The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-15
CHINESE PRISONERS
CONTINUED from Page One)

along the road leading to the cen.
ter from compounds where the
rest of the 22,3O0 snti-Red POWs
screamed and shouted.
Waving Chinese Nationalist
flags, the first 200 prisoner.
emerged from their stockades and
climbed aboard trucks to the inter
view area after q crack Indian
battalion surrounded their barbet
wire enclosure.
Indian 1t. Gen. X. s. Thimayya,
head Of the repatriation commits.
sion, ordered the troops to dras
the P0Ws to the interviews II nee.
essary after they had refused Il
leave their compounds for nearly
seven hours.
Defy Ultimssvm
The prisoners could be heard
shouting from two miles away as
they defied Thimayya's ultimatum
to leave their compounds by noon.
The deadline was extended to 1880
|p. m. and Thimayya assured IS
representatives OF the POWs that
they could return to their com.
pounds after the explanations.
At 1870 p. m, Thimayya told
newsmen the P0Ws had promised
to come out Friday morning.
Then we pushed in 4 battalion, /"
the Indian general said.
At $3.50 pm. he told newsmen:
They are coming out. 1t was
quit }, a job but |hsy are coming
BY terms Of the armistice, both
the Allies and ReCs may inter.
view their former troops refusing
repatriation. The u. N. Command
has not announced when 1t will
start explanations TO the 23 Amer
leans, / Briton and 335 South Ko-
reans held by the Indians.
Although anticipating trouble,
the Communists planned to inter
view 1000 prisoners q day. That
would give them time to talk to
many of the $500 more than once
in their efforts TO win them back
to communism.
Ne Extension Seen
Thimayya told compound lead
ers Wednesday night that the in.
terview period ends Dec. q. The
Reds want it extended, but the
Allies have refused repeatedly on
the ground that the armisdce spe-
cities q s0-day period from the
time all unrepatriated POWs are
delivered to the repatriation COM
mission. This was Sept. "a.
The U. N. Command told the
commission Thursday that prison
ers refusing repatriation must be
released to civilian status Jan. a
il the impending Korean political
conference has not settled on their
fate by that time.
In a letter to Thimayya, U. S.
Brig. Gen. A. L. Hxmblen, head
of the u. N. repatriation group,
said a delay In convenins Of the
conference would not alter the ar
mistice requirement that expla-
nations to baking POWs end Dec.
q and that they be released to
civilian status Jan. a II the politi.
cal conference has not decided
their fate"
Hambien added that this applies
even if q political conference is
not held.
There was no immediate answer
from the MIRO.
The Communists Wednesday &C.
cused the Allies o. planting 466
secret agents in the POW COM
pounds in an effort to detain the
POWs forcibly.
The Red charge was made by
North Korean Maj. Gen. Lee Shang
Che ut the joint Military Armistice
Commission meeting.
The senior Red delegate on the
commission said q partial list Of
the 4ss had been turned over to
the repatriation commission.
Mai. Gen. Blackshear NJ. Bryan,
senior Allied delegate on the MAC,
made no direct comment on the
charge but called the list Of Red
complaints an obvious transpar-
"A 49, A.. hA~fn,,S Hhn Gan% that