The Daily Alaska Empire

Red List
Of POWs
Released
Pentagon Officials Work
Throughout Night;
Kinfolk Are Notified

By ROWLAND EVANS JR.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-(AP)-The news flashed out from Washington and Tokyo, for thousands meant the best Christmas present ever, for many other thousands an empty, hollow message of more despair.

The 3,198 names of American warriors, said by the Communists to be prisoners of war in Korean prison camps, were being checked by the Defense Department in "takes" as fast as they arrived from Tokyo.

Special Pentagon forces whipped through the long lists, paired name after name with the official missing in action list and rushed telegrams to next-of-kin.

To Next Of Kin

"The Secretary of the Army has asked me to inform you the name of (John Doe) believed to be that of your (son, husband, etc.) is included in unverified lists released by opposing forces of prisoners in their custody. No assurance as to accuracy can be given at this time."

The list of names was little more than one-fourth of the 11,051 Americans officially listed as missing in action.

And the Reds said it covers all POW's in their hands.

That left a gap of 7,853, a question mark which only time could answer.

Lists Compared

At the Pentagon the tedious task of comparing names on the list with names of those officially reported as missing proceeded slowly through the night.

By early morning, however, the staff had been doubled and a spokesman in the Adjutant General's office said "it was likely the list would be fully processed by 3 p.m. (PST) today." Earlier estimates were that the job could not be completed before tomorrow.

As soon as telegrams went to kinfolk the names and addresses were made public for instant replay over press service wires to the nation's newspapers.

At the same time the original Red list, without addresses but with serial numbers, rank and organization-information provided by the Communists-hit the wires from Tokyo by way of San Francisco.

Warning Given

Pentagon officials again and again underscored this important fact:

The list was prepared by the Communists-there is no way to verify it -it is not official. The Reds have not allowed such agencies as the International Red Cross any contact with the prisoners.

Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, Medal of Honor winner, was the biggest name on the list. The 52-year old hero of Taejon was last seen heading back for Taejon a few hours after the Reds captured it in July, 1950.

Last March 29 a bullet-holed helmet liner, evidently Dean's, was found in a rice paddy near Taejon. But veteran soldiers have always said that if any one could come through their big, redheaded general could.

Also on it was Associated Press photographer Frank Noel, a Pulitzer prize winner.