European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                              By William i Ryan a staff writer after a steady run of 15 years Panmunjom rates today As a tightening  a Little tin roofed one Story building painted Blue it could passer a one room country schoolhouse a few Down uniformed men gather for what has become a fixed ritual of  at a moment when tensions Are stretched to the snapping Point the onlooker watching through the gassed Walls of the Little building Sud Dently sees the cold War in microcosm and  with a Start How fragile is the Wall Between peace and shooting w3tthe tension in Korea is at its highest Deak since the end of the War 15 years Aeo the North korean communists have been making killer raids on the South one of these with the Mission to assassinate president Chung Hee Park the North koreans have slapped Uncle Sam in the face by seizing and holding the . Intelligence ship Pueblo and its Crew of 83. In South Korea there Are cries de manding an Eye for an Eye of threat of retaliation appeals for More and More arms from the United states. In North Korea the communists pre dict unification by Force an uprising of the people in the South against their government. The great danger in this is that communist leaders m a y believe their own propaganda even though the most casual observer in the South notes that it is probably t h world s most anti communist nation. This is the charged atmosphere i which the military armistice commis Sion set up after the end of the korean War has been meeting lately in this desolate dust Laden Plain dominated by brooding scrub covered Hills. One frightening aspect of the cold War drama so frequently played out at Panmunjom is that the meetings seem to provoke nothing but  meetings do not represent any Exchange of views. They do not produce debate or even dialogue. The two sides Are not talking to one another but at one another while the world looks on. After 2ti2 such meetings and after 15 years the communication seems less \ than Ever. Attitudes have become Frozen. I perhaps at subsequent private meetings the americans and North koreans might get Down to business but it seems Clear that the communist Side will surrender neither the Pueblo nor her Crew until it is ready and that Means until it has wrung the last ounce of advantage from the situation. On one Side of the room Are about 20 North koreans m Khaki coloured uni forms with Golden shoulder boards and a half do in bored Young looking hed chinese political officers. On the other Side is an equal number of United nations allies in the uniforms of the a part in the Korfanto options which War. The spokesman Liis time is hear a tall grading for the . Side at adm. John v. Smith Stern looking officer whose Rich baritone fills the room As he recounts his Side s complaints. The spokesman is a Tough sol h is sin Assn n the cold War theater called inside a Little tin roofed building a few uniformed men gather for what has become a fixed ritual. Dier Gen. Pak Chung Kook who Man Ages to give the impression of constant thin lipped rage. Epithets like bandits killers murderers fall easily from the Tongue on both sides. They refer to one another As your  or you communists or you  adm. Smith s face reflects controlled anger. Gen Pak seems to radiate More than Auger it is rage and hatred As his words drip with pure bile. Adm. Smith makes his opening state ment. There is a press of correspondents and cameramen seeking to record the proceedings. Gen. Pak makes his open ing statement and it is As if he had heard not a word of what his antagonist said. There is a reply and what passe for a counter reply and on and on for hours. There Are no smiles on either Side. Adm. Smith puffs on a Cigar and the smoke wafts across the table under the nose of Gen. Pak who sniffs and lights up another cigarette to puff his own smoke toward adm. Smith. Gen. Pak talks of the coming destruction of the United states of All enemies of the  the meeting at last is Over. It has accomplished nothing. It was just t h e 262nd go around the 262nd Public Exchange of epithets the 262nd Public transmission of Mutual contempt. / saturday March 23, 1968 in 1963 meeting communist  with pistol Diew  . Protest. The stars and stripes Page it