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Texas Corporal Returns From Reds,
Says Others Might If Given Protection
SEOUL, W) — A young Texas
corporal—one of 23 American war
prisoners who originally stayed
with the Communists—said Sat
urday “there might be others
who would come out” if given
protection from dagger-wielding
fellow POWs.
Cpl. Claude J. Batchelor, who
changed his mind and asked to
go home, called for an investiga
tion of conditions inside the pro
Communist neutral zone com
pound and said Indian guards
should search it for hidden wea
pons.
Batchelor, of Kermit, Tex., is
the second of the 23 Americans
to ask repatriation.
His story of life in the wire
enclosed compound near Pan
munjom, told during a 40-minute
press conference here, conflicted
at many points of reports of the
Indian Command in the stockade
now holding 21 Americans, 1
Briton and 327 South Koreans.
Indian spokesmen have said re
peatedly there are no weapons in
the compound and that it would
be a simple matter for any pri
soner wishing repatriation to con
tact a guard.
Batchelor refused to answer
many questions concerning condi
tions inside the camp.
Arthur Godfrey & Troupe
Bock From New Year’s
V5 t To Thule AFB
NEW YORK. LP—Arthur God
frey and his troupe, and a party
I including Air Secretary Harold
Talbott and Gen. Curtis LeMay.
returned Saturday by plane after
a New Year's Eve spent at Thule
Air Force base in Greenland.
The group also included Mrs.
I Talbott, Mrs. Godfrey, and pub
lisher William Randolph Hearst
Jr., who flew to the “lonliest Air
Force base in the world.”
“It was a wonderful trip,” Tal
bott said. “It was a wise thing
from a morale standpoint and the
men were pleased and diverted.”
Keeps Promise
Ti t in " I nmimi itiini m nOTlM
ROME, ITALY — Keeping a
promise he made when he was
seriously wounded in Indochina
last July that “If I live, I will
walk to Rome and pray at St.
Peter’s”, Gaston Moreelis, of
Paris, France, is shown as he
prayed in the square before St.
Peter’s. Moreelis, who lost a leg
as a result of his war wounds, left
Paris on his crutches August 3.
His journey to the Eternal City
took four months.
►
He said he did not want to in
criminate any of the men remain
ing, but it appeared that he might
have been following the advice of
U. S. Army officers who have j
talked with him for hours since j
his return to the U.N. Command
Friday.
Batchelor described himself as
a leader of the American prison
ers, but acknowledged that other
POWs who talked with Indian of
ficers at the gate failed to pass
on information.
This included the news that
Cpl. Dickenson had returned to
his home town in the United
States and married, he said.
“The Chinese told us he had
been prosecuted,” Batchelor said.
When pressed how the Chinese
were able to tell him while he
was in Indian custody, he ac
knowledged that there was “some
contact” with the Red comihand.
He did not elaborate.
WEATHER FORECAST
Compiled by the
U.S. Dept, of Commerce Weather Bureau
Clear tonight. Little change in
temperature. Lowest temperature
expected tonight -10, high Tues
day 15.
Nome data last 24 hours as of
7 a.m. today: High temperature
10, low -6. Max. wind 20 mph
from the NE. Sunrise 9:55 a.m.,
sunset 2:18 p.m.
Temperatures a year ago today:
high 36. low 23. Extremes this
date since 1907: high 36 in 1942,
low -38 in 1949.
Other Stations, 7 a.m. Today
Station Temp. Weather
Kotzebue -31 Clear
Walee -29 Blowing snow
Nome 9 Clear
Unalakleet -8 Clear
Bethel -12 Clear
McGrath -12 Clear
Anchorage 7 Cloudy
Fairbank* -34 Clear
Whitehorse -57 Clear
Edmonton -15 Snow
Juneau 13 Snow
Ketchikan 41 Cloudy
Seattle 42 Rain
San Francisco 42 Part cloudy
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
GE WAFFLE IRON GE MAZDA LAMPS
GE DISHWASHER GE AUTOMATIC ROASTER
Northern Light & Power Co.
Modern Laundry & Dry Cleaners
FIRST AVE. ft: LANES WAY PHONE MAIN 113
EIGHT-HOUR SERVICE
V ■. ; ■ --- ■ , — .
>
With the opening of teletype service to
Valdez, Alaska Steamship Company’s new
teletype network is complete. Alaska Line
agents at key points in the Territory now
can contact Seattle or other Alaska agents
by teletype in a matter of seconds-obtain
answers to important questions immediately.
Messages travel via a network of radio
beams, cables, land lines (see map)-arrive
at company headquarters in Seattle instantly.
This now communications network Is ono
of ■ number of recent developments
in The Alaska Line's constant
search for new and better
methods of serving the
people of the
Territory.
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The teletype net and the company's —confirm passenger reservations
ship-to-shore radio telephone facilities without delay... Requests for space
result in more efficient operation and for freight shipments are accorded
improved customer service. faster service.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP COMPANY
SERVING ALL ALASKA ~ -