P.O.W. Is Freed by U.S. In Return for G.I. Release

A North Vietnamese lieutenant was released today as part of a one‐for‐one prisoner exchange initiated by the enemy, United States officials said.

These sources said that when the Vietcong released S. Sgt. John C. Sexton Jr. of the Army three days ago they told him that they expected the United States to reciprocate by releasing a North Vietnamese prisoner.

This was the first time that the enemy had seemed to accept the principle of reciprocity in an exchange of prisoners—long an American objective—and led to some hope here that this exchange might lead to others.

But the American officials said they had no reason to expect such a development and cautioned against drawing overoptimistic conclusions.

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