U.S. SCORES HANOI ON P.O.W. FILMS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP75-00149R000800080008-1
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
November 11, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 10, 1998
Sequence Number: 
8
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 27, 1967
Content Type: 
NSPR
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PDF icon CIA-RDP75-00149R000800080008-1.pdf103.09 KB
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Sanitized - Approved Fo l etWOMME DP75-00149R000800080008-1 LP2?467 CPYRGHT U.S. SCORES HANOI ON P. 0. W. FILFi1S Voices. Concern That Foe Has Role in Trafficking Special to The New York Times WASHINGTON, Sept. 26- .today its concern that North Vietnam might be trafficking movie films of captured Amer- ican prisoners of, war for prop- aganda purposes. United states television in- dustry sources reported that the East German film agency m signed the Approached by East Ger.naos Nth Vietna that or with a disclose[ ' GarsAa -1, sccuted and convicted for war 'approached the network about sc e c: tines" should not be protected a month ago with an ofer of by the Geneva convention several hours of film footage of 1, anoi maintains that downed prisoners at an asking Fr war trim ,&.merican fliers are $500,000. vials" and not prisoners of war. . Mr. Paskman said that the -American officials are con- agency was willing to ;irovide caned also that in some In* advance screening of only part stances North Vietnam may be, of the film and that C.E.S. was jiving intermediaries altered unwilling; to go along with such oundtr of American a en "confessing war crimes" to an offer. films has decreasird fe o rl o along with ,films taken by the time they were fir;,t ben ' t ethers. made available several month In at least two instances, pr . R +l he said. fessional lip readers have re- egol ported that the lip movements, ~ Reuven Frank, execu ive vie : 111. in of the, airmen being photo- sident of N.B.C. N m5, graphed were not synchonized .icated thatalsothe East Ged r had appro,-.I31 with the soundtrack. In one agency instance, last spring, lip readsrs network. they h i~'e?" n ; reported that the airmen were - ,'I dare say Y making small talk about their s Lid in a telephone iz+tervie families and not "confessions." -We've signed no cont -act wit Spokesmen for both the Na- ~hhem. But I won't tell y stl tional ? Broadcasting Company there won't be any coraract b and the Columbia Broah nsg ? I wouldn't. rule out an''-! System said they had purchased film o prisoner interviews from Asked about theni$5r00,0( e 0 North Vietnam y' marketed by $Vewouldn't pay th-,t for i" " i I~enpa News' Agency' of f Tokyo O. and filmed by a Japanese cam- Mr. Frank said that ,t'.,e no l i re Hanoi. careful Both said check' film was $100 to $2C=J. Braman?,o undtracks to insure price for a one-to-t.hr,:e-min e j they were e that Industry sources sE.id that inI was an American. voice speak addition to the Eas-ieGeri x itig and to label their broad- and Japanese agen casts as "Communist-approved from Hanoi was alsc avails 1c:1 film" where appropriate. through such leftist free-l? ce, newsmen as Roger Pic, a "We have to buy this stuff. We're not getting handouts Frenchman, and Felix Gre c, from the North Vietnamese a British subject wh(' reside government;' Ralph B. Pask- Palo Alto, Calif., beta of w t man, assistant director of news have access to Nort.i Vieth nj ', for C.B.S., said. Deutsche Film Agentur, had been tryitlg to market several hours of'film footage of cap- tured American airmen at an asking price of $500,000.. Well- placed sources said they were concerned that Hanoi might re- ceive sonic kickback from any such sales. Officials here also voiced concern that North Vietnam was attempting to distribute films of American prisoners. through "middle men" in other' countries to antiwar groups. The officials said they were' zinxious to avoid criticism of the legitimate operations of American news agencies and, television networks which, be-' cause they have been refused entry into North Vietnam, have' bought films from Japanese,' East German, Frech, British or other cameramen' who have been there. I Openly Critical of Hanoi But the Government is open- ly critical of Hanoi for showmf, 3oriers and -1 ang the distribution of flms. rornOt it Robert J. McCloskey, the State Department spokesman. said today at a news briefinl; that the United States felt that "to the extent that it, in effect.] parades prisoners in public dds-1, play" for the sake of props-', Fanda, Hanoi was acting In, contravention" of the Genev