TOLD HIS CAPTORS SECRETS , DOWNY SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74B00415R000400100019-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 27, 2005
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: March 14, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

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THE WASHINGTON POST . DATE _140 ___LI2; PAGE
.'1'Qld His Captors Sttri
March 13 (AP)- went
Jain T.-Downey said today he
a M
owney, 42, returned here
20,7ears' imprisonment, to, he..
'With h18. critically ill mother.,,
Hq discussed some aspects of
hie captivity at a news cozdfex
411*0'but refused to reveal de
tails .of the mission that led
'when asl'fcL
d
.Aj
a "secrets" during interro-
-
to' discuss" the type of infor-
mation revealed to the _Cnm-
Downey was, asked -by a
Ile- smazn if he thought "what
you were doing" was worth-
while. "I'd say no," he ans
;vexed. "I'rn not quite sure if
I ,have gotten ' the ramifica.
tions of that, but as I say, I
thought the 20 years for a
I w e extent was wasted and
on't see it benefited any-
b
ody.
It was not clear, however,
whether DowneY was ques-
tioning the worth of the 1952
mission that led to his cap-
titre or .the time he spent in
jail. He did not elaborate.
;;Speaking in a quiet, re-
served, manner, Downey said
during the first 10 months
after his plane was shot down
over Manchuria in Novem-
ber 1952, he was kept con-
tinually in leg irons.
United Press International
CIA agent John T. Downey, freed after 20 years in a
Chinese prison, tells of his experiences-good and bad.
The Chinese subjected him
to "pretty intensive question-
ing" and threatened his. well
being, but never beat him,
he said,
The slightly balding
Downey was released to be
at the bedside of his mother,
Mary V. Downey, 75, who suf-
fered a severe stroke Wednes-
day. She remained in critical
but improved condition, and
visited twice with her son.
hy~PAw~iilrl min... :ate
al "A nr cent j
MAW, nu&
[CIA officials in Washington
said that Downey was carried
.QUs3~enev rolls as an emnlo'P
throughout hic imnrisonm n
44A.&111 get back pay, ores um
.h1.~?f years wnrth g,,t th
'.;Ff; ni otc 1'Pfn cPd to d
how much nownewasmak
u1g-and how much he now has
coming to him. claiming ennl.
i n JE- Downev's nor-
s
Downey, who joined the CIA
after he raduated from Yale
Universitgy in June 1951, said
he never lost hope but felt
1449ness.and discour-
3
agement during his imprison-
ment.
But he said the bitterness
disappeared when he was told
he would be released. He at-
tributed his hopefulness in !
part to a belief that the Chi-!
nese will "sock it to you with
a heavier sentence, then let
you off with a lighter term."
Downey said the agreement
for President Nixon to visit
mainland China "caught me so'
much by surprise that I nearly
fell off my chair." That visit,
last year, and an earlier trip'
by U.S. ping pong? players
"broke the ice" that had pre-
vented his release until then,
he said.
He added that he didn't be-
lieve anything more could'
have been done by the United
States to win him an earlier
release.
Downey described his 20
years in prison as "a crashing
bore."
His typical day, he said, be-
gan at 6 a.m and included re-
quired listening to political
broadcasts and participation
in ideological "study periods."
He was permitted to leave
This white washed cell for be.
tween 30 minutes and four
,(lours of exercise in a 30- by
90-foot courtyard. Prisoners
also were taken on supervised
visits to farms, factories and
the Great Wall, he added, and
his captors gave him enough
to eat.
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NEW YORK TIMES DATE - PAGE
By LAWRENCE FELLOWS
SDedal to The New York Times
NEW BRITAIN, Conn., March When Mr: Downey walked
12- rs over the covered bridge at Lo
as aspnrl n 'n hn Wu this morning he was
h^ gPnev came he to- dressed in Chinese-style blue
nightniQht tempt t~i bedside of
'.2
iuoolhe4 Iin a
i^c l here.
He was freed by China this
morning and crossedthe border
into Hong Kong.
Mr. Downey had left the
United States in 1951, a few
months after graduation from
Yale. He had just started a
career in the Central Intelli-
gence Agency when, on Nov.
29, he ? was shot down over
,POrte I on an air-
borne miser to,_tTrc p supplies
to anti-Communist forces there.
For the twq decades since,
Mr. Downey has been held, at a
prison J# Peking. 1#e' is no_ 42.
His mother," who is '75, suf-
fered a stroke last; Wedne-
day night. President Nixon
ap-
pealed to the. Chi~sse to re-
lease Mr. Downey air t
nose agreed.
ter, Mrs. Joan Walsh, waited Downey and his holier could
fQL-yWord that he was on the leave their plane far from the,
passenger area and hurry to a
last part of u-s trip before tell- car waiting to take them to j
ing his ailing and weak mother New Britain. There Mayor's
that he was on his way home. Stanley J. Pac had asked for a,
Mrs. Downey had lapseTmtb toll ng of all church bells in the
unconsciousness when. she suf- city as soon as the Downeys
fered the stroke. She has been reached the hospital.
Gov. Thomas J. Meskill asked
in critical condition since, but that welcoming demonstrations
has had periods of conscious-,, be as discreet as possible, to
ness. Dr. Bliss B. Clark, execu- ! ; give the family some privacy.
tive director of the New Britain * Dr. Clark said Mr. Downey
ital for
h
h
osp
e
ld stay at t
pants and a blue shirt, and
Hospital, issued a 'statement on wou carried an overcoat and a black an indefinite period of time.
her condition this afternoon,
suitcase. before she had been told of her 2 Fliers Reported Well a the A British ish helicopter Kong g end nd of was the the son's release. "Mrs. Downs 's ?
