RUSSIA TO RELEASE REMAINING AIRMEN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30399, 25 March 1964, Page 24

RUSSIA TO RELEASE REMAINING AIRMEN

(N.Z. Presx Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 22. The Soviet Union has promised to free the last two men of the crew of the United States jet reconnaissance bomber shot down over East Germany on March 10, the Secretary of State (Mr Dean Rusk) said today.

The announcement, ending fears that the two United States Air Force officers might be tried on spy charges, came four days after the United States had formally warned Russia that hopes of a cold war thaw would be jeopardised unless the men were freed at once. The two men are Captain David Holland, aged 35, the pilot, and Captain Melvin Kessler, aged 30, the naviga-tor-instructor.

Mr Rusk did not specify exactly when or how they would be returned to the West, except that they would be freed “in the nearest future.” Russia yesterday returned the injured third man, First Lieutenant Harold Welch, aged 24, who had been held in an East German Army hospital for treatment of a broken arm and broken leg since the aircraft, an R 866, was shot down. Corrective Steps

Mr Rusk also said that President Johnson had taken steps to lessen the possibility of such incidents in the future. He did not elaborate.

Mr Rusk, making his announcement in a nation-wide radio - television interview, said the release of the men was “not an exchange.” The R 866, a fast, twin-jet reconnaissance bomber, went beyond the East German border on a routine training flight from a French air base and was shot down by Soviet fighters in the main air corridor to Berlin. The three men were seen parachuting from the falling aircraft. Mr Rusk reiterated earlier United States statements that the aircraft had gone off course. Flat Warning He expressed gratification at the Soviet promise to release the men and said it was important to see that such navigational errors did not inflame “general relations.” In answer to questions, Mr Rusk said there had been some cases of Soviet or East German aircraft straying over Western

territory but they had been “rather limited.” The United States had warned Russia flatly in a statement on March 18 that further delay in releasing the men "clearly jeopardised possibilities for expanding areas of United States-Soviet co-operation.” Mr Rusk today said he now considered the issue “a dead letter." “We hope very much that this matter can now be taken off the boards and we can get back to normal relationships,” he said.