Evening star., 1952-05-09
Van Fleet Ready
To Free Dodd
By Using Force
General Held HOSTAGE
By Reds Is Removed
As Comp Commander
BY The Associosed Press

Van Fleet said tonight he will
use force if necessary "at an early
date" to free Brig. Gen. Franci.
T. Dodd from Red war prisoner.
who seized him on Koje IslanC
two days ago.
At the same time, the United
States 9th Army chief an
Inounced that Gen. Dodd no longer
was the commander of the unruly
prison off the southeast tip q
Korea. Gen. Van Fleet also or.
dered an investigation of the in.
cident.
Whether Gen. Dodd might bs
returned to his command aftel
release was not made clear b,
Gen. Van Fleet. He said Gen
Dodd henceforth was. talking tt
the Reds as an individual, not a.
camp commander.
The camp was placed under the
command of Brig. Gen. Charlie.
F. Colson with full authority anc
command to handle the situa.
tion." Gen. Van Fleet added.
Will Never Give In.
Gen. Van Fleet declared he
never would give in to the Reds
unreasonable" demands for spe.
cial privileges in return for thu
release of Gen. Dodd.
One thing that may be stayine
the hand of prison authorities
now is that they do not know ir
what tent or building Gen. Dodc
is being held.
While Gen. Dodd has sent out
written messages and has talkec
by telephone. authorities have
been unable to trace the telephone
line. 1t runs from an undisclosec
spot. The Reds set up the phone
lines themselves.
Gen. Van Fleet said other com.
pounds on the sprawling island
were quiet. About 10000 Red
prisoners are being held there.
He emphasized that the 9th
Army had taken Sufficient action
to make available all means nee
essary" to free Gen. Dodd but die
not amplify his statement.
The United States 9Th Army
commander made his statement
after a flying trip to rebellion.
Koje. of the southern tip OF
Korea.
Gen. Van Fleet was under
orders from Gen. Matthew B
Ridgway, supreme Allied COM
mander. "to use whatever force
is necessary" to free Gen. Dodo
without delay.
Seized at Camp Gates.
The 52-year-old Dodd has beer
"a prisoner since Wednesday, wher
North Korean Pows seized him
at the gates of a compound.
Gen. Ridgway said the Com.
munists were demanding phones
permission to organize, writins
paper and some other things
before they would release Gen
Dodd.
The Army released only meage,
details of the new rebellion al
koje and kept newsmen from
going there. First announce.
ment of the kidnapping came earl,
today.
Gen. Van Fleet said eve hav,
not yet been able to determine
why the guards didn't rush in fol
"a rescue attempt. That question
will be answered by a military
board of inquiry"
An 9th Army spokesman sale
Gen. Dodd and 1t. Col. Wilbul
Robert Raven of Newton, Tex.
were seized while standing at thu
gate of a prison compound talk.
ing to leaders of the 5000 Com.
munist prisoners.
THE gate was a wide one," the
spokesman said. ''Dodd was stand.
ing in the center of the gate.
when the prisoners grabbed
him, it was an organized mob ano
he was swept inside.
But Raven was standing be.
side a post of the gate. Wher
the prisoners grabbed him, he
seized the post, held on, and By
fighting and kicking managed te
free himself. The post saved him
but Gen. Dodd had nothing tc
cling to-"
Reported Well Treated.
The Army said Gen. Dodd has
been treated well by the Reds
He communicated with guard
posts outside the barbed wire
stockade by Army field telephone
and couriered messages. He re-
Iceived American food while the
North Korean POWs ate Their
usual bowls of rice-both passed
through from outside.
Gen. Dodd relayed a Commu-
mist demand for 1000 sheets OF
writing paper and a "hospital
representative" The paper was
stacked outside the gate. But
Gen. Colson allowed neither paper
nor medic to pass through the
gates.
Gen. Ridgway issued the orders
on his final visit to Korea before