Evening star., 1953-09-24
Col. SchwobIe Tells How Reds
Got Germ Warfare Confession
Special Dispoteh 10 The Star

| DAN FRANC1SCO, sept. "a
Marine Col. Frank H. Schwable,
As, of Alexandria, told interview
ers on his return home from Red
captivity in Korea yesterday that
the Communists used mental
torture over long drawn-out
period of time" to force him to
confess" to germ warfare
charges.
The colonel served in Korea
as 1st Marine Air Wing chief of
staff. He arrived in San Fran
cisco with a fellow flier. Marine
Maj. Roy Bley, 80, of Santa Ana,
Calf. The two were shot down
July 8, 1852. 80 miles from the
east coast of Korea. Both showed
signs Of their long imprisonment.
5 Other Area Men.
Five other Washington area
Servicemen also arrived with
Col. Schwable aboard the Gen.
r. l.. Howe, the last POW ship
to reach home shores. They are:
Army 1t. Carroll Wright, jr.,
"a, OF Alto Columbia pike,
Arlington.
Marine Maj. Byron H. BeSwick,
son of John H. BesWick of 2141
l street NV.
Army 1t. Robert S. Wood. 26,
son of Col. and Mrs. Walter S.
Wood, 2311 Connecticut avenue
NV. and husband of Mrs. Betsy
M. Wood of 3040 Idaho terrace
NV
1t. John P. Streit, 4721 Fall
stone avenue, Chevy Chase, Md,
son of Mai. Gen. Paul STREET.,
U. S. A. retired. former COM
mandant of the Army Medical
Center here.
M/Sergt. Joseph E. Key, son
of Mrs. Ethel Key, 4814 Deane
avenue NE.
M/Sergt. Stanley S. Tripp. son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Albert F. Tripp
of Manassas. Va.
Mother Greets Schwable.
Col. Schwable. husband of Mrs.
Beverley Schwable of 1920 Scott
drive, Arlington. was greeted by
his mother and sister as he
stepped off the troop transport.
On hand to meet him and
Maj. Bley was Col. A. T.
Masono, chief of staff of
the Marine Corps Department
of the Pacific. NewSmen were
told, Sorry. no interviews" that
the returned officers would go on
Immediately to Washington. The
officers were taken by automobile
from the pier to the Marine Me-
mortal Club.
Mrs. Margaret S. Towner of
San Diego, Calf, Col. Schwable's
sister. said: 1--WE are both very
happy and excited" She said the
colonel's mother, Mrs Maude C.
Schwable, also of San Diego,
had not seen her son in year
and a half.
Col. Schwable said he made his
confession" because II was posi-
lively convinced / would never
leave unless I did confess. was
declared war criminal in a for
NAL tribunal on the day we left
camp near the Yalu, September
3,
cat no time did I or any of us
have any nallucinations that
what we were saying was true"
He said Col. Andrew j. Evans.
| jr., of Montgomery, Ala. former
deputy commander of the 58th
Fighter Bomber Wing, and Col.
Walker Mahurin of Fort Wayne,
Ind, famed World War II ace,
who also were forced to con
fess," had the same feeling that
I'VE would be there forever if
we had not confessed"
SdutlUuS
Col. Schwable said he
couldn't help but feel' that
fellow Americans might have
held the confession" against
him. And he said he wanted to
limit his answers to reporters
questions as much as possible
because 1 have to think of
security measures.
II feel some of our boys are
still on the other side." he said.
Il don't want to jeopardize their
chances of release"
The f1ier said his Red captors
did not Immediately start in
terrogations on germ warfare
but put both him and Maj. Bley
through a preliminary Softening-
up period before reaching "the
pay-of subject" He said he and
Maj. Bley were always in soll-
tary confinement"
Col. Schwable said that the
Reds play on every sense you
have. You wallow in the mud
You don't shave for months.
Your hair is matted. You wall
low in filth.
You are utterly exhausted
| HAMILTON WATCHES