behind his change of mind. If it is found out that the application made to and validated by the commission is utterly against the wish of the prisoner, then the United Nations should lodge a strong protest with the commission and take steps to invalidate that application. Moreover, freedom of the press and other news media in observing the entire Communist brainwashing operation must be strictly insured. "
The Central Daily News, in an editorial on September 11, justified the action of the anti-Red Chinese POWs in writing General Mark Clark on August 27 to demand guarantee from the United Nations Command of their safety in the demilitarized zone. "The transfer of the 14,260 anti-Communist Chinese war prisoners was carried out peacefully and smoothly simply because they were willing to follow President Chiang's orders to cooperate with the UNC under the principle of voluntary repatriation," the paper explicitly stated. "And President Chiang so ordered them in the belief that the principle of voluntary repatriation will be upheld by the United Nations as evidenced by the repeated statements of military and political leaders of the free world. However, because of the geographical propinquity of the Korean demilitarized zone and the Red area and because of the doubtful stand of the so-called Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, the demand of these war prisoners should receive careful consideration on the part of the United Nations Command. Not only the Korean War would have been fought in vain, but the free world would have to pay for its loss with millions of lives if the principle of voluntary repatriation is killed by Communist intrigues."
Dulles' Speech
Secretary Dulles' speech to the Convention of the American Legion was seen by leading newspapers here as an outline of principles and practices that will guide the Eisenhower administration in leading the free world in the battle for peace.
In comparison with the faltering and usually ambigious U.S. Far Eastern policy of the Truman administration, the clear-cut policy as enunciated by Secretary Dulles in his speech to the Convention of the American Legion is very encouraging, editorialized the Hsin Sheng Pao on September 3. However, the stand taken by the present administration, though praiseworthy, is still not positive enough. Dulles only attempted to tell the Communist bloc what is expected of it but failed to expound what the democracies should do to deliver the enslaved peoples from the yoke of Communist tyranny. To expect the Communist countries to stop aggression, the paper continued, is not unlike expecting the cannibals to change their instinct of eating the flesh of their own kina. Time has proved the wisdom of the "liberation" policy advocated by President Eisenhower. The warning served by Dulles on the Communists with respect to Korea and Indo-China, though timely, is at best negative in nature. The root of all troubles in Asia, the paper added, is directly attributable to the conquest of the Chinese mainland by the Communists. So long as the Chinese mainland remains unliberated, there would be no peace in the Far East. Therefore, only by helping the Chinese Government recover the mainland can we hope to achieve lasting peace in the Far East.
Taking the view that the classic Communist strategy for conquest depends more on infiltration and overthrow of the legitimate government by subversion and sabotage from within than on resort to armed aggression from without, the Combined Daily declared on the same day that with the military failure in Korea, it is more likely than not that the Communists would not make a similar attempt again. For this reason, the daily opined, Dulles' statement would at best only serve as further guarantee against visible Communist aggression in future. The question facing the free world, however, is how to protect itself against invisible aggression. The "liberation" policy as advocated by the present U.S. administration has fallen far short of the goal. What it has so far achieved is only to contain visible aggression.
In an editorial entitled "The New American Far Eastern Policy," the Chung Hua Jih Pao asserted that all moves on the part of the United States Government indicated that a new, independent and vigorous Far Eastern policy is in the making. The Korean armistice, unsatisfactory as it may seem, cannot be construed to mean withdrawal of the United States from the Far East. On the contrary, it may rightfully be regarded as a prelude to a more vigorous and independent U. S. foreign policy in the Far East and the end of the vacillating policy of the previous administration. A series of security agreements the American Government had entered into with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea bespeaks this fact. And Secretary Dulles' speech at the Convention of the American Legion further illustrates this new, positive and in dependent U.S. Far Eastern policy which aims at building up the military strength of the anti-Communist countries in the Far East as its foundation and overthrowing the Communist regime on the Chinese mainland as its final objective, said the paper.
Senator Knowland's
Visit On his third visit to Free China, a warm and hearty welcome from the press was extended to Senator Knowland who was extolled not only as a great friend of Free China but also as one of the very few American patriots and statesmen who have a clear understanding and firm grasp of the vital issues facing the democracies.
In its editorial on September 5, the Central Daily News, while welcoming the third visit of the young Republican leader to Taiwan, asserted that Knowland is not only a friend of Free China but also an outstanding American statesman. He is one of the very few American statesmen who have long known the true nature of Communism and the importance of Asia to the security of the world as a whole. Early in the days of Roosevelt's administration, the Senator from California was a strong supporter of Secretary Byrnes and was in favor of taking a strong stand against Soviet Russia. It was also he who endorsed military and economic assistance to both Greece and Turkey during the Truman administration. His anti-Communist stand became better known with the outbreak of the Korean War. It is Knowland, too, the paper continued, who has long recognized the importance of Asia and advocated that equal emphasis should be laid both on Asia and Europe, because he believes that Communist aggression is global in nature and that with Asia in peril, Europe would not he safe. "Knowland is an American and always has the interests of his own country at heart. His staunch anti-Communist stand and his desire to keep Asia free are all prompted by his deep concern over the welfare of his own country," said the paper.
In another editorial on September 10, the same paper while commenting upon Senator Knowland's speech to the faculty and students of the University of Taiwan, fully endorsed his assertion that appeasement is merely a road to surrender on an installment plan, and that to let Red China be a member of the United Nations is no other than to ask a murderer to your banquet. On the surface, the paper continued, appeasement and freedom are not contradictory to each other. In practice, appeasement is tantamount to a surrender to an evil force which will exploit the weakness of the appeaser until he places himself entirely at its mercy. Now, Communism is an evil force, the enemy of freedom. It is ironical that many people who hold after their own freedom are usually divergent in their opinions when it comes to the question of anti-Communism. The reason for this is that those who try to appease the Communists are under the illusion that they would be left free so long as they do not oppose the Communists. History, the paper added, is replete with instances testifying to the fact that appeasement of the Communists would only result in self-destruction. The sorry state of world affairs at present is largely a result of the policy of appeasement pursued by the democracies in dealing with the Communists.