Y CLARK AIR BASE, the Philip-
condition has remained stable," pines, March 12 - John
bridge to take Mr. Downey to a the statement read. "She con- Downey, who was pronounced
nearby British base, where he
boarded a United States Airj with her family and to take . here today, told American Red
Force Nightingale evacuation normal nourishment. Her vital . Cross officials he had recently
plane and was flown to Clark signs are good." . seen the two American fliers
Air Base in the Philippines. His She last saw her son in whom China has promised to
brother William, a Manhattan November, 1971, during a two- free and that they were also in
week visit to Peking, the last good health.
lawyer, had flown there to of five trips she had made to They are Philip E. Smith, a
meet him, and to accompany China since 1958. 33-year-old Air Force man from
Victorville, Calif., who was
d
him home. Good Behavior Cite When his plane refueled at shot down near Hainan Island
ndorf Air Force Base in. broadcast said Mr. in the Gulf of Tonkin in Sep
.
Elme
Downey had been treed be- tember, 1965, and Lieut. Comdr.
Alaska, John Downey set foot cause msgao aviVr and Robert J. Flynn, 35-year-old
on American soil for the first because "heecconresS'iat--to his Navy man from Oak Harbor,
time in more than two decades. Crudes. Wash., who was shot down
"Really great," he said, "real- a news conference on Jan. over Kwangsl Province, adja-
1 reat " 31, Presi en l- - cent to North Vietnam, i n Au-
Y g e gust, 1967.
-He telephoned the hospital, vtrt ais Red Cross officials here said
l t
n Connecticut, where his siS-[ sas ne snee '"'lies re-
Downey the "arch criminal" -f
all American prisoners held in
China, and had sentenced him
to life imprisonment. Richard
Fecteau- of Lynn, Mass., who
was aborad the plance with Mr.
Downey when it was shot
down, received a 20-year
sentence.
Mr. Fecteau was released In
in 1971 after having served 19
years at the same time Mr.
Downey's sentence was com-
muted to five years more than
he had already served.
Sentence Cut by 3 Years
His release yesterday cut
three years off that sentence.
his after; nn., t.o~ n
nr khP c ,T A cam of Mr- pow
r ev,"He has beenwel l-t ken.
tats. resuma v, money t
the two fliers were the as
Americans being held in China. knew of who
were
At Bradley International Air-
port, near Hartford, the state
police blocked public access to
the area normally used for
loading freight so that Mr,
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 DATE ( k~~3 PAG
owne-
By HENRY S. BRADSHER crossed the border into Hong
HONGaKONGtaefwM?ore than elf am so lad It's like a
20 years after being shot down d Downey told an
while re-supplying Central In- American Red Cross repre-
telligence Agency spies in Chi- sentative who met him, Eu-
na, John Thomas Downey gene D. Guy.
emerged from China today by American officials had a hel-
act of clemency from Premier icopter waiting to whisk Dow-
Chou En-Lai. ney to Hong Kong's airport.
Downey, who is 42, has spent Within 35 minutes of the time
half his life in Chinese prisons. he walked across Lowu bridge
. from China in a 'blue Chinese
He was smiling and apparent- shirt and trousers, a special
ly in good health when he U.S. Air Force medical evacu-
.reKllls aiav o,wa.+ -. .. - eriLS.
-lease Thursday the last two ag
Americans known to be im- Fecteau was given a 20-year
prisoned in China. They are sentence and released in De-
military pilots shot down dur- cember 1971 after serving 19
ing the Vietnam war when years. Downey's sentence was
they strayed over China. at that time reduced from life
Downey told Red Cross offi- ~to five more years.
cials he lived for a while with Those actions were taken as
the two fliers, U.S. Navy Lt. a sign of developing friend-
Omdr. Robert J. Flynn, 35, of ship. But Peking was not
Houston, Minn., and ; U.S. Air ready then to simply release
Force Maj. Philip Smith, 38, of Downey.
Roodhouse, Ill. American officials quietly
`!According to him (Dow- stopped insisting that Downey
ney), they were in excellent and Fecteau were civilians the spirits and
said working se lane of lostron a flight
g
Bolling,
to Korea during port plane to resupply the Kir- at all."
James E. Bondi arector wed from Japan
Cross regional director who the Korean war. But they re in agents and pickup one president Nixon asked Chou
flew from Hong Do. the mained unwilling to admit the agent. The plane was shot s Philippine to with Dowg wneyy. to release Downey after his
The e two pilots had always CIA connection: down. mother suffered a stroke
been expected to be released . Then recently, Nixon, by It was only two years later Wednesday. Within 48 hours
when North Vietnam returned what seemed almost to have iii announcing the trial-at the Chinese informed Wash-
prisoners it held there. But the been a slip of the tongue, re- which several of the Chinese ington they would,
releaese of Downey was a spe- ferred to Downey as a CIA agents were sentenced to Downey's mother, who suf-
cial concession in a new at- agent. Whether this was final- death and others to long prison fered a stroke last Wednesday,
mosphere of Sino-American ly a public admission which terms-that the Chinese re- was reported "vastly im-
to-au ealedwVehat Downey SFee-
ur- proved" to day. She will be
friendship. China had sought remains un- v
?,... to day.
