The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-09

Hay Jock" Whitney, husbs Harry Hopkins, had been critical of President Roosevelt while in a German prison camp.
 The Nazi radio, as described in the column, told how Jock Whit ney first refused to talk, later was placed with German posing as a British officer, at which time he loosened up and, according to the Nazis, was critical of the President. The Nazis used this to try to show how politics per- meated the U. s. Army.
 Colonel Whitney later managed to escape from the German prison camp, when the box car in which he was riding was bombed and wrecked. He has since written this columnist letter denying that he ever criticized the Presi- dent, and has also set forth the interesting circumstances sur rounding his capture.
 In fairness to Colonel Whitney, whom this columnist holds in the highest esteem, the pertinent DOT tions of his very interesting let ter are published below, together with a transcript of the Nazi broadcast.
 WHITNEY KEPT NAME SECRET Colonel Whitney writes:
 T have your reference of March 4th to the effectt hat I fed anti Roosevelt propaganda to the Nazi machine while I was their prison CT. You got the wrong dope from somewherce and I'll tell you why.
 T. Since my one chance of escape depended on the enemy's not knowing that I was of any value to them, I remained an- onymous even to my fellow pris-
 oners. I was very careful not
 to talk familiarly about any name in order to avoid the slightest association with inn portance.
 "2. Even if I had shot my mouth off to them, my con- versation, could not have been recorded since we were never in a prepared camp, but always on the move, and mostly al- ways under fire.
 3. The only British-uni- formed soldier I saw was we'll known to me.
 A. I escaped without the the Germans having clue as to my identity.
 ''5. If I had talked about the President, which I didn't, it would have been only in terms of the highest admiration for himself and his leadership" NAZI BROADCAST
 The NaZi broadcast, illustrating the extent to which the enemy went to try to confuse American troops, follows
 Broadcast by D. N. B. in Ger man language, by wireless, to Europe on November 3, 1944, at 6:30 a. m.. EWT, quoting I. I. B. International Information Bureau) under Berlin dateline.
 ''Berlin.-Statements by Col. John Hay Whitney, American banker, after he was taken pris- oner throw an interesting light on the American conduct of the war in France. I. I. B. has re- ccived the following extract from report on the questioning of this American, Whitney, a pris- Oner-Of-war, which took place on August 13.
 situation in Northern France The Colonel was throughout the questioning was very reticent, became later very talkative and jolly in the company of other captured officers. He played pok- CT with them and talked, among other things, about military and political questions. The discus sion then turned to the situation in northern France. This was the most remarkable of his ut teranceS:
 "'On August 20, the U. s. First Army, concentrated at Vernon as focal point was supposed to ford a crossing over the Siene. Tn view of the disorderly condition in the German rear, it was expected that quick thrust would be possible, and at least nine German divi- sions would be cut off Accord ing to American calculations, re-