Evening star., 1953-12-17
Communists Coerce
3American P0Ws,
Escaped ROK Says
BY the Assoeiuted Press

from a pro-Communist prisoner
compound said today diehard
Red leaders are guarding three
and perhaps four Americans and
20 South Korean POWs who may
want to go home.
The young soldier said COM
pound leaders deliberately stalled
allied explanations to prisoners
who refused repatriation because
they feared "defections."
He named four Americans who
might come home if given an
opportunity. but the names were
withheld by military authorities
to prevent possible reprisals.
Far East Command censors
later permitted Identification of
one. Corpl. William A. Cowart
of Monticello, Ark, on ground
of prior publication in the United
States.
There was no indication that
the other names would be re-
leased.
Crawled Through Wire.
The South Korean crawled
through barbed wire surround
ing the compound holding the
prisoners listed as -Commu-
mist and asked an Indian guard
for repatriation. He was re-
turned to the U. N. command the
same day.
There was some official Skep-
ticism over the report of Pfc.
Kim Nun Du, 22-year-old ROK
soldier captured by the Reds in
the summer of 1851.
The Indian command which
guards unrepatriated prisoners
in Korea's neutral zone has said
all of the Americans and one
British prisoner appear to have
firm political convictions.
The U. N. command has said
repeatedly it will interview any
of the prisoners who will leave
the compound. But there are
only six days left before the De-
cember "a deadline for talking
with prisoners who refused to
return home.
Allied officers have said there
appears to be little hope that
interviews with remaining South
Koreans and the Americans and
Briton will be held before the
deadline.
Commission Tries Again.
The five-nation Neutral Ma
tions Repatriation Commission,
OF which India is chairman,
meets tomorrow to see if the
stalled interviews can be started
again.
The Indian command has con-
sistently honored the decisions
OF prisoners in regard to attend
ing interviews. If captives in the
pro-Communist north camp COL
lectlvely refuse to attend, the
decision will be up to each in
dividual. an allied officer said.
He will have to crawl through
the wire and surrender to an
Indian guard or stay with the
Communists. a.
Indian officers had stressed
that it would be easy for pris-
oner to crawl through wire sur
fNIIn6inn tho
Technically the explanations
are stalled because unrepatriated
South Koreans demand the right
to talk back freely to allied ex-
planners. The Americans say
they will not attend interviews
until the repatriation commits
sion settled the dispute.
Allied officers had talked to
ESQ South Koreans before the in
terviews were broken off. All
chose to remain with the Com
munists.
Describes Head Man.
The South Korean prisoner
interviewed today said the order
to stall the explanations before
the remaining n Koreans were
sailed was made by a 22-year-old
Korean who runs the compound.
Kim said United States Sergt.
Richard G. Gordon of East Provi-
dence, r. l., and British Marine
Andrew Condron are leaders of
the non-Koreans.
The leaders maintain contact
with Communist headquarters at
Kaesong through the camp hos
pital. he said.
Knives and spears have been
hammered from scraps of iron,
and the hardcore leaders use
these weapons to keep the pris-
oners in line, Kim said.
He said the POWs were di-
vided into eight groups, The
first six were made up of thor
oughly indoctrinated Commu-
nists and already have appeared
for interviews, Kim said. The
last two groups were considered
weak" The Americans were in
the eighth group. he said.
Kim emphasized that none of
the Americans told him fatty
that they want to return home.
But he said three indicated"
that they wanted to hear expla-
nations and he felt they might
ask for repatriation. He said the
fourth American refused to sign
the petition stalling the expla-
nations and might also return.
Has Changed Mind.
The Indian Command said the
pow who refused to sign has
changed his mind and now
stands firmly against explana-
tions.
The u. N. Command has called
a meeting of the military armis-
tice commission tomorrow to dis
cusS prisoner of war matters" T"
There was no word of what spe-
eifically will be discussed.
s Mrs. Portia Howe, the Alden
Mimi, mother of one of the %
Americans, said today she would
leave Tokyo for home the night
of December %. just 5l2 nours
i.ofora floa doo dina for hnr SON