The Key West citizen., 1953-10-29

WAok1llNG4ON W-1ue ATmy
las laid before the world a docu
mented indictment of Communis
atrocities in Korea listing ell:
Americans as probable victims.
| It tells how captured GIs wer,
dragged on death marches, roast
led alive, lined up and shot. Tn,
document, compiled by the Army.
war crimes division and released
last night, includes charts ant
graphs and photographs of bound
charred bodies.
A total of 29,s15 probable" afro
city victims of all nationalities
we're listed.
The statistics weren't new. They
closely corresponded to an official
estimate of 5000 released after
Col. James nj. Haniey of a wal
crimes investigation unit frs,
brought mass Red atrocities tC
public notice in November 1851.
But In the Army's new report
what survivors had to say was
grim reading. For instance:
"One of the boys had no head;
lit seemed to have been mashed or
beaten and was laying all over the
road =. The other CT had his
eyes gouged out, and nothing re.
mained where his eyes were except
holes"
The report indicated most of the
atrocities occurred in the first
year of the war when the North
Koreans invaded South Korea
There was smaller upsurge when
the Chinese entered the war and
hurled the Allies back from the
region of the Yalu River.
The Chinese were charged with
IT.3 per cent, the North Koreans
with almost all the rest.
The Army said, "lt is an inter.
esdng fact that the North Korean
Peoples Army slaughtered most ci.
villains during September 1850. OF
these, 1862 or s4.6 per cent were
slain in the last four days of the
month"
That included the "Taejon mas.
Isacre," where the Reds were said
to have killed the occupants of the
South Korean city In patches OF
hundreds at a time - among
them AZ Americans.
What was not spelled out In the
Army's report was the reason for
issuing the detailed account at this
seemed related to q report to the
United Nations three days ago by
DR.. Charles Mayo, U. N. dele
gate and famous American sur
Igeon. ssAnzzsa1
DR.. Mays report gave a scien-
tific account of how the Reds com.
PEELED confessions" from Ameri.
can war prisoners about germ war
fare-a propaganda point often en-
lployed by the Communists.
Spokesmen said the Army re-
port was prepared and released for
publication with the knowledge
and cooperation of other govern.
ment agencies, including the State
Department.
There were clues to the Army's
reason in statement by Secre-
tary Robert T. Stevens which ac-
companied the text.
He said releasing details of such
'cold-blooded torture and mur-
der is one of the best answers
that can be given to anyone who
questions the need for strong
military defenses."
And he said also:
1T exposes the enemy for what
he is. All Of the sickening detail
of horror and calculated brutality
spells out the fact that, we cannot
relax our defense efforts while
exist"
A fact sheet" based on the re.
port is being furnished all CON-
manders for use In troop discus
sion sessions.
The Army has had the affidav-
its, investigation findings and pie
lures in its possession since the
early days of the Korean War.
But policy makers had debated
whether the ghastly details - ex.
|pecially the pictures - whould be
released because of the impact on
relatives of men reported dead or
missing.
Officials know that pictures of
dead and wounded men often are
mistakenly identified by grief