This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas 
http://dolearchives.ku.edu

Newsletter
National League of Families of American prisoners and Missing in southeast Asia 
One Constitution Avenue. Washington, D.C. 20002

January 11, 1971

COMMITTEE OF LIAISON . . . We did not believe it necessary to mention in our last newsletter that the League in no way endorsed or supported Mrs. Cora Weiss' editorial on the Son Tay raid. It was the feeling at the office that because Mrs. Ondrasik's and Mrs. Weiss' editorials appeared side by side in the New York Times our membership would be interested in seeing how the Times presented the subject to its readers. Mrs. Ondrasik is the sister of an MIA. Mrs. Weiss is a co- chairman of the Committee of Liaison. The "Committee's" list of directors is almost identical to that of the Women Strike for Peace. As far as we know, no one related to a serviceman or civilian missing or captured in Southeast Asia is a member of the Committee of Liaison. Mr. Dave (Chicago Seven) Dellinger is also a co-chairman of the Committee of Liaison. Other organizations with which Mrs. Weiss' name has been linked are SANE, U. S. Anti-Imperialist Delegation, the (Los Angeles) Red Guard, Committee to Put the Prisoner-Problem into Proper Perspective (which, hastily formed last August, called a press conference in D. C. challenging the right of Speaker McCormack and others to allow Mr. Perot's POW-replicas to appear in the U. S. Capitol Rotunda) and numerous other such organizations.

The Committee of Liaison says that it is intended to serve as a private mail courier between U. S. POW's and their families. An obvious purpose of the "Committee" is to further its own anti-war position. The Committee's self-interest - as contrasted with a purely humanitarian motive - is re- vealed by its press conferences which accompany every release of mail. Please write us if you have any questions concerning this matter.

Lastly, there were two errors in what appeared in the Times. In reading the editorial Mrs. Pally Ondrasik submitted to that newspaper, we have found that a rather important line was inadvertently deleted by the Times' type-setter: (first column, bottom) "Information released recently by Mrs. Cora Weiss of the Liaison Committee lists names of many men who, it is said, 'have never been detained in North Vietnam.' Some of these men were known prisoners; have been identified from pictures or other sources." Also, the "600" appearing in the last paragraph of the editorial should have been 1600. (By the way, Mrs. Ondrasik very kindly donated to the League the $150.00 the Times paid for her editorial. This is deeply appreciated, Pally, but the article was priceless. Thanks so very much.)

SOUTH VIETNAM . .. Maj. James N. Rowe, USA, who escaped from the Viet Cong after five years' imprisonment recently submitted a book (tentatively entitled Forest of Darkness) describing his ex- periences during that time to Little Brown Publishing Company, 34 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. Maj. Rowe was told that the book would be released in '71; but to expedite publication, please write the publisher to this effect. Obviously, the release of Maj. Rowe's book will add significantly to current public knowledge of the plight of our men missing or captured in areas other than North Vietnam.

There will be a press conference within the next three weeks in New York concerning a petition directed to the officials responsible for the men who may be held in the South, Laos or Cambodia. In next month's newsletter we will be enclosing that petition (which Mrs. Rowe has requested be uniform through- out the country). State Coordinators: You will be contacted shortly by this office and Mrs. Rowe's group as to when and where copies will be available.

AMVETS COMMITTEE OF CONCERN for American POW's . .. Enclosed you will find a letter from Mr. James F. Reilly, National Chairman of Amvets, the lower half of which may be mailed to Mr.

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