Evening star., 1952-05-13
Penfagon Concerned
Over koje Situat!ion;;
Full Reports Awaited
By John A. Giles

A clarifying report on the eX-
ploSive situation at the Koje
Island prison camp off Korea was
awaited at the Pentagon today.
Gen. Omar Bradley and the
Joint Chiefs of Staff were report
ed to have expressed serious con-
Germ in messages to Gen. Mark w.
Clark in Tokyo.
The Far East commander was
asked about the circumstances of
the capture and subsequent re-
lease of Brig. Gen. Francis T.
Dodd by the Communist prisoners
on the mountainous island off
South Korea.
A Defense Department official
said it was expected here that
Gen. Clark would take firm"
measures to bring order to the
unruly camp.
The Far East commander told
the Joint Chiefs of Staff in
telecom message last night that
he was launching an immediate
full-scale investigation of the
camp conditions and Brig. Gen.
Charles F. ColSon'S So-called
agreement" with the Communist
leaders. However, the report of
his findings was not expected to
reach the Pentagon before some
time tonight.
Meanwhile, the Defense Depart
ment declared the agreement
signed by Gen. Colson with the
Red prison leaders gave several
erroneous impressions.
Victims of Own Violence.
Gen. Colson was quoted as hav-
ing told the Reds there had been
instances of bloodshed where
many prisoners of war have been
killed or wounded by U. N. forces"
He went on to assure them of
humane treatment in the fu-
ture." He added he would hold
himself responsible for any vio-
lence and bloodshed.
Defense Department officials
noted the loss of life in two riots
at the camp was the direct re-
suit of violence by the captives
themselves. They also noted fire.
quent United Nations statements
that all the prisoners were being
treated in the letter and spirit
OF international agreements and
that the International Red Cross
had been given free and frequent
access to the Stockades.
Gen. ColSon also was quoted as
telling the Reds there would be
mo more forcible screening or any
rearming of prisoners of war"
after Gen. Dodd had been released
unharmed.
Screening Already Stopped.
The screening was the process
OF separting those who would re-
Sist any attempt to force their
return to Red territory after
truce. Since the U. N. command
had previously said that the
screening process had been dis
continued, Gen. Colson's state
ment was considered out of order.
AS to reference to rearming
prisoners, the Defense Department
and joint chiefs said fatty they
had heard Of no such plan. The
Far East command was asked for
a full report.
The Dodd capture and subse-
quent negotiations confirmed the
suspicion on the part of some
highly placed Pentagon officials
that the Communists had delib-
erately allowed capture of we'll
trained leaders for the. camps.
Newspaper correspondents on the
scene reported the Red prisoners
were running things to suit them
selves.
There also was no doubt at the
Pentagon that the Red captives
had staged the capture at a mo-
ment to cause as much embarrass-
ment as possible to the U. N. truce
negotiatorS. The Reds there i'm
mediately took the Koje situation
as new talking point. There was
suspicion here that it had been
timed from the outside.