Uninvited Guests

Hacking its way through jungles, a rescue party is inching toward a wrecked transport plane locked in the almost uncharted Naga Hills of northern Burma. With the 19 American and Chinese survivors of the crash are a U.S. Air Forces doctor and two enlisted men, who parachuted from a rescue plane.

The four-engined transport crashed from motor failure on a flight from India, to China. There had been just time to radio the nearest Allied base, an American outpost 100 miles away, then crew and passengers bailed out. All but two of the 21 landed safely. Among them: William L. Stanton, of the U.S. Office of Economic Warfare; John Davies, second secretary of the American Embassy at Chungking; Eric Sevareid, CBS news commentator; several Chinese colonels.

Hours later a rescue plane spotted them. Colonel Don Fliekinger, flight surgeon and holder of the Distinguished Flying Cross, saw a message on the ground spelled out with parachute cloth: "Send medical man with rescue party." Landing was impossible in the thick jungle. He and two soldiers carrying medical supplies parachuted down.

The 22 face no danger from the Japs.

But it will be weeks before the ground party can slash its way through and bring them out. Meanwhile planes make daily flights to drop supplies of food, tents, clothing--and trinkets to pacify their hosts, a tribe of headhunters.

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