D...e.. A c
d into
civilians
watchers here as more than Downey emerge
nt world political story of their being
a_n
diff
y
e e
simply a govuw111 svo- - --- on a lost army plane.
however. It marked the close situation.
of what China had considered China and the, United States When U.N. Secretary Gener-
ted
Hammarsk
exactlyolDown y's
min
Chinese long hd i of U.S. pro ra are now cgh somewhat warily, Chinnagin 19 5, he obtainedithe is almost internal
a
imp and d 'the tAtyty=a mirror aror while a Chin Sherrod McCall, met
t
which from
the age, at the border and flew shot
tude during the 1950s and 1960s frontation with the Soviet Un- a n o t h of r 11 plane Americans
been
said had
Chinese
with that China was hostile and d wnWAmeicanse s w sCh na down while dropping agents. it escort officerthe Philippines as
prDuringv those those years, U.S and the Soviet the KUnion as part- was a U.S. Air Force orean War hich Hammarskjold saidlwas no one from the CIA sect on of
Downey sat in prison the f the ommmand in the U.S. Consulate was pres-
government denied the finding against the Unit'tgpf or~ a 5 6i~sai~IA DP74B00415R000400100019-3
of his trial in China that he Downey gr ate
aton' ;plane was airborne, tak- Alaska, to Windsor hocks
ing Downey to Clark Air Force Conn.
Base in the Philippines. Downey was met at Clark by
Operation Homecoming offi- his brother William, who said
cials at Clark who are han- doctors who flew with John
from Hong Kong reported he
dling prisoners released from was in good shape.
Vietnam sped Downey on to "He certainly feels and
see his critically ill mother in looks good," William Downey
New Britain, Conn. said.
Almost immediately after Downey spoke briefly to
arriving at Clark, Downey newsmen when he arrived at
boarded an Air Force C141 01ark TTnita 1 Pracc Tnforno_
Starlifter transport which was
tional said.
i
An
h
vv .aay uuaa v
a
c
y
o age, " just wanted to say how
rug I was for being re-
eased I a p p r e c i in t e the
Chinese trial of Uowuey, rcc-
teau and a number of Chinese Chinese government for letting
Nationalists, Downey selected me go at this time and Presi-
and trained Nationalists into dent Nixon for his efforts on
teams for espionage. myy behalf and (presidential
A four-man team was para- adviser) Dr. Henry A. Kissin-
chuted into -Kirin Province in ger," he said.
Northeast China adjoining Ko- "I'm very pleased to be
rea in July 1952. A larger team out," he said. "At the same
was parachuted into adjacent time, I'm very anxious to get
Liaoning Province in Septem- home to see my mother."
ber. "He had a firm handshake
Fecteau joined -the CIA in and he was up to date, very
1952, according to the trial re- well informed," one of the offi-
port. On the night of Nov. 29, cers on the flight from Hong
"
We were very sur-
1952, he accompanied Downey Kong said.
on a DC3 twin-engine trans- prised. He's got no problems
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...Tint+e.r o....,^^._T .
r~ -- ua 11Vi19 nwig wearing a
Approved For Release 2005/06/06: CIA-RD__413 t s O bt' see3clQthing.
 NEW YORK TIMES DATE LQ IM ML' 13 PAGE 1
China to Ppwn ,ey of the C.I.A. Monday`
Mother Critic.-air V
Chinese authorities Monday
d
home.
-2 Pilots Also ire artfor
Mr. Dowpe will be set free]
Due for Release at the Ilonglong border.
Richard Fecteau of Lynn,
Sq Undated Press Intematlona.l
WASHINGTON, March 9-
T,4 White, 1nnncr,. uieced
today that the last three Amer-
.....
i n ~nricnnPr ,_ nn jha
W,Q j e get rP- n,esrr waej,,
ono of 4jjem at the ner_ona re-
wies of President Nixon to
Xmmjer Chou En-lai.
The press secretary, Ronald'
L. Ziegler, said ly~r. ( h
agreed to ca{ y}te the en-
tmnf- nf'rnhn P l1rwn4 of
all;aanpa ency an al ow
h o leave Chin- gn-Mon ay.
ly(r_ Nixon had cent a-t
]IL flr n ar'=r rnntl+cr w" rrit_
1F 1ly ill in NPC_ Britain Conn,
Gov. Thomas J. Meskill of
Connecticut had asked Mr.
Nixon to intercede on Mr.
Downey's behalf.
The White House also an-,
pounced that two American pi-
lots, Maj. Philip E. Smith of
the Air Force andComdr.
Robert'J. Flynn, would bet
freed Thursday. They were
captured in 1965 and 1967
when they strayed over China
during raids on North Vietnam,
Mr. Downey, _ years
has, been un
is hospitalize
New Britain, &nn, near
Continued on ale , Colum 6
Mass., captured along with Mr.
Downey in 1952, was sentenced'
to 20 years in prison and re-
leased last Dec. 12 after having
served most of his sentence.
in his announcement, Mr.
Ziegler said:
"The White House learned
on Wednesday evening of the
illness . of John Downey's
mother, and the President
asked that this be commu-
nicated to Prime Minister Chou
En-lai on his behalf, calling to
the attention of the Prime Min-
ister the facts of Mr. Downey's
mother's illness.
"The Government of the
received until China announced)
in November, 1954, that Mr.
Downey had been sentenced to
life imprisonment on espionage
charges.
During his years in prison in
Peking, Mr. Downey was visited I
by members of his family on1
five different occasions. In
1971, his sentence was reduced
People's Republic of China has
informed the President that it
has. decided to commute John
Downey's term and release him
on March the 12th.
