"Stop the Music"

In Korea, the Communists in recent weeks have been doing much of their fighting with loudspeakers. Red messages blare across no man's land promising hot food, good treatment and warm shelter to Eighth Army troops who go over to the Red side. Sometimes the Reds promise liquor, women, steaks and even automobiles (make unspecified). But the enemy's loudspeaker campaign has been, to put it mildly, ineffective. He has broadcast Swedish music and talks in German to Dutch troops, the haunting strains of Carry Me Back to Old Virginny to unmoved South Koreans, and he has offered hot pork chops to Turkish Moslems.

The Reds mount their loudspeakers on trucks and bring them up within a mile or less of the battle line. When they broadcast music in an attempt to make American troops homesick, the U.S. artillerymen play a game called "Stop the Music"--sending over 105-mm. howitzer shells. In most cases, the G.I. gunners claim, they can stop the music with one round.

In December the Reds boasted over their loudspeakers that they would be in Seoul by Christmas--but made no effort to get there. For New Year's Eve, they invited the Eighth Army boys to come on over and enjoy a big celebration. Next day they outdid themselves by threatening a "general offensive" for Sunday, Jan. 4. When Sunday rolled around, there was no attack, major or minor. Most sectors were, in fact, unusually quiet.

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