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

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• 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
• Publication Date: September 27, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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