U.S. SEEKS WAY TO FREE HERTZ, CAPTIVE OF REDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300260047-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 3, 2000
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: March 28, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2001b'1bV 6AM&M5-00001 R000300260047-6
'e6AR 2 8 1966
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g it ~e om on. W ? GUSTAV C. HERTZ
Attempts to get Hertz re-1'
leased have revolved around up the ma'bter with President.
oposals to swap him for Hai. Ben Bella.
eportedly involved in the T're National Liberation
egotiations have been Sen. Front, pol.icibal arm of the Viet
obert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y., the Cong, braid representatives M
Igerian government, and Algiers who were in regular
anford Gottlieb.. political action 'contact with the Algei' an
irector of the Committee for a government.
ane Nuclear Policy. But Ben Bella was overthrown
The in a military coup last June 19
negotiations have been before he could begin serious
arried out in great secrecy. negotiations with the Viet Cong.
hey became public over the Later, the new Algerian presi
eekend when the New York dent, Hourai Boumedlenne, took
ally News carried a story up where Ben Bella bad left off.
om Saigon reporting them. Tlie Algerians reported ' the' i
he Washington Post then Viet Cong were willing to
rinted a story in its later l exchange Hertz' for Hai, but an
ditions and the New York agreement was never conclud-
erald Tribune carried a story ec,.
is morning. Later, sources in Saigon
Whether the publicity given reported a $20,000 rasnsom might
e attempts to free Hertz will ; bring Hertz'. release. Under the
amper them cannot now beidi cction of the Central Intelli-
etermined. gence Agency, the monny was
The effort to free Hertz. madeavailable, but Hertz was
,those brother A. Burke Hertz not released.
ives in Fails Church, aopanent-I Gottlieb is understood also to
y began when members of b1s have communicated with nn-
amity approached- Kennedy, tarts in Algiers. He reportedly
ho, with the consent of the was informed the Viet Cong
Hite House, met with Algerian; were still willing to exchange
mbassador Cherif Guelal. Tire Hertz for Hai, but again noibhing
mbassador promised to take came of it.
ai was arrested for participat-
tl b b' ' or ` t`, U S
. j
he United States has been
a empting to obtain the release
o Gustave C. Hertz of Lees-
b rg, Va., who was kidnaped by
t 1c, Viet Cong nearly 14 months
ago.
Hertz, 48, an official of the
ency for International Devel-
o ment, was kidnaped Feb. 2,
1 65, while cycling in the sub-
u 'us of Saigon. Two months
1 ter, a communique broadcast
f m Hanoi said he,was in thc;
c stody of the Viet Cong and
uld be executed if a Crmmu-
n st terrorist were put to death.
The death sentence imposed
o the terrorist, Nguyen.. Van
I ai, has not been carried out.
Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300260047-6