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COIMM~UNISTS CROSS
*IHE 38th PARALLEL
Chinese Attack On Hill
Nine Miles To South
'TOKYO, Dec. 15: For the first time since the
Communist Chinese intervention in the Korean
war, Communist troops today crossed the 38th
Phrallel-the border between North and South
Korea, the South Korean Army announced
tonight.
Chinese troops at
tempted to storm an
American hilltop posi
tion near Chunchon,
nine miles south of the
parallel, a communique
reported today.
The South Korean Army said
that the Communists had oc
cupied Haeju, about eight miles
north of the Parallel on the
west coast and had then
crossed the line to. Kaesong,
about 50 miles to the 'south
east and five miles south of the
parallel.
Korean Troops
The South Koreans did not
state the strength of the Com
munist push. Neither did they
state . whether the Communists
were Chinese or North Koreans.
Reliable military sources here
said however, that the Commun
ist force was believed to be com
posed of several hundred North
Korean irregulars. The main
body of the Chinese army was
still believed to be at least 20
miles farther to the north. Kae
song is 40 miles north of Seoul,
the South Korean capital.
The South Korean announce
ment said that the Communists
had occupied Haeju without resist
ance, and imphed that United
Nations forces had withdr wn
from the town. U.S. Eighth
Army oflicial sources would
neither confirm nor deny that
United Nations troops had aban
doned Haeju. The Eighth Army
conged tonight to impose its
rn purity blackout on the
Communists' movements,
stna that it did not want to
disclose the extent of its know
ledge to the Chinese. It was be
lieved, however, that there was a
great deal of doubt about the
exact location of the Chinese.
The front lines remained quiet
today with no contact reported
with Communist troops except a
few: guerilla skirmishes.
Reinforcements
:[n a communique today, Gene
ral MacArthur said: "The bot
tomless well of Chinese Commun
ist manpower in Manchuria con
tinues to overflow into Korea. In
the Majon-Koksan-Ichon axis
there is growing evidence that a
Communist mass is moving for
ward and to the east. Air observ
ers have noted a minimum of 350
pack animals and 1,000 enemy
tirops in this area."
Detailed activities of the United
Nations forces split between the
north-east defence perimeter ail
,the north-west covering Seoul re
n-ained virtually blacked out by
security requirements today.
The U.S. Fifth Air Force head
. quarters announced that four
American jet Shooting Stars at
tacked 24 Russian-made MIG I
jet fighter planes near Sinuiju in
the north-west yesterday. Major
Gen. E. Partridge said that it was
the biggest aerial battle of the
war. "None of the American
plianes was damaged. Pilots
said that one Communist plane
was hit.
In North-East
.A force of 2,500 Chinese troops.
attacked the Hungnam perimeter
to-day in .the first major attack
there. Yesterday probing Chinese
patrols on the left flank of the
defence perimeter caused ele
ments of the American Third
Division to pull, back, the Tenth
Corps announced.
General MacArthur's latest com
munique said: "United Nations
forces on the U.S. Tenth, Corps
front continued the defence of
Hamhung-Hangnam area. An
er emy attack by a relatively small
?ce was launched against the
ited Nations north of Ham
-u'but was repulsed." It an
ni that pilots had spotted
-a .truck Communist convoy
no of the Chosin reservoir, and
1,500 troops moving south along.
the east coast road south of Won
as
n the last two days the swell
n force of Chinese troops has
perilled the shrinking Allied
ead in. the north-east.
F ont-line messages said that the
Wlies had abandoned the town
o Oro and pulled back towards
.amhting.
'Rhee's Demand
SEOUL, Dec. 15: President
Syngman Rhee.demanded yester
day that the "horrir and indigna
Stion- of the,~ peaeftl and still in
dependent wrbdd tie focussed on
the mediaeval, obscene aggression
of the drug-sodden Chinese Red
troops against our gninsula."
Addressing a mass meeting, he
added: "The United Nations
forces will win victory in Korea
despite the temporary reverses.
The Korean people are behind
the United Nations and its
charter of liberation for all
people. We will defend it. We
glory in fighting for it."
The Chinese intervention in
Korea was long planned and cal
culated and had been "carefully
designed in Moscow," the Presid
ent said. "In my opinion the
place for the free nations to stop
the Red tide is here," he added.
"Troops of the United Nations,
including those of the Republic
of Korea, are prepared to meet
the menace whatever it costs. I
call upon all nations--the nations
who believe in the Charter of the
United Nations-to close their
ranks behind us to stop this
vicious Chinese aggression."
A.A.P.-Reuters and A.P.
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