CHINA HELD LIKELY TO FREE AIRMEN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27636, 18 April 1955, Page 11

CHINA HELD LIKELY TO FREE AIRMEN

(Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 16. Diplomats at the United Nations were hoping that the Bandung conference of Asian and African nations, opening on Monday, would provide the Chinese Communists with an opportunity to announce their willingness to release the 11 American airmen imprisoned by them last year as alleged spies, a Reuter correspondent reported today

In the view of these diplomats, Mr Chou En-lai, the Chinese Communist Prime Minister, might decide to assume the mantle of an “angel of peace” and announce a readiness to let the men go in the interests of lessening international tension, the correspondent said. diplomats reasoned that such a gesture would make a tremendous impression on China’s Asian neighbours. Asian diplomats—some of whom have had contact with Chinese officials —admitted the possibility of Mr Chou making an announcement about the meix. No-one had any definite information to indicate that the present thinking of the Peking Government was on the

question of releasing the airmen, the correspondent said. But it was thought that governments—such as those of India and Burma—might bring the matter up with Mr Chou before the conference and impress on him the advantages to be gained from a conciliatory gesture. . Western circles feared that continued indefinite detention of the men would probably worsen the al ?ady tense relations between the United States and Communist China.

Should the Bandung conference go hy without any indication forthcoming that the men’s release was being considered, the rumblings already coming from the United States Senate for some action to be taken migh*c develop into a roar.

Senator William Knowland, the Republican Party leader in the Senate, and Senator Wayne Morse (Democrat, Oregon) already have joined in demanding an inquiry into the failure to ■free the airmen. Both senators have expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts of the United States Government and the United Nations to obtain the men’s release.

The men, who were part of the unified command fighting in Korea, were captured in 1953 after their plane had been shot down. The United States said the shooting down occurred over North Korea, but the Peking Government claimed that it was over Chinese territory. Last year the men were sentenced in China to prison terms ranging from four to 10 years as spies. No Visits Permitted The United States has confirmed its refusal to permit relatives to visit the imprisoned airmen in spite of a renewed Chinese offer of hospitality. Officials said the Far Eastern situation had grown worse, if anything, since the end of January, when the Government first decided against the visits. Therefore no change of policy could be considered.

The new offer by Communist China was made to Mr and Mrs Harold Fischer, of Swea City, lowa, in a letter from the Chinese Red Cross. The Fischers* son, Harold, is one of the prisoners. The Secretary-General of the United Nations (Mr Dag Hammarskjold), in a letter to Mr and Mrs Fischer, said he would not relax his efforts to bring about the release of the airmen “as long as I have the slightest chanco of success.”

Mr Hammarskjold advised the Fischers against attempting a visit to Communist China to see their son. saying: “I feel the present time would not be appropriate for such a visit.”