"The Government of the
People's Republic of China will
release Mr. Downey, following
the decision to commute his
term, at the border between
the People's Republic of China
and Hong Kong, as I said, on
March the 12th.
"At the same time, the Gov-
to five years. after a bombing flight from the
At a news conference on Jan. aircraft carrier Constellation.
31, Mr. Nixon Raid Mr.
Downey's release was more dif- but 550 miles southeast of Ma-
Ificult to obtain than the two'nila on feb. 28, when President
ff t
other prisoners because Mr.
Downey had been a C.I.A.
agent. It was the first time that
the United States had admitted
that Mr. Downey was a spy.
lie of China, and in the same
communication, has informed
the President and the United
States that they will release
1 of the U. S. Navy and-Maj.
during the Korean war.
No word of the fate of the
plane or its passengers was
this action."
Mr. Downey and Mr. Fecteau
disappeared on a plane in 1952,
tionto the Government of the
People's Republic of China for
express hi's personal apprecia
{ of the Indochina agreement.
On Feb. 22, after his return
from China, Mr. Kissinger an-
nounced the two countries
would establish "liaison offices"
in each other's capitals and that
as a sign of goodwill," the
Chinese had said they would
release the two flyers.
Major Smith, 38, was shot
down over China on Sept. 20,
19615. while on a Vietnam air
raid.
Commander Flynn, 35, was
Ferdinand E. Marcos s o er o
amnesty for insurgents willing
to support the Government
ended.
Although the Government re-
fused to elaborate on the re-
newed fighting, a well-placed
officer said that the situation
was so serious that Mr. Marcos.
would make a statement about
it.
Sporadic clashes between the
Government and Moslem rebels
in the south have gone on for
years. The fighting increased
after the Philippine President
declared martial law in Sep-
tember and the Moslems defied
had indicated that Mr. Flynn'
and Mr. Smith would be re_i
)xis mourn. from the People's
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''`As, you recall, Dr. Henry)
 Approved For Release 2005/06/O A,: 1
NEW YORK TIMES DATE (O V1ML~13 PAGE to
s C.I.A. Prisoner
omas Dowz ey
By LAWRENCE FELLOWS Governor Meskill said to-
Speri i to The New York Tines day: "He was a tremendQus
NEW BRITAIN, Conn., reader. He would read any-
March 9-V11" TOhn Thom- thing that was published.
as Dnw Pv rnn, +., o. After the Korean war
rltam as a oun boy, one broke out, Mr. Meskill went
o Is c usess _ r into the Army. He knew only
Ii I s1 that Jack Downey had gone
prnn. of fl 1i ?r?,~nt - into Government service, and
? 'Jack Downey had only never knew he had joined
started a career in the Cen- the G.I.A. Mr. Meskill was.
tral Intelligence Agency when sewing in Alaska when her
she; was shot heard that Mr. Downey had!
Dian down in 1952 been shot down. He believed,
over China, like everyone else, that he
in the allegedly on a was dead until the Chinese
News' mission to drop tsaid almost two
caught .supplies to anti- ~ bad been ght and
Communist forces there. Now imprisoned for life.
42 years old, he has been im- Mr. Downeys China mother.made
prisoned in China ever since, three trips to China to visit
morrLthan-,half his life. her son. His brother, William,
` -When his .. 5-year-old a lawyer in Manhattan, made
mother Mary Downey, suf- the trip with her once.
fered a stroke Wednesday Nixon telephoned
night and lapsed into un . William Downey at his moth=
consciousness, Governor Mes- er's bedside this afternoon
=kill 11rged the White House to to inform him that the Chi-
seek Mr. Downeys quick re- nese had promised to release
lease. John Downey on Monday.:
After a personal plea by Their mother is still in a
President Nixon to- Premier coma most of the time. On
Chou En-tai; it was an- the instructions of her phy--
nounced that sician, Dr. RaW Upez, she
Iyt}, _ Aowney has not been told that her
would-b4' released on Mon, son is being released.
day Governor Meskill they' When she suffered the
was no question of waiting'to stroke Wednesday night, Gov-
take credit for the effort. By ernor Meskill was given the
the time the news broke to news by telephone from J.
day, he was away on vaca- Brian Gaffney, the an-
"We can state chairman and and an-
"We were real good `other close friend from New
Britain.
friends, he said by tele- hThe Governor phoned the
phone. White House and the State
The Meskills lived at 27 Department that night, leav
Connecticut Avenue, and the
ing his request with staff
Downeys at 57 Connecticut members that a special plea
Avenue. When Tom Meskill be made on John Downey's
was sick or on vacation, Jack behalf. On Thursday morn-
Downey took over his news- ing, he spoke again with the
paper route. When the Down- White House.
eys went to their summer. "Weare all very grateful
place at hforwood Beach, Tom to President Nixon for his
eskill often went to visit. efforts and to Chinese Pre
They played ball together, mier Chou En-Jai for his
but eventually in different compassion in releasing John
leagues. Tom Meskill was a on learning of his mother's
solidly built young man, but critical , illness," Governor
small. He went to New Brit- Meskill said in a statement:
ain High School and then to issued by his office.
