Evening star., 1949-12-12
I ECA Officials Freed
By Korean Reds After
81 Days Confinement
BY the Associated Prsss

Of DdH tUnIIIltIIItllI !
BY the Associated Pres,
SEOUL, Dec. 12.-Two emaciated
American oficials were back from
North Korea today after 81 days
confinement by Communists.
They were returned yesterday
The Soviet-backed regime indi-
Gated 1t had given up on It's appar-
ent attempt to get some form of
United States recognition in ex-
change for the Economic Cooper
alton Administration aides. who
were delivered to them by q mu.
tinous ships crew.
Albert E. Willis, 40, of Brooklyn,
N. Y. and Alfred T. Meschter, %,
of Kinderhook. N. Y, shocked Mr..
Willis wife with their appearance.
Lost so Pounds.
Mrs. Beatrice Willis estimated
her husband lost almost 4 pound
a day and said 1t would take a
lot Of home cooking to undo the
damage.
MY heart sank when saw
him." she said today. HE looked
like a human skeleton. Why his
clothes almost fell off Of him. He
weighed 100 pounds when he left
Pusan. He must have lost so
pounds"
Mr.. Meschter said the two men
were reasonably fit-especially
compared with the week before
when the Communists started
feeding them we'll in preparation
for their return. They were not
physically mistreated, he said.
The surrounding mountains
bristled with earthen emplace-
ments Of rival guards, Mr.. Mesch-
ter said. but not shot was heard
during the border negotiations for
the pairs release. He did hear
faint shouts from one North Ko-
rean calling on members of the
rescue mission to foresake the
South Korean Republic and join
the northern regime.
Transferred at Border.
The greeting party remained
with a gasoline car, a half mile
south Of the negotiations con-
Quoted by Embassy First Secre-
tary Harold j. Noble and Col.
James w. Fraser. the Seoul en-
bassy's military attache. He wore
civilian clothes for the occasion.
Mr.. Noble said the North
Koreans first insisted he sign a
receipt for the prisoners in the
name Of Kim Jong Gi, who says
he is home minister" of South
Korea, but finally withdrew the
wording.
The transfer occurred at Yoh-
yon. on the 3sth parallel. divid-
ing line between North and South
Korea.
Mr.. Meschter and Mr.. Willis,
members of the ECA Marine Bu-
reau, sailed as crew advisers on
the South Korean operated Amer
clan freighter Kimball r. Smith
from Pusan September 20. They
were found for Kunsan with salt.
The following day, Mr.. Willis
said, he was seized and bound
while inspecting shaft bearings.
Il am sorry, but now we 80
north" Mr.. Willis quoted the
Korean chief engineer as saying.
Mr.. Willis said he was then taken
to the captain. who repeated the
"go north" formula. Then the
crew of So Koreans held a con-
ference at which the entire ships
crew was persuaded to join a mu-
tiny, apparently started by seven
or eight men.
The United States Army-owned
ship was welcomed the following
day at Chinampo, North Korea.
by a brass band and a cheering
crowd.
The Americans were turned over
to the North Korean government
and confined for the most part in
a hotel under armed guard.
Wife Of Released Man
Working in Washington
Mrs. Alfred T. Meschter felt
Every fine" today about the re-
lease of her husband.
Mrs. Meschter came to Wash
ington and took a temporary job
early in November so that she
could work more effectively for
her husbands release. She said
at the time she wanted Congress
to know that this terrible thing
is going on"
She said she gives credit to the
State Department for her hus-
bands release after being held
captive in North Korea for 81
days.
She said she has mo plans
whatsoever" for the future and
does not know whether she will
go to the West Coast to meet her
husband. The Meschters have q
s-months-old son, Robert Tuck.
whom his father never has seen.
Hoffman 10 Receive Medal
From Poor Richard Club