While extending a hearty welcome to Senator Knowland on his third visit to this anti-Communist bastion of Free China, the Hsin Sheng Pao declared editorially that our respect for him is not simply out of sentimentality. We respect him more for his political farsightedness and vision. He knows that the Chinese Communists and Soviet Russia are the common enemies of both the United States and China, whose close ties of friendship are unbreakable. He knows further that with Free China gone, the whole of Asia would be in peril and the free world would be seriously threatened. The sympathetic understanding which the Republican Senate floor leader has of our problems, the paper continued, will be ever remembered. And we have proved that we are worthy of his trust, for since his first visit here about four years ago, great progress has been made in various fields of endeavor. The crucial question confronting both Free China and the free world at present, the paper added, is how to help Free China recover the mainland before it is too late. Though the responsibility of counterattacking the Chinese mainland should fall on China alone, the free world would do well to know that this problem, as a matter of fact, is a very important phase of the struggle of the free world against the onslaught of Communism.
In wishing Senator Knowland a bon voyage after his one-week visit here, the Chung Hua Jih Pao editorially reviewed briefly his various statements made in the past few days and applauded particularly his speech delivered before the faculty and students of the University of Taiwan in which he reiterated his objection to the admission of the Peiping regime to the United Nations. Taking into consideration his position in the United States and especially the fact that such a statement was made on the eve of the eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly and the Korean Political Conference, the paper believed it will have the effect of deterring the sinister design of some UN members to bring about a Far Eastern Munich.
Commenting on the conclusion of a Pacific Pact between China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other countries in Asia as proposed by Senator Knowland in his press conference, the same paper editorially endorsed his view but discreetly cautioned against haste in its realization. The paper recalled that as early as 1949, when the Generalissimo visited President Quirino of the Philippines, they had talked about the signing of such a pact among the countries in the Pacific. However, a change has come in our way of thinking in the past few years. While we would be glad to see the realization of such a pact, we believe that it should be joined only by those countries which have outlawed the Communist party. The looseness and discord among the North Atlantic Treaty Organization powers is an object lesson to us. No purpose will be served unless the countries which are going to join the proposed Pacific Pact are united in their common anti-Communist objective. Therefore, we are of opinion that besides the outlawing of the Communist Party by the participating countries in the proposed Pacific Pact, they should also positively help Free China launch a counter-offensive against the Chinese mainland for overthrowing the Peiping regime and negatively refuse the admission of that regime to the United Nations. By making this suggestion, we are not in the least animated by selfish motives. We are convinced that, so long as the Red regime in Peiping is not crushed, there can be no peace in Asia.
West German Election
The smashing victory won by Adenauer's Christian-Democratic Union in the West German election on September 6 has evoked hearty applause from the local press which regards it as a great triumph of the democratic West in its crucial global struggle with Communist East.
Commenting on the forthcoming Western German election, the Hsin Sheng Pao in an editorial on September 4 declared that upon the outcome of this election hinged the success or failure of Soviet aggressive tactics in Western Europe. On the basis of his conviction that there is no possibility for West Germany to maintain her neutrality in the crucial struggle between the democratic West and Communist East, Chancellor Adenauer has long recognized that only through close cooperation with Western Europe is there any hope for West Germany to realize her dream of the unification of the whole country. Soviet Russia, the paper continued, has long been casting her covetous eye on West Germany which has been growing strong and stable under Adenauer's able administration. In face of a firm U.S. policy, Soviet Russia has been trying to bewilder the western countries with such slogans as "unification of Germany" and "German neutrality." The paper cautioned both the western democracies and West Germany to maintain a high degree of alertness so as not to fall prey to Soviet treachery.
In another editorial on September 10, the same paper editorialized that the resounding victory won by the Christian-Democratic Union was Chancellor Adenauer's personal triumph, because of which the confidence of the free world is immeasurably heightened. From this election, the paper added, we can draw an object lesson, i. e., in the crucial global struggle between the two conflicting camps, only in casting in one's lot unequivocably with the free world lies the way of salvation. We believe some of the Western countries and also Japan will do well to take this lesson to heart. The paper also warned England against her traditional policy of paying off Germany against France, not only because a strong West Germany would lead to a united Germany, which is the prerequisite to the frustration of Soviet aggression in Europe, but also because a democratic Germany which Adenauer has been taking pains to build up will serve the best interests of the democratic world.
Declaring that the West German election though an internal affair to all appearance was to all intents and purposes a cold war of ballots between two opposite camps, the Central Daily News said editorially that in this perspective the smashing victory of Adenauer's Christian-Democratic Union was more than Adenauer's personal triumph. It can be rightly regarded as a decisive victory of the democratic camp. The paper then went on to say that the democratic West and Communist East have been vying with each other to win over West Germany to its own side. But Adenauer chose the side of the democracies. Since 1949, he has been steadfastly and patiently leading the people of West Germany to build up a new nation which has since become one of the most powerful countries in the West. Adenauer's triumph will further strengthen the cooperation between West Germany and the democracies. However, the paper warned, the West should still maintain its high degree of alertness, because Soviet Russia would not lightly give up her desire to win over West Germany in spite of her present failures.
A gentleman does not aim at satiety in eating, nor comfort in housing. He is a diligent student who is quick in action, cautious in speech, and asks for guidance from the virtuous.
From The Confucian Analects.
Translated by Durham Chen.