Trinity College. Jack Downey "I ask everyone to join
went to the Choate School in prayers for her recovery,"
and then tgf , and wouil4`_ statement said.
up memb efeen va s d . ,- hospital bulletin this
weight beg. team. Yet moon said Mrs. Downey's
0415R000400100019
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P74B00415R000400100019- 1
NEW YORK T ES ed For Release DATE 1 2005/06/0 I 1-7 PAGE
IM .- #
By ERIC PACE
Special to The New Yotk Times
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31
When John T. Downey was aI
Yale senior in 1951, a classmate
later recalled, a Central Intel
ligence Agency recruiter visited
m
u
the ca
p
s.
"Purely as a hypothetical"
possibility, the visitor men-
tioned that the C.I. might
want to organize resiance in
mainland China.
Mr. Downey went on to beq
come a C.T.A. agent, as Presi-
dent Nixon noted today, ap-
parently the first public con-
firmation of the fact.
Mr. Downey became a pris-
oner of the Chinese Commu-
nists after his military aircraft
was forced down in Chinese
Iteriitory in 1952, during the
KKorean war. And the classmate,
;prof. Jerome Alan. Cohen of
'the Harvard Law Schopl, later,
said Mr. Downey had under-
; taken the "hypothetical" mis-
A native of New Britain, Richard G. Fecteau, who was
Conn., Mr. Downey was men- rAn d _Mr. Downey's aircraft
tinned by a questioner at to- Wl lt.,was forced down, was
day's Presidential nevus c~.o,ny- ialso -captive. He was re-
ference after Mr. Nixpri }off, lease by China in December;
briefly discussed the Gases b RZ4_1ogetlier with Mary Anr
two American fliers being held'
by China. '
Sentence Cut to 5 YR
jvk~,; - ,.Ij4;jlert,,)yho was seized in Chi?11
Mr. Downey's name WAS -nese . waters in April, 1968,,2
brought up by a newsman and while. on a pleasure cruise,
the President disclosed that the ~t
Both Mr. Fecteatl and Mr.
prisoner was a C.I.A. agent.
The President noted that Mr. Downey were officially identi-it'
Th
Downey's sentences of 30 years fied at the time they were ~r
had been commuted to five forced down as civilian em-
years, an action that the
Chinese announced in 197.1.-Mr.,
Nixon said he had "no assur-
ance" that Mr. Downey would
be freed before finishing his
sentence but that the .,United;
States had made known its,
hope that such action would be
taken, [Question 15, Page 201.! On another question of the?
two American fliers being held t prisoner in China, Mr. Nixon;
said that "we have every rea
sai ..r
of the People's u' ic'
---;.
China as the P f~ i
worked out in Vietnam'' 'es
Approve i 210195MA706
John T. Downey
The President did not men-
tion the fliers by name, but he
was, understood to be referring
to Capt. Philip E. Smith of the.
ployes of the United States'
Army. Il
When be was freed, Mr. Fec
eau said that during his 19 years h
of imprisonment in China "I P
was in solitary for so much 0
time I'm not used to conversa- f'
tion." He said, "you get used f
to solitary confinement," then
added, "That's my problem." F
Mr. Fecteau said he had been
in a prison camp in or near
_eng apd that the only other
Q. Mr. President, there are two Amer-
ican flyers still being held prisoner in
China, and they are sort of in limbo
well, three Americans, but two flyers.
I wonder if you could give us their
status, and do you expect them to be
returned with the other prisoners?
A. This matter we have discussed
when we were in the People's Republic
of China, and we have every reason
to believe that these flyers will be re-
leased on the initiative of the People's
Republic of China as the P.O.W. situa-
tion is worked out in Vietnam.
I won't go beyond that because this
is a matter that should be left to the
People's Republic of China, but we have,
we believe, every assurance that will
happen.
15. Case of C.I.A. Agent
Q. Downey, also? A. Downey is a
different case, as you know. Downey
involves a C.I.A. agent. His sentence of
30 years has been, I think, commuted
to five years, and s_
ged that with Premier Chou En- ai.
1 wou sre tb""15e id ' We
have no assurance that any change of
action, other than the commutation of
the sentence, will take place, but we
have, of course, informed the People's
Republic through our private channels
that we feel that would be a very salu-
tary action on his party.
That is a matter where they must act
on their own initiative, and it is not
one where any public pressures or bel-
licose statements from here will be
helpful in getting his release.
0. Thank You, Mr. President..
CIA-RDP74B00415R000400-100019-3
 Approved For Release 2005/06/06 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000400100019-3
THE WASHINGTON POST . DATE PAGE
J r~pacarl
prisoners held in Vietnam.
"We have every reason to
believe that these flyers will
be, released on the initiative of
the People's Republic, of China
as the .POW situation ' is
worked out in Vietnam," Mr.
Nixon said.
The. President was referring
to two pilots downed off Chi-
a-a Hainan Island on the Gulf
of Tonkin, when their planes
strayed into Chinese air space,
according, to Pentagon
sources. Their names were
given as Air Force Maj. Philip
E. Smith, missing since Sep-
tember, 1965, and Navy Lt.
Cmdr. Robert J. Flynn, miss-
ing since August, 1967, offi-
cials said.
John Thomas Downey, a
CIA agent, was captured by
the Chinese in October, 1952,
during the Korean Wax. He
was originally sentenced by a
Chinese court to life imprison-
ment.
