The Nome Nugget

Court Martial Of Cpl. Dickenson Starts in Capital

WASHINGTON, (P)--Cpl. Edward S. Dickenson went on trial today at a precedent-making court martial at which he was accused of informing on his fellow prisoners of war while a captive in Korea.

Dickenson, a short, dark youth of 23, glanced somewhat timidly at the nine officers on the court panel as the proceeding got underway in a small, maroon-carpeted courtroom at Ft. McNair, in southwest Washington.

Dickenson's bride of three months was among a score of spectators.

The trial got underway slowly at Col. Guy Emery, a retired Army officer representing the Cracker's Neck, Va., corporal, put the members of the court through rigorous questioning, as a possible preliminary to challenging them as fit members of a trial court.

The key question raised by Emery was whether the court members believed that under Communist pressure, a soldier would be held to blame for divulging more than his name, rank and serial number, as provided by military law.

Col. C. Robert Bard, the prosecutor, objected to this question on the ground that it was arguing the merits of the case. The court permitted the questions to be answered.

In general, the members of the court said they could give no satisfactory answer to the question, since they had not been prisoners of war themselves. They said, however, that history demonstrates instances where torture has been useless in eliciting information.