Evening star., 1953-11-04

Clo CONdy' ucLClIlS SUOTU VI
protests from U N observers and
charges of stalling and shouts,
screams and curses from vio-
lently anti-Communist POWs.
Three of 2O5 prisoners inter-
viewed asked for repatriation,
--~----~~-------~-
Reds AssoiI Dean on Peace ToIks but
He Is Still Hopeful. Pooe Alb
but the Neutral Nations Repatri-
alton Commission ruled that one
was mentally incompetent and
he was sent to a hospital.
A U. N. observer said that
after almost three hours with
Red eXplainers the prisoner was
so confused he didn't know what
he was doing or saying. -
Rate of Hearings Tagging.
The Communists were sched-
uled to interview 403 prisoners
during the day. but some inter-
views ran for more than four
hours, and only 205 we're ham
died.
The Communists told the In
dians they want to interview a
new compound of about $50
Chinese Thursday, plus the 1913
from Compound % who were
skipped Wednesday. Unless the
Reds speed up explanations, an
even greater logjam is inevitable.
Several Swiss members of
repatriation commission group
overseeing the explanations
walked out temporarily when
their protests over long inter-
views were overruled by Indian
chairmen. One angry American
observer also Stalked out of one
interview after it had run three
hours.
Red persuaders dragged out
interviews as long as possible.
wheedling and threatening pris-
oners who have refused to go
home. Allied officers called the
Red tactics brainWaShing.
U. N. Observers Protest.
There were charges that the
Communists were deliberately
stalling, perhaps in an attempt
to wreck the explanation pro-
gram which has won them only
about 3 per cent of the prisoners
interviewed to date.
Of 1874 Chinese and Korean
prisoners interviewed only SO
have asked to go back to their
homelands. Before today, 20 of
931 Chinese and 80 of 913 Ko-
reans had asked repatriation.
Angry U. N. observers filed
protest after protest because In
dian chairmen were reluctant to
cut short interviews, even when
prisoners obviously were anti
Communist.
Its an awful thing to sit
there helpless and watch mental
torture like that" said 1t Col.
Vaughn F. MeiSerling of Oak
land, Calf, a U, N. observer,
Its like seeing man killed be-
fore your eyes without doing any
thing about it."
POW States Choice 1872 Times.
One prisoner shouted Il want
to go to Taiwan Formo5al" 1872
times by actual count and re-
viled his Communist interview
erS with every oath he knew he
fore the Indian tent chairman
called a halt to the interview.
1t. Gen. K. S. Thimayya, In
dian chairman of the repatria-
ton commission. conceded the
long explanation sessions were a
serious problem" He said the
Indian chairmen could walk out
themselves if they felt the Com
munist tactics unjuStlfied. The
rules provide that prisoners must
listen to the explalners unless
Red tactics are inhumane.
One Mans Will Broken.
One explanation session which
lasted for hours and 25 min
utes today ended when the pris-
oner said he would return to the
Reds. Col. Meiserling said the
man was pale and shaking.
They terrified him." the U. N.
observer said. The Chinese
kept saying Why do you want to
go to TaiWan (Formosa) ? Chang
Kai-shek could not defeat US
with millions of men and good
equipment. Some day we will
come to occupy Taiwan and
catch you If you go there"
Several strong protests were
filed by U. N. observers because
Chinese eXplainers told prisoners
I'VE will occupy Taiwan tFor-
mnSal soon -