Downey's case is different
from the case of the pilots, the
President said. While he said
he had _ no assurance that
Downey would be released., ac
s id he had discussed his case
,~~"~+.,
Lld. c urge fs x
0
,
~.Ysrln
i a ei ni sched-
- ahm~r~f,1S'C
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 SUNDAY STAR DATE PAGE_
oved For Release 2005/06/06 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000400100019-3
.For Husband's House Seat
Mrs. John Dowdy to Run
By iETTY JAMES last night. "I'm not organized
.Thsi - wife. _ of__Rep. John Dow- Yet. We'll probably go back
dy D-Tex., said last night she next week and get things set
-Tex.,
be. a candidate for the up called and
1tonse in the Democratic pri- So many people many In May. wired, I just decided I'd try it.
'lger husband, who was con- I just thought, 'Well, why
vlcted on eht counts of con- not?' "
spiracy, bribery and perjury Mrs. Dowdy said her hus-
in Baltimore on Dec. 30, said band "thinks it's all right,"
he will not seek re-election to but didn't urge her to run.
an. 11th term next year be- Mrs. Dowdy, who Is called
cae of ill health. "J.D.," has worked in her bus-
A q ruling on new trial mo- band's office here for 20 years.
tionsIs pending. Before her marriage, she was
elected a district clerk in Tex-
Calls and Telegrams as,
"I just decided this thing Tile' seat owdy io s iii the
yesterday," Mrs. Dowdy said 2nd Congressional' district in
Texas has been redistricted,
and Mrs. Dowdy is seeking the
new seat.
Moving to Lufkin
She will move from Athens,
Tex., to Lufkin, located in a
newly established District
which no longer includes Ath-
ens but does- cover a number
of counties her husband cur-
rently represents.
Dowdy was convicted of ac-
cepting a $25,000 bribe to block
federal prosecution of a man
who admitted cheating Wash-
ington homeowners. The
59-year-old, Democrat claimed
he was the victim of a smear
and insisted he was innocent.
A ranking member of the
House District Committee, he
was unopposed in his bid for
election last year while un-
'rder Indictment.
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 v'^
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THE WASHINGTON POST DATE /I PAGE
Fecteau Says umnese Held Him
In Irons for Months Before. TO
LYNN, Mass., Dec. 31 (UPI) taken into consideration," k'ec-
--Richard G. Fecteau, recentlyteau said.
released by the Communists He came here from a mili-
Chinese after spending 19 tart', hospital in Pennsylvania
years imprisoned on a spying the Christmas holi-
charge, spent his first months to days spend with his parents, former
of captivity in irons under a
constantly burning bright wife and twin daughters.
He was released from Com-
light, The Lynn Daily Evening munist China, with Mary Ann
Item reported today. Harbert, 26, Palo Alto, Calif.,
Describing for the first time on Dec. 12. Fecteau has re-
the details of his imprison- fused to comment on the
m it, Fecteau, 43, said the charge he was a spy. Miss Har-
Chinese lawyer apponted to bert, who was Imprisoned four
defend him at his trial told years, has denied she was
hime to remain silent through- spying.
out the proceedings "even if I Fecteau, a former Army ci-
heard something said that vilian employee, was shot
wasn't exactly true," the news- down in North China in Nov-
paper reported. ember, 1952, with John T.
The lawyer then entered a Downey of New Britain,
guilty plea, saying, "Richard Conn., who still faces five
George Fecteau is of course years in a mainland China
guilty of all these crimes. prison. The military tribunal
However, It must be remem- which tried them in 1954
bered he was brought up in
the capitalistic school of
America and this has to be
tinually, day and night, and
the bright light of the cell was
never turned off."
"Each morning was the'
same as the one that pre-
ceeded. The heavy iron door
would open. I was passed a
bucket filled with hot water
and another containing cold
rice boiled the night before,
plus a piece of hard dark
bread."
Fecteau also said he faced
almost constant Interrogation.
"Most of them (the questions)
I had no ansWd r for. They
wanted to know about the var-
ious speeds of different air-
craft. Their power and so
forth. I knew nothing about
the planes, but the question-
ing continued. Sometimes for
24 hours or more at a time,"
the newspaper quoted him.
Toward the end of Septem-
branded Downey "the chief her, 1953, the leg irons were
culprit," Fecteau said. 1 removed.
For 10 months after his cap- I The interrogation ended in
ture,Fecteau said he was held
in irons, wearing only the tat-
tered clothing he had on when
the aircraft was shot down,
the newspaper said.
"No one spoke to me for the
first few weeks, 'I had no idea
of what was to corgg. t,I id
realize I was in so
tne maximum security prison; lie
r~
December, 1954, when Fecteau
learned he was to go on trial
for crimes against the Chinese
state.
After he was sentenced to
"20 years imprisonment with-I
out mercy," Fecteau began an
easier routine in another
son, In Peking, where he'
-gam one hour a day of exercise
said. "Guards watched.;ne con In an enclosed courtyard.
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 Approved For Release 2005/06/06: CIA-RDP74B0 00 0100019-3
NEW YORK TIMES DATE 412-7 PAGE
China's Prisoners:
Pawns
In the
Game: of
Peking
Chess
Speaking barely above a whisper
and wringing his hands nervously,
Richard G. Fecteau last Wednesday
held his first meeting with reporters
following his release from 19 years of
imprisonment in China. When asked
whether he had been a spy, as the
Chinese charged, Mr. Fecteau replied
almost inaudibly: "No comment."
In November, 1954, _ the Supreme
People's Court in Peking convicted
Mr. Fecteau, of Lynn, Mass., then 27,
and John T. Downey, 24, of New Brit-
ain, Conn., of espionage. Mr. Fecteau
was sentenced to 20 years' imprison-
ment. Mr. Downey received a life sen-
tence. According to the court, the two
Americans were Central Intelligence
Agency operatives whose plane had
been shot down. in Northeastern China
on Nov. 29, 1952. They had been mak-
ing contact, it was charged, with Chi-
nese anti-Communists whom they had
previously organized and dropped into
China.
