Evening star., 1953-10-06
India Won't Attempt
To Halt Any Mass
Breakouf Of P0Ws
BY the Associated Press

said today that Indian troops
would not attempt to halt a
mass breakout of anti-C -Commun-
ist war prisoners because of the
terrible slaughter" that would
follow.
1t. Gen. K. S. Thimayya made
the statement at news confer
ence even as thousands jammed
streets in the South Korean cap
ital of Seoul in a demonstration
against Indian guarding OF
POWs who have refused to go
home.
It also came amid renewed
threats by South Korean leaders
to drive out the Indians-who
they denounce as pro-Com-
muniSt.
Gen. Thimayya said I'VE are
not concerned if South Korea
threatens us because we have
the huge u. N. command" and
Communist forces "at our dis
posal."
New Delhi Echoes Views.
He said the U. N. command
was responsible for preventing
South Korean troops from enter
ing the neutral zone to attack
Indian forces.
Government sources in New
Delhi, the Indian capital,
echoed Gen. Thimayya's state
ment that the allies would be
responsible for halting any South
Korean attack.
"1t is the responsibility of both
the Communist and U. N. COM
mandS to enable the (Korean
repatriation) commission to full
fill its duties" the sources said.
$50 if there is any threat, it
is for the command concerned
in this case the United Nations
to stop it,"
Gen. Thimayya did not COM
ment on a letter sent to him to-
day by Gen. Mark w. Clark in
which the retiring Far East
commander said the United Ma
tionS will not waver from the
principle of freedom of choice
for the $4,000 anti Communist
prisoners in Indian custody.
Gen. Clark said the U. N. had
shed blood to win that right and
will not compromise.
Gen. Clark, who turns over his
command tomorrow to Gen.
John E. Hull, accused the five
nation repatriation commission
of which India is chairman
of working on the false idea that
the reluctant prisoners actually
desire repatriation"
Gen. Thimayya said it was
"highly likely" that the long
delayed interviewing OF the ballky
POWs would begin next Tues
day.
Allied and Communist teams
were to begin meeting Septem-'
ber 26 with the prisoners in an
attempt to persuade them to re-
turn home, but a dispute over
facilities for the interviews
forced postponement.
Answers Dozens of Questions.
Gen. Thimayya said the sex
plantations" could begin as soon
as the u. N. command finishes
temporary interview booths de-
manded by the Communists.
The U. N. C. said the job would
take about seven days.
Gen. Thimayya answered doz-
ems of questions fired by both
Allied and Communist newsfnen
in a one-hour 40-minute news
conference at his headquarters
in the demilitarized zone near
Panmunjom.
Asked if the $500 Indian
troops guarding the POWs would
try to quell a mass escape at
tempt. he answered with a flat
"nog'
He added he was confident
the crack Indian troops could
halt a breakout, but commented:
II do not think we would try
to check a mass outbreak be-
cause of the terrible slaughter,
which no civilized nation could
perpetrate."
Gen. Thimayya said Indian
forces had asked for gas masks
and tear gas.
The Indians put down-but
not without bloodShed-two at
tempted breakouts by anti-Com-
munist prisoners during riotous
demonstrations last week. Three
prisoners were killed and 10
wounded as hundreds tried to
scale barbed wire fences around
their compounds.
About $1,000 anti-Communist
Korean prisoners broke from
u. N. prison compounds under
orders from South Korea'S Pres
ident Syngman Rhee last sum-
mer.
Gen. Thimayya acknowledged
that the commission had not
definitely decided what to do if
the prisoners refuse to attend
interviews.
He added, however, that he did
not think.i would be physically
impossible" for the commission
to force POWs to listen to "ex-
plantations"
II think we can ask the pris-
oners to listen for or 10 min
uteS," he said.
Asked About Sit-DOwn.
Asked what the commission
would do if an entire compound
of prisoners staged a Sit-down
strike rather than meet with
the agents, he replied:
Search me; I don't know what
we could do. I suppose I'd have
to refer to the commission"
Gen. Clark, in his letter to
Gen. Thimayya, denounced the
commission ruling that all POWs
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