Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-27
Sentiment Divided
Among Families Of
Il Staying With Reds
BY the AssOeiassd Press

American POWs to live with the
Reds rather than return home
brought expressions Of bitterness
and despair from some of their
families, but others still hoped
their boys would come back.
The prisoners made q public
announcement yesterday that
they wanted the Communists to
tAhe them as "free men," A
few hours later the Peiping radio
said the Reds would accept
them. Earlier the Communists
had refused to take custody of
the prisoners who had been
freed by the Neutral Repatria-
ton Commission.
A bitter mother in Monticello,
Ark, said her son would be
better OF not to return. She
was Mrs. Chester Green, mother
Of Corpl. William Green. She
said, HE would only be put in
prison like the others" (She
apparently referred to court
martial charges that have been
filed against Corpl. Edward
Dickinson of Crackers Neck, Va.
who firSt chose to stay with the
Reds and then changed his
mind.
Family In DeSpair.
In Fort Ann, N. Y, Miss Mu-
riel Wills said her family de-
SPARED of ever seeing her brother:
Pfc. Morris Wills. She said she
could not understand her broth
er's statement that people who
voice opinions for peace are per-
secuted and suppressed.
HE must be just nuts or crazy
now" she said. She added she
did not believe official Washing
ington cared about her brother
and the other 90 who turned
their back on home.
DiShonorable disc h a rges
were ordered for the 81 Mon
day 10y the Defense Depart
ment)
In Baltimore, Mrs. William r.
Dunn buried her head in her
hands and wept. THAT doesn't
sound like my son." she said
when she read the statement of
Pfc. John r. Dunn. He had said
he and his fellows were putting
their peace policies in a bright
light" for people to examine.
Even now I'd be glad to have
him back-even in the face of
a court-martial and dishonorable
discharge" Mrs. Dunn said.
Wants Him Home.
Mrs. Helen ScolinoS, %, a sis
ter of Pfc. James Veneris of
Gardena, Calf, said she couldn't
understand what her brother ex-
pected to accomplish by staying.
"All I want is for him to come
home" she said. She added
that his statement sounded like
dictation taken from some one
else.
At Alden, Mimi, one mother
said she didn't like to contem-
plate what her sons action
would cost him, but she was
sure he would find out what
communism actually is" She
was Mrs. Portia Howe, speaking
of her son. Pfc. Richard R.
Tenneson, who insisted yester-
day in Panmunjom that his let
tiers about his views on COM
munism were his own.
Mrs. Carley Jones, mother of
Pfc. Samuel D. Hawkins, wouldn't
discuss his problem. Previously,
Mrs. Jones. a Holiness preacher,
had insisted she did not believe
ner son had abandoned Amer
lean principles. Today she
showed no interest in seeing an
Associated Press picture of him
In the Panmunjom press confer
ence.
Puzzled by Statement.
Mrs. Ben Howard of San An
gelo. Tex. mother of another of
the 81. was puzzled by her sons
statement.
ut just doesn't sound like
him." she said of Sergt. Refus E.
Douglas. ar adopted son, but
I guess he has changed since I
have seen him. still think they
are under pressure over there
and something is wrong. I still
think he would come home"
At Urania, La. Mrs. Henry
Wilson, mother of Corpl. Aaron
Wilson. said, 81 would rather
have my boy dead over here than
over there alive"
At East Providence, r. l., Miss
Ursula Gordon, sister of Sergt.
Richard G. Gordon, said she
'just couldn't understand" the
latest statement by her brother.
Sergt. Gordon read the general
statement to correspondents at
Panmunjom asking a return to
communism as free men," Miss
Gordon said the statement
sounded as If everybody said
about the same thing and it
looks like they said what had
been drilled into them to say"