Evening star., 1953-03-12
Second Front
Touqh but Fair POW Control
Ends Bio Problems on Koie
JOHN T. BACZENAS,

have brought about this amaz-
ing change.
First, we treat these prisoners
with absolute fairness. We give
them proper administration, fol-
lowing the Geneva Convention
to the letter.
And we deal direct with the
men themselves-there are nc
more Communist leaders to say
what's what in the compounds.
Second, we keep our guards
alert, and we have a good in
telligence system.
Third, if there is trouble, we
hit quick, and we hit hard. II
the prisoners defy us, we don't
bargain with them. We bring
up adequate force, give them an
order, and if they don't obey we
go in and enforce it.
II have a standing order in
this camp that if any man is
ever seized in a compound like
Gen. Dodd-whether it is myself
or a buck private-we will do
just two things: Well give them
an instant ultimatum to produce
the man unharmed, and If they
don't, we'll smash right in and
bring him out, let the chips fall
where they may"
. This order is essential to pro-
tect the American enlisted men
who spend the daylight hours
inside the barbed wire fences
as compound commanders.
One of these GIs, Pvt. Eyvind
Ekset, was murdered by three
prisoners last January. His kill
ers have been identified. but a
quirk in the U. N. administration
provides no courts martial for
the prison camps and they have
so far gone unpunished. Pri-
vately, camp officers are bitter at
this failure to provide a system
Of justice for their protection.
Reds Force Incidents.
Sometimes, in spite of every
thing, the prisoners force an in
cident," Col. Taylor said, refer.
ring to the recent killing of %
prisoners in his sub-camp or
Yoncho Island, near Koje, last
week, and the killing of nearly
80 others last January at an
other subcamp on the neighbor-
ing islet of Pongam.
I'm that case, we first try tc
use tear gas or vomiting gas tc
get them back under control
it is by far the most humane
way. But gas doesn't always
work. Then we have to use
riot squad tactics, with rifle butts
and bayonets. We never shoot
unless the prisoners attack oul
men. But if we have to shoot
we shoot"
Col. Taylor, in his mid-40s, has
had IL years of active service
and now has a regular commits
sion. Like most other top mer
in the prisoner-of-war command
today, he is a top-quality officer
His home is at 4213 18th road S.
Arlington, Va.
The camps intelligence section
has built up an amazing network
of sources.
1--WE can't depend much or
informers-the Commies are too
well known to each other. -
said Maj. George A. Scholl o.
Detroit, the camps assistant in.
telligence officer.
But these Reds are great let.
ter writer's. They depend on
passing documents from com.
pound to compound. It's a gooc
thing for us. for we intercept 8
lot of them, possibly most oi
them. 1t gives a pretty good ides
of what's cooking"
Set AgitatOrs at S Per Cent.
Maj. Scholl and Col. Taylor
estimate that only about S pei
cent of the prisoners are tor
agitators. Another Is per CEN
are tough leaders and "musclt
men," and the remainder ART
more or less pro- Communist o.
simple North Koreans.
Almost the same proportions
exist in the only other u. N
camp for Communist wal
/ pfisoners-Camp Eight at Chejl
City Of Cheju Island. so miles
south Of the Korean mainland
and 180 miles southwest of Koje