alt cdnd anal TRE TT We -ousanieaneenmBy ALAN WINNINGTON=*-- sennn * KAESONG T Panmunjom in Korea the sick and wounded prisoners of war are being handed over. The main concern of the Brit- ish, American and other POW’s is about the future of the friends they have left behind them in the. camps. That is why _ they were overjoyed at the news that fulliscale truce talks are restart- The British prisoners especial- ly.among the first group to be handed over were bubbling with high spirits when I talked with them as.they sunbathed within sight of the balloons marking ‘the Panmunjom neutral area. * Most of the British prisoners are minors cases—there has al- ways been better health among the British than the Americans owing to the greater care they take to keep up their physical condition. Eddie Surridge of Ware, Hert- fordshire, is typical. He contract- ed dysentry which was cured by the Chinese Volunteers but left his stomach somewhat weak for a time. He told me: “I shall never be able to thanks the Volunteers enough for the care they have taken of me. I believe that the friendship between the prisoners and the Volunteers can extend to the whole British people. “But first we have to get the war stopped and get our pals back as well.” George Pollard, of Hornsey, told me: “I got the same treat- ment as anyone got who needed it in the North Korean camps— top class. The Volunteers did everything they tould to make our lives happy, and that includ- ed medical care.” These boys and many others referred especially to a Chinese woman surgeon named Dr. Wu. “Everything she did was al- ways 100 percent successful, and she looked after many of our TN ALM Iu ih ALJ cin it || RL LUE personal worries as -well,” one private told me. I was very impressed with the medical history of one American lad, Corporal Kenyon Wagner, of Detroit, who contracted tuber- culosis. ° “J hd¥e two good reasons to thank the Volunteers,” he told me. “First, their medical treat- ment saved my life, and second- ly, I am on my way home just in time. I will be quite cured very soon.” Wagner’s case was serious and treatment included many stepto- mycin and pencillin injections, special diet and complete rest in a sanatorium, dozens of drugs, chest taps, X-rays and laboratory examinations. “No one could have had better treatment, no matter what he spent,” he said. His lung is now practically healed. I could not find any prisoner who became sick by reason of neglect or maltreatment and all are full of praise of the medical ‘services from the front to the deep rear. One British prisoner, returned because of a former leg injury, had a bullet through the knee. He was operated on in a bunker hospital at the front, again in a Korean farmhouse on his way north, and again at Pyokting. He is healed but cannot bend his knee. Almost all the sick and wound- ed are suffering from ailments incidental to their war services and, as.far as medical science can achieve it, are well on the road to recovery. The case histories speak loud- er even than the praises of the prisoners themselves of the ex- cellent medical services in North Korea, and in case U.S. authori- ties may pretend that they are unfit to interview. the press, I can state that they are not only able but very willing to describe their excellent conditions in the prison camps. t The exchange of sick and wounded prisoners was a grim. contrast. Out of North Korean ambulances stepped United Na- tions and Syngman Rhee soldiers, warmly clad, sun-tanned, smiling and unstrained. Half a mile away, from the American ambu; lances, ghosts of men tottered, straight from the horrors of Koje Island. They were haggard, dank-fac- ed, stamped with suffering and included an ‘extraordinary num- ber of men with missing limbs. These Korean Army and Chin- ese Volunteer prisoners looked as though they had seen hell. ~The Chinese especially appeared to have been starved and mal- treated up to the very last mo- ment before. their return. I noticed six cases of double leg amputation among only a part of the litter cases. Ampu- tation —as the Germany Army discovered — is cheaper than medical attention. The returning North Koreans wore only shirts and trousers and had neither greatcoats nor tunics to protect them from the biting wind. | The contrast, on the other side was complete. United Nations corréspondents and officials could note help remarking on the fit- ness of the prisoners handed to them. * The British prisoners were laughing and throwing remarks to newspaper correspondents while waiting, and many wore peace badges in their hats. But the Americans allowed no interviews with prisoners here in line with General Mark Clark’s statement that those with “pro- Communist tendencies” would be barred from meeting the préss. Presumably any prisoner who tells the truth about his gener- ous treatment in North Korea would come under this heading. And already, in the U.S. news- papers, the propaganda stories of “brutality,” the lies abel “death marches” —but no about the bombing of camps in North Korea by US: planes—are being used to