I am sure that all of the Members of this honorable body recall with solemn pride the sacrifice to freedom which American boys made on the battlefields of Korea. Their heroism and blood and the treasure of America were poured out in full measure to holt the arrogant and unprovoked aggression of the north Korean Communists, aided and abetted with arms, munitions and technical assistance from Soviet Russian Communism.
America and the United Nations as we know, did stop the challenge of North Korean Communism, but only at a terrible price.
I am sure that Members of the Senate of the United States will react with shock and distaste of anything done to build up the armed strength of communist north Korea and which would cause North Korea 's busy war factories to hum factor turning out war goods which might be used against American soldiers.
As all of us are well aware, there are, today, 60,000 American
boys in the uniform often United States, stationed in the friendly nation of South Korea, separated from the armed hordes of Communism only by an invisible boundary which exists between Free Korea and
Communist Korea.
It seems to me clear beyond rational dispute that anything which builds up the war potential of the north Korean military machine is a clear and present danger to the peace and security of the United States and an act which could ultimately lead to the deaths of more American soldiers, on the Korean battlefields of the future.
It comes as an unpleasant shock to me, then, to learn that building up the military potential of North Korea is exactly what one of America's allies in the Far East Japan is about to do -- in one of the most heartless and inhumane actions that I have ever heard about.
I believe that the facts of this matter will shock the Senate and the American people. Let me briefly set them forth for you:
Press announcements have carried the news that the Japanese Red Cross and the puppet North Korean Communist RED Cross have signed on agreement in Calcutta, which will deport 600,000 Korean citizens now resident in Japan to certain slavery in Communist North Korea.
There are numerous shocking aspects about this arrangement: First, more than 95% of the Koreans involved came, not from North Korea, but from free South Korea. Second, the Japanese Goverment, which has insisted upon this unilateral action, does not even recognize the government of Communist North Korea. Third, this arrangement is in clear contravention of a solemn agreement signed. between Japan and the legitimate government of Korea on December 31, 1957.
It is deeply repugnant to the deepest convictions of the American people that human beings should be sent, like cattle, to Communist slavery.
I should like to ask some questions about this arrangement: How can Americans be sure that the able-bodied men among this huge group of 600,000 persons will not be drafted into the North Korean armed forces? Will not the others be used as slave labor in the factories of North Korea to turn out war goods? Might not such war material be used against American soldiers some day?
I should like to remind Senators that 600,000 persons is a very large populations, indeed. It is about equal to the total population of my own State of New Hampshire.
The government of the Republic of Korea has repeatedly protested against this unilateral action insisted upon by Japan. It is ready now --and always has been to negotiate the return of these people to South Korea.
Sending these people to the northern part of Korea under communist domination and certain slavery must shock the conscience of the world.
It is, additionally, in my opinion, a serious matter, fraught with peril for the United States.
I am happy to learn that the Korea -Japan Conference, broken off by Japan, has now been resumed. Let us hope that this issue can be put back on the agenda and settled around the Conference table. Above all, let us hope that no Koreans now resident in Japan will be sent to live under communist rule.