Nation: THE PLIGHT OF THE PRISONERS

• Share

(4 of 4)

The U.S. has repeatedly accused the North Vietnamese of treating U.S. prisoners in brutal and inhumane ways. The accusations have seemed well-founded, especially in view of Hanoi's refusal to divulge the names of the men it holds and to allow a free flow of mail. But the testimony of the returning peace delegation seemed slightly hopeful. There was, of course, the possibility that the delegates were shown only carefully selected scenes by the North Vietnamese and were thus unwittingly taken in. It is also possible that their own sympathies colored their reports. Still, their testimony on the whole seemed credible, suggesting that the Americans in North Vietnamese prison camps are not treated with deliberate cruelty, compared with the Korean War or the horrors endured by the captive Pueblo crew. Thus there is hope that the Americans in North Vietnamese prison camps will endure their bitter lot until a negotiated settlement of the war finally brings them home.