pols: on public opinion. e' I was able toi interview Kore returned prisoners with perfet freedom as soon as they had beet issued with new uniforms, $77) shoes and cigarettes and had tah en a meal. ius The journey from Koje ie in keeping with the rest of th ' treatment. They were told tt! food would be of “Geneva OF vention” standard, but only Fi two meals during the whole 10% trip from Koje. Both were i eatable, but the last, at Mat was described as “mouldy W® and thin soup, like water: 0 They travelled—sick: mel: tight to a rail car and jammed 80 wach they had to squat all night © 4 car had four armed guards no prisoner was allowed t0, sp | to another. No water was 4, They were made to clean train. ; Until three days before ie left Koje they were dressed, put fantastic variety of “clothes al were then issued with a MM, of new clothes “to save the «ig ericans face,” one prisonet i ed; When the Chinese 4 they looked as though they and come from Belsen. C emaciated, they could jus alut? strength to stand erect qn ref before they were helped pes, the istration tents and out waiting ambulances. hey Whatever other ailments aul have, all were unquestlor’ suffering from advance eri trition. As they left the. ed can ambplances they Ee and leave behind all kit bas! other articles. ae “{ don’t want anythi et theirs,” I heard many po" saying. Stretcher cases SY ining ed up their whole Te” ont strength to push such ings off their litters. is ast As the litters were CA" sable I saw man after man WI the leg amputation and P&™ ode? makeshift stumps @M°, ads 8 legs lay under thelr : illows. F Waiting doctors, a att medical workers ale nroue carefully helped thea f the registration and ever, he! few minutes after, ¥” the fo were being carried ' yes! i rean ambulance, t a re sa ed brighter and they ‘ ing. ‘ Up to that minute, se » still suspected it Pl et other trick ip ase atriation” pian. ai P’The lies about the tn 80% of UN prisoners 12 mong carefully fostered @ prom of American people 2© same now to obscure the n si nif Koje, are being blows the at this village and S00) ath. world will es ‘BY’ SANDY MOWERS J. REID, Social Credit mem- ber of the B.C. legisalture for Salmon Arm riding, has gained considerable publicity, both in this province and across the whole of Canada, during the past few weeks. Many of us know by now how Reid has investigated the “deep and murky secret chambers” of the B.C. school system, and found that B.C. teachers are teaching the “immoral” effect- ive living course, and the teach- ing staff is riddled with “com- munists.” Since Reid is. a representa- tive of the Salmon Arm district, it seems naturak that a great amount of these practices are going on in,the Salmon Arm Junior-Senior high school and according to Reid that is ex- actly the case. As a twelfth grade student of this school, I certainly do not agree with Reid and it is doubt- ful if any other student in the school believes him either. On the night of April 22, Reid spoke at a public meeting in Salmon Arm. Drawing a conclusion from his speech as to what the Socred plan for B.C. schools is going to be was not very difficult. Apparently, + after considerable effort on his part, Reid leafed through a so- cial studies text book called World Geography, and to his “horror found a map of the USSR. “This is outrageous,” says Reid, “and it goes to prove my point that communism is being taught in school.” Also Reid found in the same book men- tion of the advantages of world citizenship. He was shocked again and said it was another outrage. _ One can come to the conclu- sion, after listening to this, that if a Social Credit government came to power in Canada the study of other iands would not be allowed. The very fact that the local Social Credit party is supporting Reid for re-election and that he claims to have Premier Bennett’s support de- spite the premier’s statement in the legislature dissociating Salmon Arm student challenges Socred candidate Social Credit from his views, must cast suspicion upon the Social Credit party. _ It seems to me that Reid, who - is certainly against socialism, has convinced himself that most teachers are socialists and that they are plotting against him. However, because he could not discredit them enough by calling them social- ists, he blamed them for teach- ing the students too much about sex. In both cases Reid is barking up the wrong tree and it is time he realized it. How does Reid propose to teach world geography without studying the continent of Asia? How does he think mankind can progress if he does not an othe achieve friendships CF nH | nations? . iets © As for what Reid inal al regarding as a SeX SOs origi I can say is that it ™ ind 2 ne ate deep within his ™ ast a should think he iS Smract! stage of using such mse measures to satisfy ast a oD ont The students 12 soa wor as well as across oe, to learn more about ie, i countries. We want Pe war with other peor opt want more and sre ig wh tunities for educatio? ‘ore is equally importar’ to @ better opportunitle that education Whe? that 3 ate—let Reid smo