MOTHER ON WAY TO VISIT SON IN RED CHINA PRISON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300130017-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: November 2, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON S rAR
Sanitized - ApprovRFo~ Flfase :
FOIAb3b
CPYRGHT
Mother on Way
To Visit Son in
Red China Prison
HONG KING (AP) - Mrs.
Mary Downey of Now . ra am,
Conn., arrived in Hong King to-,
day on her way to Peking for'
her, fourth visit to her son John
in a Chinese Communist prison.
Mr?. Downey was aecompan-I
ied by another son, William. She
said site had permission to spend
two weeks in Red China and
planned to cross the border
Thursday.
John Downey, a civilian em-
ploye of the U.S. Army, was
aboard -a plane the Chinese Reds
shot ' down in November, 1952.
The Communists charged he waa
dropping supplies to anti-Com-
munist agents in China. The
United States said he was a
passenger on a flight from Ko-
rea to Japan. He vas, sentenced
to life in prison on espionage
charges.
Mrs. Downey declined to com-
ment on prospect: for her son's
release. Asked whether she
would renew previous pleas to
the Peking government, William
Downey said, "We will see."
Mrs. Downey last; visited her
son in Peking in May, 1962. In
1960, Chinese Red Cross officials
had told her that, John eventu-
ally might be released for good
behavior.
Mrs. Downey, tired and nerv-
ous after her flight, told news-
men. the family received letters
once a month from John.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300130017-3