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instituted in order to find out whether this impossible ex-
planation was true or false. In the case, however, of all
other means failing to get them released, this Government
would not object to letting go the extra Communist prisoners
of war as the price of freedom of those civilians kidnapped
and spirited.
3. As regards what are termed North Korean Communist prison-
ers of war thus far held by the UN Command naturally fall into
five categories (a) civilians who got mixed up by mistake
with real prisoners and impaled; (b) South Korean young men
who were, at the bayonet's end, forced into "volunteering"
for the Communist army. (c) North Koreans who were pressed
into the Communist military service against their will; (d)
those prisoners who are re-educated or decommunized; (e)
indoctrinated Communists or incurable Communist sympathizers.
Prisoners belonging to category (a) should have been set
free as soon as investigation bore out their innocence. It is
grievously wrong, we believe, to keep people who are prisoners
in prisoners' camps. Category (b) people, South Koreans forced
to serve in the Communist army but confessing loyalty to the
Republic of Korea should not go in exchange. It was a sad day
when they had to be left in the Communist hands. It would be
horrible even to think of deserting them to the Communists
finally and cold-bloodedly. Category (c) prisoners, too, we
feel must be saved. Just as all freedom-loving North Koreans
are as much part and parcel of the free Korean nation as the
South Koreans, so are they equally entitled to be saved from
the inhuman Communist purge. Category (d) prisoners, too, must
be spared the punishment of being handed over to the Communists.
We are all convinced that the survival of the free world entirely
hangs on how we live up to the great principle of ensuring free-
dom for people who choose for freedom. None of us, I dare say,
deserves breathing in the free world, who, in direct infringe-
ment of the great principle, stoops so low as to hand a freedom-
loving brother over to Communists serfdom and butchery.
4. The Chinese Communists must likewise be allowed to exer-
cise their freedom of choice. It is desirable, however, to
limit their choice so that they are either to choose the
Communist China or the free China now having its government
seat in Formosa. Our very much straitened economy forces
us to admit that it is out of the question to keep in-
definitely so many Chinese prisoners refusing to go to the
Communists at the expense of the Korean Government. We are
of the conviction that Formosa, if approached on the question,
will be found quite willing to give shelter to its own loyal
sons.
TRUMAN
+-MATIONAL
DECLASSIFIED
ARCHIVES AND
NECORDS
R. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or TF
Co
SERVICE"
COMUTDENUTAL
OSD letter, A
4
-
Enc losure "c"
di NC NARS Date 2.20:77
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"ocrText": "instituted in order to find out whether this impossible ex-\nplanation was true or false. In the case, however, of all\nother means failing to get them released, this Government\nwould not object to letting go the extra Communist prisoners\nof war as the price of freedom of those civilians kidnapped\nand spirited.\n3. As regards what are termed North Korean Communist prison-\ners of war thus far held by the UN Command naturally fall into\nfive categories (a) civilians who got mixed up by mistake\nwith real prisoners and impaled; (b) South Korean young men\nwho were, at the bayonet's end, forced into \"volunteering\"\nfor the Communist army. (c) North Koreans who were pressed\ninto the Communist military service against their will; (d)\nthose prisoners who are re-educated or decommunized; (e)\nindoctrinated Communists or incurable Communist sympathizers.\nPrisoners belonging to category (a) should have been set\nfree as soon as investigation bore out their innocence. It is\ngrievously wrong, we believe, to keep people who are prisoners\nin prisoners' camps. Category (b) people, South Koreans forced\nto serve in the Communist army but confessing loyalty to the\nRepublic of Korea should not go in exchange. It was a sad day\nwhen they had to be left in the Communist hands. It would be\nhorrible even to think of deserting them to the Communists\nfinally and cold-bloodedly. Category (c) prisoners, too, we\nfeel must be saved. Just as all freedom-loving North Koreans\nare as much part and parcel of the free Korean nation as the\nSouth Koreans, so are they equally entitled to be saved from\nthe inhuman Communist purge. Category (d) prisoners, too, must\nbe spared the punishment of being handed over to the Communists.\nWe are all convinced that the survival of the free world entirely\nhangs on how we live up to the great principle of ensuring free-\ndom for people who choose for freedom. None of us, I dare say,\ndeserves breathing in the free world, who, in direct infringe-\nment of the great principle, stoops so low as to hand a freedom-\nloving brother over to Communists serfdom and butchery.\n4. The Chinese Communists must likewise be allowed to exer-\ncise their freedom of choice. It is desirable, however, to\nlimit their choice so that they are either to choose the\nCommunist China or the free China now having its government\nseat in Formosa. Our very much straitened economy forces\nus to admit that it is out of the question to keep in-\ndefinitely so many Chinese prisoners refusing to go to the\nCommunists at the expense of the Korean Government. We are\nof the conviction that Formosa, if approached on the question,\nwill be found quite willing to give shelter to its own loyal\nsons.\nTRUMAN\n+-MATIONAL\nDECLASSIFIED\nARCHIVES AND\nNECORDS\nR. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or TF\nCo\nSERVICE\"\nCOMUTDENUTAL\nOSD letter, A\n4\n-\nEnc losure \"c\"\ndi NC NARS Date 2.20:77"
}