Evening star., 1954-11-24


national conduct"
Eleven Of the men involved
were crew members of d United
States Air Force B-29, COM
manded by Col. John Knox Ar
mold, jr.. of Silver Spring. Md,
that was shot down January ~,
1858. The Peiping radio said
three crew members died in
the crash and others were given
prison sentences ranging from
4 to 10 years.
Heavier prison sentences were
meted out to two young New
Englanders the Red Chinese said
were captured November 20.
1852, while dropping supplies to
American espionage agents in
Northeast China = Washington
said they were lost between South
Korea and Japan. and that it
was not known how they fell
into Communist hands.
The two are John Thomas
Downey, "a. of New Britain,
Conn, a cousin Of singer Morton
Downey, who drew a life SEN
tence, and Richard George Fec
teau, n, q former Boston Uni
veristy football player, who was
sentenced to 20 years.
The State Department an
nouncement said the Peiping ra-
dio report was "the first word
we had had that they are being
held by the Chinese Commu-
niStS."
The department announce
ment said the United States
Consul General at Geneva.
Franklin C. Gowen, sis being in
structed to emphatically protest
the continued wrongful de-
tention" Of the American citi-
ZenS.
In a separate statement, the
Defense Department said the
Chinese Communist action "il-
illustrates again the bad faith,
insincerity and amorality which
have characterized Red China's
conduct of its international re-
lations."
Political Prisoners"
The Defense Department
statement added that the Chi
nese Communists are holding
the American servicemen as
political prisoners in violation
of international law, the rules
of war and the Korean arlnis-
tice agreement.
The Government statements
sharply disputed the Peiping re-
port that the B-29 was shot
down latter intruding into
China's territorial air space
over Manchuria, across the Yalu
River boundary between North
Korea and China The De-
fense Department said the B-29
was on a routine fight near
the Yalu River" It ,added that
the Communist charge that the
crewmen are political prisoners
is 'palpably false"
AS for the two young New
Englanders, the Government said
they were civilian employees of
the Army and were authorized
passengers on a routine fight
from Seoul to Japan in a plane
under military contract to the
Far East Air Force. The Peiping
version was that the two were
special agents of the United
States Central Intelligence
Agency.
Unable to Trace Plane.
The Defense Department said
a search instituted at the time
the plane disappeared failed to
produce any trace Of what be-
came of 1t. 7
1T is now apparent from the
Peiping, broadcast" the Defense
Department said, '.that they
were captured and as in the case
of other political prisoners they
were refused repatriation in vio-
lation of the (Korean) armistice
agreement.
Members Of Congress, in their
comment on the matter. referred
to the Communist action as
"dastardly" and ridiculous"
Senator Mansfield, Democrat,
of Montana, a member of the
Foreign Relations Committee,
said ''it certainly justifies our
position. and makes it stronger,
that Communist China should
not be admitted to the United
Nations or recognized by this
country"
Senator Mansfield wrote Sec
retary of State Dulles urging that
this whole matter -. be placed
before the United Nations i'm
mediately and that the United
Nations be asked to appoint an
investigating body at its earliest
convenience"
Drastic Action Foreseen.
Senator George. Democrat, Of
Georgia, another member of the
Foreign Relations Committee,
said without elaboration that If
such incidents continue the
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