Evening star., 1952-05-12

SEOOL, May 1Z.-1ne Army or
Saturday massed at least 20 me-
dium tanks, and the threat O
using them had its effect in free.
ing Brig. Gen. Francis T. Dodd
at $50 pm. Saturday night.
I visited Koje Island for eight
hours Saturday morning and ther
This account by on International New
Service correspondent who reoched Koj,
Island on q fishing boot Soturdoy wa.
pooled by the Army for oil Americor
news services. He wos the only cor.
respondent to reach the prison isIons
while Brig. Gen. Froneis 7. Dodd still wa.
eoptive Of the Communist prisoners.
was firmly but politely booted out.
Evidently I arrived on the morn
ing of "D-Day"-Dodd Day. was
kept under close guard during
my stay.
The Army said Gen. Dodd was
unharmed.
Early Saturday, tanks arrived
by ship at Koje Island. I counted
20 Pattons and Shermans Satur-
day morning, filing in a heavy
rain down the muddy road en-
route to Compound 76. where over
5000 North Korean prisoners of
war kept Gen. Dodd in custody.
Though the Army kept guard
over me, I was able to talk to
men and officers. They said Gen.
Dodd was well treated. An infan-
try officer who was on duty in
front Of the Compound 76 en-
closure for the three days Of the
generals captivity said he watched
the Communists Friday transfer
him from one tent to another.
He said he could see Gen. Dodd
plainly. The generals clothes
were freshly washed, he said.
Dodd was about 100 yards away
and surrounded by a great mass
of Communists. None of the Reds
laid a hand on Dodd.
Unafraid of Guards.
The officer said: I'VE intend
to give them one more chance to
surrender the general today (Sat-
urday). If they don't. we are
moving in"
The lieutenant said that on
Saturday, for the first time since
the general was taken hostage,
his captors seemed frightened by
the gravity of their action.
'They knew we were moving
in. They were scared, he said.
There wasn't any more singing
or shouting or fooling around, as
there had been the previous days,
when they thought they had the
upper hand" This officer said
that the Communist POWs on
Koje were bold and sassy and
unafraid Of the American guard.
That's what's bad about the
place." said. the officer. 1.-The
guards must treat the prisoners
with a gloved hand"
On Koje there are many versions
Of how Dodd was standing outside
the enclosure with 1t. Col. Wilbur
r. Raven of Newton, Tex, when
a Communist understanding de-
tail came by. The prisoners swept
Gen. Dodd along, and one of them
repeatedly struck him over the
head. Col Raven fought free, but
Gen. Dodd was carried inside the
compound.
Soldiers Praise Dodd.
Officers said that when the full i
story of Dod's capture was re-
leased, 1t would reflect creditably
on the general. tt
Many soldiers said they thought
Dodd was a fine general.
Hes done a lot here in a short
time" said a military policeman.
An infantryman said: II am
sure that when the full story
comes out, it will show the general
in favorable light"
Few soldiers on Koje knew what
1t was the Communists were de-
manding. One officer said that
the Communists keep making de-
sort of like at Panmun-
JONI" Another soldier said he
the Communists were
concerned chiefly with Allied in
terrogation of POWs. They
wanted it stopped.
The Army was greatly upset by
my arrival on Koje Island on ID
day." The Army took away my
correspondents accreditation card
temporarily. but returned it.
I Travelled to Chinhae on the
south coast of Korea, via author
lied United States Air Force
courier. At Chinhae I tried to find
military transport to Koje. but
none was available. A fisherman