Newspaper Page Text
Special Report
Even Hitler's Nazis
Were Not as Bad'
Ky TOM TIEDE, NEA Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON—(NEA)—For weeks now there have been rumors the Paris
peace talks may be close to some agreement concerning the 2 6,(100 Vietnam
prisoners ol war, 97 per cent of which are the enemy’s. These rumors, ap
parently, are false. 1
Bichard Capen, public affairs director for the assistant secretary of defense,
says that although the United States has repeatedly stated its hope to discuss
“any prisoner proposal,” North Vietnam otlicials have not responded.
He puts it this way:
••President Nixon, the secretary of defense and many others have made it
pertectly clear we are willing to consider any offer the North Vietnamese
[W™ make in this issue. Anything at all. But they just haven’t budged a
bit. I hey won’t so much as tell us how many of our men they are holding.”
i ft < AA P » I L KUeSSeS that the number of us - Prisoners in Vietnam is “around
1,000. He says more than 330 prisoners have definitely been identified (usual
ly from North Vietnamese propaganda photos)—and there are another 970
troops listed as missing in action. This makes 1,300 possible prisoners.
The enemy’s failure to identify U.S. captives is, says Capen, a violation of
the Geneva Convention on war captives. But, he adds, somewhat bitterly, that
it is only one of the convention mandates being violated:
“North Vietnam signed the Geneva Convention. And so they agreed to treat
prisoners humanely. Specifically, they agreed to (1) make available names
of all prisoners; (2) release all the sick and injured; (3) allow for impartial
inspections of prisoner facilities; and (1) allow mail privileges.
"So far, they haven't stuck to one of these points. Mail privileges, for ex
ample, are almost nil. They are supposed to allow each captive a minimum
of two letters home a month; yet, in fact, they've only allowed about 10(1 to
correspond at all, ami their average output has been about two letters a year.”
Capen says the enemy attitude is “insensitive”—and adds:
"I just don’t understand North Vietnam’s reasons. It’s intolerable. I don’t
think I’ve ever been involved with something so difficult, frustrating and
tragic as this. These men (the POWs) are helpless people. Some 500 of them
have been captive or missing now for over two years. Others for as long as
five years. Why should they be made to suffer more? It’s terrible.”
Equally angry is Bep. Burt Talcott (B-Calif.), a former Air Force officer,
a 1 l-month prisoner of war during World War II and now the representative
of a district which includes about 50 families of Vietnam POWs.
"I he North Vietnamese are turning out to be the most heinous captors in
history. Even Hitler’s Nazis were not as bad. There was plenty of prisoner
misery during World War 11, but nothing to compare with North Vietnam’s
actions,” he says.
"Think of the families of these men, not even knowing whether their son or
husband is dead or alive. It’s unforgivable, bestial; it’s unbelievable.”
lalcott’s adjectives also condemn the enemy’s apparent "brutish physical
treatment of our men.”
He admits that not much is known about the treatment of American prison
ers, but adds that what is known is not encouraging. Photographs of prisoners,
for instance, indicate such things as chronic injuries, excessive weight loss and
mental manipulation. Published interviews with prisoners indicate isolation
and brain numbing techniques are being used.
Rep. Talcott, frankly, is not overly optimistic about any change in the
North Vietnamese attitude at any time saon. Neither is the Defense Department.
The feeling is the enemy is using American prisoners as another part of the
terrorist strategy it employs in its guerrilla warfare.
"Actually,” says one defense specialist, "I don’t think we’ll gel our men back
until the war is all over. And then who knows how many will return 1,000,
.>OO, less? With their lives in the hands of those characters (the North Viet
namese), it's hard to even estimate how many can survive.”
FRIDAY
FISH DINNER
AA C
Boneless
Haddock Fillets W
Cole Slaw __ H
» Tartar Sauce ■ks?
» Hot Rolls
Only ....
——* — i » — »
/T
Convenient Locations
RALPH’S CHICKEN VILLA
North Expressway at Bambi Motel
Phone 227-6303
RALPH’S TAKE HOME
Across from Courthouse —
Phone 227-3678
Our New Automatic Machine Insures Uniformly
Cooked. Crisp. Golden brown KF chicken . . .
finger - lickin’ GOOD I
THE HOME OF INSTANT SERVICE
<
Seaman D. B. Hagdahl, USN
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Maj. R. D. Ingvalson, USAF
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In cold isolation sits Lt. Cmdr. R. A. Stratton, USN.
. the most heinous captors in history'
THESE ARE
PRISONERS
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Lt. Col. R. Risner, USAF
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AFTER . . . BEFORE
The effects of imprisonment are seen in these compari
son photos of Lt. J. Crecca, USAF.
Lt. Comdr.
H. A. Stafford, USN
Wk«*«v«r a
family choowt *o tpand,
R raceiva* tha uwaifrictad
baaafih as aur perianal
Strvlct
miwm raoainx-nw
THE FACES OF U.S.
IN NORTH VIETNAM
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HHF ... 3HHhHk jp-zsx&Bi
A hospital cart holds Maj. J. H. Kasler, USAF
■ u J
■p . a
• Vfk •• *
Lt. D. G. Rehman, USN
i/'
It is good news that Rose
Marie, who was so funny during
the long run of the Dick Van
Dyke television series, has signed
for “The Doris Day Show as a
regular during the coming season
on CBS.
L’OnJ.'bt
lk^ C fc>
If you don fee us before
you buy ... you and I
both lose - - - all supplies.
UPSIDE DOWN
CHARLEY’S
MOBILE HOMES
North Expressway
Griffin, Ga.
WVOTE “YES”
For The
'r’
Establishment Os A Small Claims Court
For Spalding County
ELECTION DAY IS
TUESDAY, JULY 29
A Small Claims Court:
1. Will handle civil cases county-wide
2. Can handle cases up to $1,000.00
3. Cases will be expedited as it is a continuous operated
court.
4. Will be less expensive than the present procedure.
5. Judge will be nominated by the Spalding County
Grand Jury and appointed by the Judge of the
Superior Court of Spalding County for a four year
term.
6. Has been recommended by the past two sessions
of the Grand Jury.
7. Has been endorsed fully by the Griffin Area Chamber
of Commerce as being beneficial to the general
welfare and good of our community.
8. All progressive communities favor a Small Claims
Court.
GRIFFIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
•Griffin Daily News
13
Thursday, July 24, 1969
Lt. R. F. Frishman, USN
Ist Lt. M. Pollack, USAF
Lt. Comdr. J. S. McCain, USN
Kentucky fried
"READY WHEN YOU ARE"