Keystone Cops

For the Red delegates, the Kaesong talks are apt to be hazardous business. At every conference session, the Communists arrive in nine jeeps. The Red jeep drivers tear up the two-lane dirt road in Kaesong like Keystone cops chasing bathing beauties. As each jeep reaches the meeting ground, the driver stomps on the brakes, the delegates jump out and do their best to dodge the other onrushing jeeps (so far, there have been no casualties). Once rid of his passengers, the driver backs up to a parking space, disdaining to look behind. Usually, several drivers head for the same space. (It is, apparently, a matter of special pride for each driver to be parked as near the conference house as possible). Result, recorded by a fascinated New York Times correspondent: one day, within ten minutes, all nine jeeps mingled in a melee of crumpling fenders and shrilling horns.

Two of the jeep jockeys suffer under a peculiar social stigma almost as bad as Trotskyism: they drive captured U.S. jeeps. When the drivers of the Russian jeeps boast that theirs are the best, the other two carefully but dolefully keep their mouths shut.

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