The Prisoners Speak

The lid was off, and the story could be told of 18 secret sessions over the past four weeks in the tents of Panmunjom. The meetings brought the Korean armistice negotiations to the verge of total collapse last week. Begun in high optimism --and under a great illusion on both sides --the secret sessions had ended with the U.N. surprised, and the Communists outraged, at how few of the prisoners in U.N. hands are willing to go back to Communist territory.

Back in March, the U.N. negotiators suspected that the Reds' insistence on repatriation of all prisoners might soften if they could talk privately. Accordingly, hush-hush dickering began. Under the cover of secrecy, the Reds showed little interest in principles, asked the U.N. bluntly how many Chinese and North Koreans in U.N. hands would choose to go home. The U.N. thought the proportion was high--probably 85%--but didn't know, and suggested that a poll be taken in the U.N. stockades. The Communists agreed, and for 14 days sessions were recessed to make the survey.

Leaning Backward. Anxious to get the question settled, the U.N. leaned over backward, perhaps too far for strict morality, to make it easy for its captives to agree to go home. The U.N. persuaded enemy authorities to broadcast promises of amnesty to prisoners who had signed petitions and tattooed themselves with anti-Communist messages. Although the U.N. knew the promises were worthless, they were repeated for days over the prison-camp loudspeakers. The U.N. did not ask the prisoners where they wanted to go; it asked them whether they would "forcibly resist" repatriation. If a man said yes, he was asked seven further questions (content not revealed), to make sure he was sincere. If he passed this test, he was deemed unwilling to be repatriated.

Revision Upward. The results were startling. These said they would "forcibly resist repatriation":

P: 44,000 out of 96,000 North Korean soldiers.

P: 15,600 out of 20,700 Chinese soldiers.

The following also were unwilling to go back to Red Korea:

P: 12,200 out of 16,000 South Koreans pressed into North Korean service. P: 29,800 out of 37,000 Korean civilian internees.

The Chinese had hinted that they would settle for the return of 116,000 out of 132,000 military prisoners. But even by throwing in impressed South Koreans and civilian internees, the U.N. could find only 70,000 repatriation subjects. Altogether, some 100,000 people of Asia--Chinese, North Koreans and South Koreans who had tasted Communism in one form or another--said they would fight against a return to Communist control.

The Chinese Communists were especially incredulous and indignant when told that only one out of every four Chinese was willing to go back to the "New China." Red negotiators tried to persuade the U.N. to "revise" the figures upward. When these efforts were unavailing, they broke off the secret sessions and denounced the U.N. publicly, alleging coercion and a "disgusting American trick."

Almost against its will, the U.N. had uncovered a wonderful political and psychological asset in Asia--100,000 living witnesses against the hatefulness and tyranny of Communism. It was unfortunate that this great asset stood in the way of a truce. It had to be hoarded, notwithstanding, and the U.N. knew it. Highly creditable to the U.N. was the fact that it published the figures and told the story frankly, thus presumably burning the bridges to any sort of tricky compromise or shady juggling. But now truce seemed farther than ever away.

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