Evening star., 1953-08-19
U. N. BIuntIy Denies
Charge Of BrutaIities
Against Red P0Ws
BY the Associated Press


PANMUNJOM, Aug. 19.-The
U. N. command today bluntly
denied Communist charges that
prisoners have been brutally
treated. 1t told the Reds the
physical condition of repatriated
POWS proved the accusation
was a distortion of the truth"
The denial was made at a
meeting of the POW repatriation
commission and answered Com
tnunist charges leveled last Fri
day.
Another rs Americans were
liberated here Wednesday while
two ships prepared to sail for
home with men freed earlier by
the Reds.
U. N. members of the commits
sion repeatedly planned to hand
the Reds a strong note again
demanding return of all allied
prisoners, but Col. L. C. Frieders-
dorff, chief allied delegate, made
no mention of it in talking with
newsmen after the session. There
were strong indications the U. N.
command did not deliver the
note, which authoritative spokes-
men said earlier would be "hot."
Hits Accusations.
Col. Friedersdorff said the
Red accusations of brutality
were intended to discredit the
U. N. command" The Reds had
charged the allies with a multi
tude Of inhumane acts - from
using toxic gas to food poison
ing.
Col. Friedersdorff also took a
slap at Communist Red Cross
workers, who repeatedly have
been acting as propaganda
agents for the Reds.
1T is obvious from their ac-
tionS that some of them are at
tempting to engage in activities
exceeding the purely humani-
tartan mission with which they
are charged" he declared. I'VE
have no intention of permitting
them to engage in such activi-
ties :"
In Seoul, ROK President Syng-
man Rhee urged South Korean
repatriates to Join us all when
We drive north in later days"
Il ask you" Mr.. Rhee de-
clared in a statement, ito be
determined to rescue your fell
low men daily suffering in North
Korea by advancing with faith
and loyalty"
456 Returned Today.
The largest group of allied
soldiers yet turned back in one
day-456-rode into Panmunjom
today in open trucks.
And 130 Americans liberated
earlier anxiouSly awaited the
journey home aboard the hospi-
tai ship Haven. scheduled to
leave InChon harbor for Japan
Thursday. Only sick and
wounded are aboard.
Another 400 able bodied Amer
ican repatriates start the long
but happy voyage across the Pa
cific Saturday. They will make
the tWo-Week trip from Inchon
to San Francisco on the troop
ship Marine Adder.
The Communists said $50 al
lied prisoners would be repatri-
ated from North Korea Thurs
day.
The group will include so
Americans. 80 British and 300
South Koreans.
This is the largest group of
British returned on a single day
since the prisoner exchange be-
gan August 5.
Total Now 6,083.
In addition to the rs Ameri-
cans freed Wednesday, the Com
munlStS returned rs British and
306 South Koreans, raising the
total in Is days to 6,083 of the
of the 12,763 allied soldiers the
Reds said they held.
Moving back to life under
Communist rule were 6O2 shout
ing, f1ag-waving North Koreans,
the smallest group of Reds yet
delivered by the U. N. command.
Transfer of Reds from prison
camps off South Korea to the
mainland has been hampered by
typhoon weather and the U. N.
command said it would be un-
able to return more prisoners
until Saturday when it will hand