The Key West citizen., 1954-11-24
U.s. Will Lodge Strong Protest Against Imprisonment OILS
Americans Held Since The Korean War By Communist Chinese
By DONALD SANDERS

WASHINGTON 6-The United
States announced last night it will
lodge ''the strongest possible pro-
test" against Chinese Communist
prison sentences given to Is Amer
leans who dropped out Of sight
during the Korean War.
utterly false" the department
said Of spying charges which Pei
ping gave as the basis for prison
terms ranging from four years to
Life.
1.-THE us. government viii con-
tinue to make every effort to effect
the release of these men who have
been unjustly sentenced to further
periods of Imprisonment" the, de-
partment said.
The sentences by Red Chinese
military court, announced by the
Peiping radio yesterday, were Ia
beled by the State Department as
further proof Of the Chinese Com
munist regimes disregard for ac-
cepted practices Of international
conduct"
In a separate statement, the De-
Tense Department said the action
illustrates again the bad faith,
insincerity and amOrality which
have characterized Red China's
conduct Of its international rela-
ti0ns.
It said, "The Chinese Commu-
nists. are holding the American
servicemen as political prisoners
in violation of international law,
the rules Of war and the Korean
armistice agreement"
The State Department said the
us. consul general at Geneva,
Franklin c. Gowen, s'is being in
structed to emphatically protest. 4.
the continued wrongful detention
Of these American citizens. Gene
va is the United States only Of
ficial contact with Red China,
which II does not recognize.
Judged on the basis Of past ex-
perience with Peiping, it appeared
problematical what would come
Of the protest.
Sen. Mansfield (D-Mont) termed
the Red action Outrageous" and
urged an investigation by the
United Nations. Sen. Welker (R.
Idaho) proposed that this country
use "force." Sen. George (D-Ga)
said if such incidents continue the
United States might have to take
"drastic action"
Eleven of the men involved were
crew members of a us. B29 shot
down Jan. IL, 1853. The United
States announced Aug. 10 that Is
American airmen missing in the
Korean War we're known to be
alive. It contended they were being
held by the Reds as political pris-
oners.
The government said these Is
we're among a total Of 526 Ameri-
cans missing and demanded a
Peiping accounting and their re-
turn, dead or alive.
The downed B29 had been COM
manded by Col. John Know Arnold
Jr., Of Silver Spring, Nd, said by
Peiping to have drawn sentence
Of 10 years. His second in COM
mand, Maj. William H. Banner,
Lewisburg, Pa, drew eight years.
Peiping said three members of
the B29's crew died when it
crashed, and that the nine other
members were given sentences
ranging from four to six years.
Even heavier sentences were an
nounced for two young New Eng
landers the Red Chinese said were
captured Nov. 2S, 1852, while drop
ping supplies to American espio-
mage agents in northeast China. "
Washington said they were lost be-
tween South Korea and Japan, and
that it does not know how they fell
into Red hands.
The STATE Department said the
announcement of the prison terms
for these two, John Thomas Dow
ney, 27, and Richard George Fec
teau, n, was "the first word we
have had that they are being held
by the Chinese Communists.
The government said Downey
and Fecteau were civilian employ
es Of the Army, and it accused the
Chinese Reds of deliberately con-
cealing information about them
during the Geneva conference, at
which the fate Of Americans held
In China was discussed.
Downey, from New Britain,
Conn.,. is a cousin Of singer Morton
Downey. He drew a life sentence.
Fecteau, q former Boston Univer-