In -announcing Mr. Fecteau's re-
lease, the New China News Agency
reported that Mr. Downey's sentence
had been commuted to five years' im-
prisonment, starting from the date of
commutation, which was not specified.
Said the agency: "In view of the fact
that the two culprits . , adi iittea not approve such an arrangement be-
their crimes during the trial and their cause it would constitute yielding to
behavior was not ba,T while serving Chinese "blackmail," Mr, Dulles's jus-
their terms, Chinese authorities de- tification of his decision rested on the
cided to grant them leniency...." assumption that the conviction of Mr.
Released at the same time as Mr. Downey and Mr. Fecteau was based
Fecteau was Mary Ann Harbert, 25, a upon "trumpedup charges."
Palo Alto, Calif. student. American au- The State Department last week of-
thorities thought she had perished ficially still refused to concede the
when a sailboat on which she was truth of the Chinese charges but pri-
traveling from Hong Kong to Manila vately officials admitted that Mr. Dow-
vanished in Chinese waters in April, ney and Mr. Fecteau actually were
196$. But last week the Chinese re- C.LA, agents. As Mr. Fecteau's di-
vealed that she had been arrested as vorced wife reminded the press last
a spy and that a companion in the week, despite governmental instruc-
boat, Gerald L. McLaughlin, detained tions not to discuss the case: "The
at, the same time, had committed Chinese haven't been lying."
suicide in 1969. Nothing was said Since China's "Ping-Pong diploma-
about two other Americans held by cy" last spring, a succession of un-
Pelting, military pilots Philip E. Smith disclosed communications from the
and,, Robert J. Flynn, whose planes United States Government, including
went down over Chinese territory dur- some from Henry Kissinger, the Pres-
ing the Vietnam conflict. . ident's national security adviser, and
It wasn't difficult to draw a con-
nection between the Chinese actions a personal plea by Mr. Nixon himself,
made it clear to Peking that no ges-
ture three of the imprisoned Amer- ture of reconciliation would be more
icans and the modest thaw in Sino welcome to public opinion in the
American relations and President Nix- United States than the release of de-
on's coming trip to Peking. tained Americans. It was recognized
In 1955, the last time Peking initi- that the fate of the two detained mil-
ated a serious effort at rapproche- itary pilots may be linked to that of
ment with Washington, negotiations the American prisoners of war held
had sought the release of some 30 by the Vietnamese Communists. But
American civilians detained by China y
hope for the freedom of Mr. Downey
and 130-odd Chinese scientists and and Mr. Fecteau began to rise.
scholars who had been prohibited There is a natural sense of disap-
from leaving the United States. All : pointment at China's failure to re-
of the detained Chinese and most of lease Mr. Downey. Yet, in view of the
the Americans won their freedom, but, fact that the Supreme People's Court
before Mr. Downey, Mr. Fecteau and found him to have been "the chief
a few others were released, the agree- criminal in the case" and according-
merit broke down, amid charges of ly gave him the more severe sentence,
bad faith by each side. it is-not surprising that he has been
Then, early in 1957, Peking, still ;treated differently from Mr. Fecteau.
seeking a variety of contacts with ; Commutation of his sentence to a five-
Washington and eager to have the year term, after 19 years in prison,
American people learn of the accom- was undoubtedly intended to signify
plishments of "new China," iiadicated If the seripusness with which Peking con-
that it would release the remaining tinues to regard the case. (Four Chi-
American prisoners if Washington nese involved in the episode were ex-
would allow American newsmen to
visit China. Secretary of State John
Fost,r Dulles announced that he would
ecuted.)
Moreover, because of the resent-
ment that all patriotic Chinese feel
h
e
0
e
it
is
fl
s-
ae
of
.te
ty
ell
(as-
pects for the release or the remaining
American, but it will further tarnish
the'reputation for veracity of previous
Administrations. Thus far, the Gov-
ernment appears to be steering be-
tween Scylla and Charybdis.
-JEROME ALAN COHEN
Mr..Coh,en, professor of law at Har-
vard, is a thor of "The Criminal Proc-
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 Approved For Release 2005/06/06 :CIA-RDP74BQg413~209 00100019-3
NEW YORK TIMES DATE [[((~~ 4W / PAGE
NEVER LOST H PE,
FECTEAU ASS~RT
Says He Was AloneSo Long
He Isn't Used to Talking
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa., Dec. 15
(UPI)-Richard G. Fecteau said
today that during his 19 years
of imprisonment in China "I
was in solitary for so much
Mr. Fecteau made the state-
ment at the first news confer-
ence held since he and Mary'
Ann Harbert were released by
China on Sunday. Both were
taken to the Valley Forge Army,
Hospital here yesterday. 11 ;
Speaking in a barely audiblel
voice and wringing his hands,
Mr. Fecteau, who is 6 feet tall
and weighs about 175 pounds,
said that during his entire pe-
riod of captivity "I never gave
up hope." lie said, "you get
used to" solitary confineme t,
then added, "that's my prob-
lem."
Miss Harbert, captured in
Chinese waters while on a
pleasure cruise, between Hong
Kong and Japan April, 1968,
posed for 10 minutes for pho-
tographers a short time after
Mr. Fecteau's news conference
but would answer no questions.
