dated December 8, 1950: Korean War Operations

Communist armies advancing southward from Pyongyang appeared to be trying to envelop United Nations forces in the Koksan area, 50 miles south-east of Pyongyang. There was also a new drive from the north-west. Chinese Communists were gathering in Central Korea for a possible mass drive southwards in the wake of the U.N. retreat.

Off the west coast, British naval units fought snow-storms and heavy seas to support the U.N. armed forces moving southward to new positions.

The Netherlands destroyer, `Evertsen', was operating with the British General MacArthur's Headquarters also reported that British Sea Fury planes, based on their carrier, `Thesco', had been in action destroying Communist rail equipment north of Pyongyang.

Is Viva Voce Fair?

From the Editorials: ``In the UPSC examinations for the IAS and Class I services, in 1949, 1956 candidates appeared; 513 of them secured 45 per cent of the total written marks of 1050, and qualified for the oral interview. In the Viva Voce, however, as many as 354, nearly 70% of those interviewed, were rejected as failing to score the qualifying minimum of 105 marks, as against the barely 10% rejected in 1941 on this score. A perfunctory `ten minutes' interview is notoriously insufficient to enable even shrewd judges of men to make a decisive assessment of candidates' personality and leadership qualities. A radical overhauling of the system is thus called for.''

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