Evening star., 1954-01-19
Reds 10 Reject
P0Ws When
Freed by India
Anti-CommunistsD Due
To Be Turned Back
To Allies Tonight
By the Assoeioted Press

PANMUNJOM, Jan. 19.-The
Communists demanded today
that the Indians Withdraw" a
decision to turn back unrepatri-
ated war prisoners starting to-
morrow and strongly indicated
they will not accept 349 pro-Red
POWs.
The Reds insisted on more
time for interviews with 20.039
anti-CommuniSt Koreans and
Chinese and that all prisoners
be kept in neutral custody until
a peace conference decides their
fate.
The Indians said they would
go ahead with the transfer of
anti-Communist prisoners back
to United Nations custody start
ing at 9 am. Wednesday q pm.
EST Tuesday)I The allies said
fatty they would be freed at
midnight Friday. Pro-RedS. in
cluding n Americans, presum-
ably will remain in Indian Gus
k tody at least temporarily.
Decision Angrily Protested.
The Communist nine-page
letter to the Indian command
angrily opposed the decision to
return all unrepatriated war
prisoners to their captors.
An Indian spokesman quoted
the Reds as saying they will not
take back pro-Communist pris-
oners. And another neutral Of
fetal said "the implication Of
the whole message is plainly
that they will not take them
back"
The text of the letter broad
cast by Red. China's Peiping
radio does not say fatty that
the Communists would refuse to.
accept custody of the prisoners
if the Indians turned them back
But the Reds appear to say so
by implication.
The Communists accused the
Indians of violating the armis-
tice and added:
I'VE cannot concur in such in
depreciation and decision.
I'VE consider that each prison.
er of war has full right to refuse
to be forcibly restored to the
former OBTAINING side and to de-
mand to attend further expla-
nations. 1t is not for anybody
to deprive them of this right
and especially to deprive them
Of this proper right by force"
U N. Command Ready.
The U. N. command notified
the Indians that it will honor
its obligations" and declare anti
Red prisoners civilians at mid
night Friday.
A letter to the Indian COM
mand said the Allies will be
prepared to process and dispose
of the prisoners of war now in
custody ot the Neutral Ma
tions Repatriation Commission
whether they leave the demili-
tarized zone on 20 January or
Immediately following termina-
ton" of neutral custody at
midnight Friday.
1t. Gen. K. S. Thimayya, In
dian chairman of the Neutral
Nations Repatriation Commits
sion, said anti-Red prisoners
would move southwark from
stockades in Korea's neutral
zone on schedule.
He told a press conference the
anti-Communist> Chinese and
Korean prisoners were overjoyed
when told Tuesday they were to
be returned to U. N. custody.
Gen. Johh E. Hull, United
States and United Nations Far
East commander. flew to Korea
from his Tokyo headquarters
and said he would consider the
anti-Communist prisoners civil
ians wherever they happen to
be at midnight Friday night"
Gen. Hull said the prisoners
would be processed as soon as
they are handed over.
Gen. Hull and Gen. Maxwell
Taylor. 9th Army commander,
flew to the U. N. advance base
at Munsan to be on hand when
the prisoner transfer begins.
They were to be Joined by United
States Army Secretary Robert T.
Stevens.
The U. N. commander said
Gen. Thimayya's assertion that
release of the prisoners would
(See POWs, Page A-5.)