A hospital spokesman said she
would bQld; a,news conference
at 1 P.M. tomorrow.
Responds to Questions
Mr. Fecteau, wearing a blue
hospital robe over his pajamas,
stood before a brightly lit
Christmas tree aduring the news
conference, which he opened by
saying:
`> came in here to ggive a
short statement but t.'do not
wish to answer questions at
this time. I'm in good health."
But then he began to respond
to questions relating to some of
his ,P experiences during his
captivity
cam' el`trieer in or near Peking
an4 that the only other prison
ers. in his cellblock were other
Americans.. He said that during
the middle years of his im-
prisonment, he had a Chinese;
cellmate but that other times
he was alone.
He said his normal prison
day consisted of "reading and
writing and walking outside
my cell."
Mr. Fecteau, who is 43. years
old and whose home is in Lynn,
Mass, identified three of the
American prisoners as John T.
Downey, 41, of New Britain,
Conn.; Capt.. Philip Smith, 37,
6f the Air Force, ,and Lieut.
Comdr. Robert J. Flynn of the
iMr. Downey, who is still in
prison, was captured with Mr.
Fecteau when their military
aircraft was forced down in
Chinese territory in 1952, dur-
ing the Korean war.
No Comment on Spy Charge
The United States has said
only that the two were civilian
employes of the United States,
Army at the time of their
capture. Unoffiical sources
identified them as employes of
the Central Intelligence
Agency.
Asked at the news confer
ence if he was a spy, Mr. Fec
teau replied, "No comment-
Miss Harbert,. 26, of Pal
Alto, Calif., sat on a tout
with a nurse in her seconc
floor hospital room clad in
light green dress when she me
photographers. She smiles
broadly when a newsmai
shouted, "Welcome home," but
said. nothing.
Mr. Fecteau said he was able
to read newspapers and maga-
zines during his imprisonment.
He said he knew the United
States had put a man on the
moon, that President Nixon
planned to visit China and that
!, Henry Kissinger the presidential
$ adviser had been to China.
A medical bulletin released
by the hospital said Mr. Fecteau
and Miss Harbert were fatigued
but otherwise normal. Both
complained of eye disorders,
which Chinese doctors diag-
nosed as trachoma.
The hospital said both had
been eating and sleeping well.
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 Approved For Release 2005/06/06: CIA-RDP7
THE WASHINGTON POST DATE--
J U :reed Ainer
icy Lee Linder, five yr six years" in a prison
Aiiociated,Press in Peking, the Red Chinese
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 15 'capital.
-An _ Army civilian em- "I" not bitter at the
ployee who spent nearly Chinese," Fecteau said.
half of his 19 years in a Asked if he were saying
Communist prison in soli- that because he' feared re-
tary said today he was' ge'n- talia-tion a a i n s t other
erally well treated bust that Americqji,prisoners in China,
the loneliness had _ left its Fecteau replied, "No com-
mark. ment,"
"I was alone so long,"_ said He said his trial on spy
Richard G. Fecteau, 42, his charges "lasted about an
voice almost inaudible at hour."
times as he met with news- "I was tried two years
men. "I was in solitary the after my capture and I got a
first three years and the last lawyer the day of the trial,"
used to that, but that's one
of my problems now. I was
alone so long." "His home is
Hospi-, Lynn, Mass.
p400100019-3
PAGE
he said and then grinned,
explaining: "He (the lawyer)
said something about that I
-was educated in American
schools and therefore didn't
know anything."
Clad in blue military paja-
mas, he replied to questions
in short, sometimes incom-
plete sentences.
Mary Ann Harpert, 25, of
Palo Alto, Calif., a prisoner
in China for more than
=three years, was released
with Fecteau Sunday.
fli ht 041- ~. .,,.c. "10 tocu aL various
, g F49 R Kong. times during his imprison
Mai. Allen Yanoff, a staff ment. "One was a colonel,
Thysician, said both . ap- one had been an interpreter
-peared somewhat #atigued for 'the Japanese and one
i
Americans, including John
Fecteau declined to com- T. Downey, 41, of New Brit-
?n? ?i . .circumstances ain, Conn., who was aboard
of his capture and on a plane with Fecteau when
;charges f
fishy normal, although Miss
Harbert" who weighs 97
pounds, "appears somewhat
IPn"
cans had walked on Central Intelligence Agency
A
the moon and that President spies engaged in dropping
Nixon was planning to visit Nationalist Chinese opera-
?spying- MAUr it was shot down over China
against him by the Chinese. on a flight from Japan to
He said that in the first Korea in 1952 during the
six months after his capture Korean War.
he was interrogated con- Downey, sentenced to life,
Itantly but declined to give has had his sentence com-
any information to his inter- muted to five years, effec-
rogaters. tive with the date of the com-
For the most part, he said mutation, believed to be re-
he was able to keep abreast cently. Fecteau said he last
of news happenings by read- t saw Downey a few months
-g the English-language Pe-, ago.
k
piled *XT i i1eYiew, which was sup- The Chinese charged that
Y.
e__ knew that Fecteau and Downey were
~
flint Visit is Im_ - c large repeatedly denied by
port alit," he said, "it will the United States.
held ease rel
tions between Fecteau identified the
a
t?t- cousita 3es, , otter Americans as:
Fecteau 19?id, "It was a =Air Force Capt. Philip
surprise to be., released. I E. Smith, shot down over
thought I would have to do the Gulf of Tonkin in Sep-
aother year, but I. never tember, 1965.
itt