Evening star., 1952-03-08
Accuse
Reds Of Hiding
P0Ws in China
Enemy Backs Down
On PROPOSED to Bon
Blockade in. Truce
by the Associated Press


MUNSAN. Korea. Mar. "a
U. N. truce negotiator today
bluntly accused the Communists
of secretly imprisoning captured
Allied soldierS-including Ameri-
cans-in Red China.
North Korean Maj. Gen. Lee
Sang Cho called the charge a
fabrication" and a further at
tempt to delay the armistice ne
gotiations.
Rear Admiral r. E. Libby, the
u. N. negotiator. also accused the
Reds Of threatening" the U. N.
command in statement lambast-
ing its, treatment Of war prisoners.
Back Down on Blockade.
simultaneously, another group
of Communist negotiators backed
down on an attempt to write into
an armistice a ban on a possible
naval blockade Of the China
coast.
1--WE have convincing evidence
that you are holding prisoners in
detention camps outside of Korea
without reporting them to our
SIDE" Admiral Libby said. "This
evidence has reached us from too
many sources to be ignored or
lightly dismissed "
The Communists always have
insisted that all war prisoners are
held in North Korea. Proof that
United Nations prisoners are in
Manchuria would weaken Red
China's claim that 1t is not a bel
ligerent in Korea.
Admiral Libby said a number
of captured Communist soldiers
have told of escorting U. N. pris-
oners to camps in China.
Center i'm Harbin Described.
: zone such individual described
in detail a prisoner of war proc
essing center in Harbin (deep in
Central Manchuria) to which he
had helped escort captured United
Nations personnel" Libby said.
An official U. N. spokesman said
later the informant was a Chi
nese lieutenant who told of see
ing more than 1000 Allied pris-
oners-Americans, South Koreans
and others-at the Harbin proc
essing camp.
Brig. Gen. william p. Nuckols,
the spokesman, said the U. N.
command had no way of knowing
whether these prisoners were
among those whose names did not
appear on the official Communist
prisoner roster turned over to the
United Nations command last De-
cember.
Several times previously the
u. N. has accused the Communists
Of holding Allied prisoners OUT
side Korea. This was the first
time, however, that Admiral Libby
has confronted them with details
and the specified location Of at
least one prison camp.
Attacks Formosa Instructors.
Gen. Lee came back with a
TRADE against what he called
infamous instructors" from For
mosa in U. N. prison camps.
He charged that the instructors
are "again fomenting hunger
strikes and desperate petitions
among prisoners held by the
United Nations.
Lee declared the Chinese Ma
tionalists "are tattooing our cap
tured personnel. After the anti
Communist slogan is tattooed on
their bodies. it would be easier
to intimidate them"
Let me tell you frankly" he
continued. "that If such lawless
activities are not stopped i'm
|mediately. their development will
|go beyond the scope Of the Korean
question"
It was this statement Admiral
Libby branded as. a threat to the
u. N. Command. There was no
immediate explanation Of Lees
remarks.
Act rs Interpreters.
Admiral Libby did not answer
Lees blast on Instructors" from
FormoSa. Unoficial sources here
said there are about 100 Nation
|alist Chinese in U. N. prison
camps. Allied officers said they
believed their principal job was
Ito act as Chinese interpreters
and translators.
Admiral Libby laid down three
conditions ION which we are
willing to negotiate on the re-
naming issues Of prisoner ex-
change" They added up to volun-
ltary repatriation. In effect he
insisted that all military and
civilian prisoners be given the
(TRTTfT poCn A9N