Newspaper Page Text
V
Letters To
The Editor
(Continued from Page 4)
temational Committee of Red
Cross of their prison com
pounds. They publicly state
that they treat our men hu
manely, but those few men
they have released contradict
this and tell of their need for
medical treatment and loss of
weight while held captive.
North Vietnam has refused to
release a list of captives, so
more than 1,000 families must
wait and wonder whether their
men are aihre. Only about 100
men have been allowed to
write to their families, and
only a small percentage of cap
lives are let receive mail from
their loved ones.
Perhaps you think that by
simply bringing this war to an
end all of these families will be
immediately reunited with
their men. I only wish that
were so. Also introduced into
the Congressional Record on
Sept. 17 was a letter from the
Department of State in reply
to inquiries about 389 Ameri
cans our government had rea
son to believe were held
prisoner by North Korea dur
ing the Korean War but were
unaccounted for at the end of
the war. In fact at the war’s
conclusion more than 15 years
ago, there were nearly 1,000
American men believed cap
tives who were unaccounted
for, but as a result of the U. S.
Graves Registration units
working in Korea the remain
ing unaccounted-for has been
reduced to 389. These men are
still “missing" today
I hope you will obtain
copies of the Congressional Re
cord for Sept. 11 and 17 to
read these facts for yourself.
They outline the background
for my concern that the United
States obtain from North Viet
nam a list of captives now—be
fore negotiating a settlement to
the Vietnam War, because after
a truce is signed we cannot
hold the enemy accountable
for the men they have not pre
viously identified as prisoners
of war. Now is the time when
we must arouse enough public
opinion against their unfair
treatment of the men they
hold captive to convince North
Vietnam they must abide by
the Geneva Conventions.
The families of these men
are becoming more and more
outraged as North Vietnam
places the label “war crimin
als*' on our men. A resolution
by the 21st International Con
Terence of the Red Cross in
Istanbul on Sept. 13 com
pletely refutes Hanoi’s con
tentions. The resolution calls
upon all parties to an armed
conflict, no matter how it may
be characterized, to abide by
the terms of the Geneva Con
vention. Thus, our men are
rightfully “prisoners of war,"
not war criminals. For they
have committed no crime; they
have simply served their nation
and Its citizens in an armed
conflict.
We, the families, are urging
concerned people everywhere
to join with us in letting North
Vietnam know that the Ameri
can people will not stand for
their attitude in mistreating
American servicemen held
prisoner in Southeast Asia.
Letters to the President of
North Vietnam (25« air mail),
their representatives in Paris
(20* air mail), to U.S. con
gressmen and senators, and to
newspapers across the country,
expressing their indignation for
the deplorable practices by
North Vietnam and their con
cern for the Americans impri
soned by them. Our servicemen
have a right—a human right—to
communicate with their fami
lies and let them know they are
alive.
I hope the students at Mer
cer University will help us in
our plight. Student power is a
potent instrument when it is
used correctly. Often when stu
dents protest they do not offer
useful solutions to the pro
blems about which they pro
test. By urging your student
body, and students on other
campuses, to write letters
which might bring North Viet
nam to release a list of its cap
tives and agree to abide by the
Geneva conventions you might
actually help bring about an
earlier end to the war! How?
We have reason to believe that
North Vietnam is very sensitive
to public opinion in the United
States. If their government
would abide by these basic
tenets of humane treatment of
prisoners it might serve as the
kind of “signal” our govern
ment has been waiting for in
Paris. It would seem reason
able, also, to ask the North
Vietnamese to agree to repatri
ate several American prisoners
(the sick and wounded first,
according to the Conventions)
for each 10,000 American
troops withdrawn from South
Vietnam. But the first step Is
up to them. So far, our Presi
dent's announcements of troop
withdrawals have only brought
derision and ridicule by the
enemy. They are impatient.
Our own impatience pleases
them. But if we can get a list of
captives from them now you
can bet our government would
interpret it as progress in Paris.
Soon we could actually see the
hands of the clock move as the
war come6 to a close
Georgians would be so
proud if Mercer University
turns out to be the first univer
sity to stage a war protest that
actually offers some construc
tive help toward ending the
FRE8HMEN RELAX - After a hectic week of Orientation Into
Mercer’a way of life, severe) freshmen relax at the hayride.
war. 1 am sure you know that
the wrong kind of “war pro
test" can only give aid and
comfort to the enemy. I hope
yours will not turn out to be
that type.
