HARA-KIRI SEQUEL TO LEADER'S FAILURE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 57, 9 March 1942, Page 5

HARA-KIRI SEQUEL TO LEADER'S FAILURE

PHILIPPINE REPORT

U.S. Artillery Decimates

Enemy Column

British omclal Wireless. Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, March 8. From various sources hitherto regarded as reliable. General MacArthur has received reports that Lieutenant-General Homma, com-mander-in-chief of the Japanese forces in the Philippines, has committed hara-kiri. According to these reports, which lack complete verification, the reason for the Japanese general's suicide was the fact that his numerically superior forces have been unable to destroy the American and Philippine defenders of Batan and Corregidor.

The funeral rites are reported to have been held on February 26 at Manila, and were attended by personal representatives of Emperor Hirohito, after which, Homma's ashes were flown to Japan for interment in an appropriate shrine.

An interesting ironical detail of the story is that the suicide and funeral rites occurred at a suite of the Manila Hotel, which was occupied by General Mac Arthur before the evacuation of Manila. General MacArthur advises he is continuing his efforts to secure further evidence of the truth or falsity of these reports.

A Washington communique states that an enemy infantry regiment moving to the front north of Abucay, 25 miles from the tip of Batan Peninsula suffered heavy casualties as the result of a surprise attack by United States artillery from hidden positions. The regiment was evidently intended to supply reinforcements for the Japanese line, and was moving to the front in 90 trucks. Its estimated strength was 2500 men.

Twenty-nine trucks, with most of their occupants were destroyed.

A new Japanese landing in the Philippines theatre is recorded in a United States communique, which says: "Except for slight artillery fire and ineffective enemy air raids, there has been no activity on Batan Peninsula. A comparatively small force of Japanese troops, accompanied by tanks, landed at Kalapan, on Mindoroa Island, a few miles south of Luzon. Several ports on the east coast of the island were shelled by enemy naval craft.

"There was desultory fighting between patrols on the outskirts of Amboanga, on Mindanao."