Evening star., 1945-08-29

! Wash, now listed as killed in action.
His widow lives in Seattle
Immediately after the Pearl Har-
/ Dor attack. the Houston escorted a
group of United States ships south
ward across the Sulu Sea, reaching
Balikpapan, Borneo, in mid-Decem-
ber. Later she moved to Soeraba ia,
Java.
| A former traveller and author with
residences in New York and San
Francisco, Col Smith left India by
plane a week ago
Col. Smiths disclosure about the
Houston survivors came incidentally
during a dramatic account of the
development of an underground re-
sistance and espionage organization
in Thailand that dominated the
Thai armed forces and government,
nominally under japanese control.
Accompanied by ID. c. Man.
He told how he and Lloyd George,
a civilian OSS agent whose home
here is at 3l10 Dumbarton avenue
NV, few into Thailand last month
btiloCl Wiz fClf HOSN0 VI Vic ia
nese and lived comfortably around
Bangkok until flying out again on
August 6-When they had no idea
of the forthcoming sudden japanese
capitulation.
Col. Smith said they landed in an
American CAT plane at a secret
field maintained by the Thai under
ground under American direction.
Transferring to a small Thai plane
marked with white elephant, they
few on to regular large airport,
which had Thai installations at one
end and Japanese at another.
They TAXED close by group of
japanese airport workers, with
whom their Thai pilot talked as
Col. Smith and Mr.. George huddled
down in the rear of the plane Then,
Col. Smith said, they were taken in
a waiting car into Bangkok.
First News to Wife.
Col. Smiths talk with reporters
provided the first news Mrs. George
has had of exactly what her hus-
band is doing with OSS, she said at
her home here today. Mr.. George
formerly was director of informa-
ton and publications for the old
National Resources Planning Board.
A small group of Thai patriots,
who had been attending universities
in this country, started training for
underground activities in their ma
tive land under OSS direction in De-
cember, 1912, Col Smith said.
The first group went into Thai
land last summer, walking for 81
days through South China and
Burma. Four men, who walked in
as peddlers, with radio sets hidden
in packs on their mules. made the
first contact with the outside world.
he said
$4,000 in Underground.
Other trained agents, including
more than a score of American
agents, parachuted into Thailand
later until, Col Smith said, the
organized underground numbered
more than $4,000, with many more
thousands connected with it one
way or another.
This organization set up radio
stations to relay to the Allies
important intelligence obtained
through Thai students returning
from Japan, set up weather stations
for benefit of the Allied air forces,
and directed rescue of many men
from japanese prisoner of war
camps.
AS an example of the effective
ness of the underground organiZa-
ton Col. Smith said that last No
vember Maj Gen. Claire L. Chen
nault, former head of American
air forces in China, mentioned
the name of one of his flyers who
had been shot down on the Burma
Thai frontier in 1912, and wondered
if he could be found.
Col. Smith passed along the word
The flyer was found in prisoner
of war camp in Thailand. his es-
cape arranged, and he was brought
out to see Gen. Chennault last May
Col Smith said the rescued pilot,
William McGarry, now is at his
home in Southern California.
Col Smith is living here tenn
porarily with relatives at 1905 Res
ervoir road.