It does worry me, Mr. John
son, that you are scheduling
speakers for Oct. 15 from an
anti war organization, accord
ing to the Atlanta Constitu
tion, that you do not even
know the name of. Surely Mer
cer University students are in
telligent enough to thoroughly
Investigate speakers they invite,
and surely you are fair enough
to present more than one
opinion. It would greatly dis
tress me and other Georgians
to learn that you plan to con
centrate on criticizing the U. S.
government and its foreign
policy and conduct of the war.
By channeling your efforts
along more constructive lines
you can, indeed, actually help
Did You
Know?
. . . that a box on the front
page of the March 28, 1930
issue asked the Mercer Men:
“How do you stand on prohibi
tion?” The results announced
in the next issue were that the
Mercerians were almost three
to one in favor of it.
. .. that May 3, 1940, found
the Cluster carrying a story
about a plan by Blue Key that
proposed to bring an Honor
System amendment to the con
stitution before the student
body in the fall.
. . . that in 1873 all the stu
dents of the college were re
quired to attend prayer in the
University Chapel at nine
o’clock every morning; also
public worship every Sunday.
. . . that in 1873 the admis
sion requirements for Fresh
men were an adequate know
ledge of Arithmetic and Geo
graphy: English, Latin, and
Greek grammers; Ceasar’s Com
mentaries, four books; Virgil’s
Aeneid, four books, Cicero's
Orations, four books: and the
Greek Reader. Also no one
could be admitted to the
Freshman class who had not
completed his fourteenth year,
or to an advanced standing
without a corresponding ad
vance in age
to end the war and bring home
all American servicemen, both
those who are still free and
able to communicate with their
families and those hidden in
prison compounds in North
Vietnam. I ask that you not let
our nation forget about these
men who have sacrificed so
much for their country.
You may obtain more in
formation about helping
American prisoners of war in
Southeast Asia by writing our
newly formed National League
of Families of American Pri
soners in Southeast Asia, P. 0.
Box 9791, San Diego, Califor
nia, 92409. It is made up of
wives like me, who have not
seen or heard from their hus
bands for up to five years. 1
urge you to get all the facts
you can, and I hope you will
support our cause.
I would like very much to
sign my name to this tetter, but
because of your association
with an unnamed anti-war
group in Washington I can only
give you my address, hope you
will understand my desire to
protect my husband, and sign
this:
Most sincerely,
A Wife of an American
Prisoner of War
Held in North Vietnam
(Continued from Page 3)
of Ohio’s Central State Univer
sity demanded that the confer
ence “get down to business"
because “America is in trou
ble.”
About 100 blacks and
whites then retreated to a hotel
meeting room to launch their
own discussion.
Delegates heard U.S. Edu
cation Commissioner James
Allen compare the condition of
U. S. schools to a man who has
suffered a mild heart attack,
and Gen. Lewis Hershey an
nounce once again he has no
intention of resigning.
ASG officials said the pur
pose of the gathering was to
“show the nation the respon
sible leadership of America’s
campuses" and “to draw atten
tion to the true image of the
majority of today’s students.”
WELCOME BACK
TO SCHOOL
For a Home Delivery of
Atlanta Constitution
and Atlanta Journal
743-0083
Guess which
insurance company
has the most
life insurance in force?
Mine!
Don’t you want to insure
with a leader?
Milton C. Madison
892 Mulberry Street
P. O. Box 4907, Macon, Ga. 31208
Office: 74B2714
Residence 746-7331
^ Metropolitan Life
FALL PREVIEW ATTRACTION — Martin and Sallie, currently
one of Canada's most popular singing folk duo’s will appear in the
coffee house act this fall. They sing with a young touch and a
feeling of communication with the audience.
(Continued from Page 6)
Sutton (Iowa), and Campus
Affairs Vice President, Clinton
Deveaux (Buffalo).
Mercer Student Government
Association joined NSA last
Spring. President Bobby Potter
says, “We will be on somewhat
of a trial basis, constantly ex
ploring and using their re
sources, while evaluating their
worth to us. There is much
promise that NSA can help us
with exposure and awareness
to national issues, educational
reform, and student services.
We will certainly give them
every chance.”
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