Evening star., 1953-10-31
Prisoners
Continued From First Page,)

Capt. William c. McTaggart,
East Brady, Pa.
Purpose is Counter PrOpagaE la.
The purpose of Mr.. Lodges
action and of the Pentagon re-
lease of the film was to counter
propaganda charges by Russia
and her satellites that germ war
fare weapons had been used by
the U. N. in the Korean war.
The confessions" which the
Reds staged were based on that
charge.
A department official empha-
sized today that at this stage
there is no investigation to de-
termine any questions of guilt
or innocence. The department
first wants to know what hap
pened, all the circumstances that
can be brought to light and the
conditions under which the men
finally broke.
In that connection, Maj. Gen.
William F. Dean, top-ranking
ex-prisoner, told yesterday how
he at one time became so fear
full that he might talk because
of torture that he considered
suicide. He said POWs who gave
confessions" should be given
every consideration.
Seeks Answers on Pressure.
Most of the Is men have been
either in hospitals or on leave
since being released at Freedom
Village, affording no opportunity
for detailed interviews except
for the general statements filmed
at the Pentagon.
In each individual study of
the cases, the Pentagon will seek
to learn the answers to such
things as: (a) how long were
you subjected to pressure? (b)'
what form did the pressure take;
Co at what point did they sue
ceed in crushing your resistance
and force you to say what they
ordered you to say?
1t. Quinn, in his denial, de-
clared:
II don't and never have con-
sidered what did up there was
a confession because I don't
see how person can confess
something that he hasn't ever
done"
He told of Red threats against
his wife, child and unborn
child.
1t. KniSs said:
"All this information given in
this ChiS) So-called confession
was entirely without basis, it
was wrung out of me by torture,
both mental and physical. .
The greater part Of it was die
tated to me by the Chinese Com
muniSts, and I was forced to
sign it. I was given the
opportunity of death if I did
not"
He said one method of torture
was ito sit fiat on the floor
with my legs out in front of me
and my back against the wall,
and face a continuous interro-
cation for hours-on one occa-
sion it lasted for 20 hours
straight.
1t. O'Neal said he added what
he could to his confession" to
make it ridiculous.
1t. Enoch said the Chinese
told him he would be given the
"so-called lenient treatment pol
icy" if he co-operated. The Reds,
he related, preferred to use men,
tai pressure because "they don't
like to leave any marks of phys
ical violence which would be
good propaganda against them" I"
Col. Mahurin pointed out that
most alrmen were listed as miss
ing in action. Naturally the
Communists could either keep us
or send us home or declare us
prisoners" he said. "InaSmuch
as most of us were held in soli-
tary confinement, we had no idea
Of our status. We felt that there
was only one way to get home
and bring these charges to the
American people taking a
confession along the lines they
required. :"
Confined in Cave.
1t. Fornes said he was first
confined "in a cave in the ground
in sort of a dugout." The
Reds, he said, promised the op-
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