Johnson Receives Pueblo Letter

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31621, 6 March 1968, Page 17

Johnson Receives Pueblo Letter

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 4. President Johnson today received the text of a letter allegedly written to him by the imprisoned crew of the U.S.S. Pueblo urging that he “take all the necessary steps for our expeditious return” from North Korea.

The letter states: “We have formed the opinion that espionage such as we conducted is an unjust infringement upon the sovereignty of (North Korea) and undermines completely any chance for honesty in international understanding.” North Korea has contended the Pueblo was on a spy mission, in North Korean waters. The United States has conceded it was on an intelligence mission but says it was in international waters when captured. There was no immediate United States comment on the letter beyond the acknowledgement of high Administration officials that it was “under study.” The letter was dated February 29 and was broadcast over North Korean radio today. It said: “We believe that since the real facts of the Pueblo case have been fully revealed to the world, our repatriation can be realised only when our Government frankly admits that we intruded into the territorial

waters of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea and committed hostile acts, and seriously apologises for these and gives assurance that they will not be repeated.” Authoritative sources who have analysed the signatures on the letter are reported to

believe that at least some of them were forged.