(2 of 2)
The correspondents argued that much more than mere journalistic vanity was at stake. The Reds were winning an important propaganda victory. The U.N. negotiators were coming back from the truce meetings so tired that they were not giving their information officers full, detailed stories of what had occurred. Instead of telling the free world what was happening, U.N. correspondents in Korea were being told by their Tokyo offices what was going on; Tokyo was getting it from Communist broadcasts. When one correspondent told that to General Allen, he replied: "But the Communist press isn't free. All it puts out are lies."
Finally the Army agreed to take five photographers to Kaesong, but ordered them to rip off their press shoulder patches so that they could pass as "photographers accredited to the U.S. Army." While a technically accurate description, correspondents thought this a clumsy subterfuge. At last General Allen made the announcement that 20 newsmen would be taken to the next meeting at Kaesong.
Payoff. When the Reds refused to let them in, thus breaking off the peace talks, many a newsman had second thoughts. Some of those who had complained loudest at being excluded from Kaesong wanted no part of the responsibility for halting negotiations. They were ready to drop all attempts to go to Kaesong even though General Ridgway stood firm, even broadened his demands on the Reds. But at week's end, when the Reds gave in to General Ridgway, it was plain that the correspondents' stubborn stand had led to an important victory for U.N.