CONDITIONS IN JAPAN
Reports From Burmese Who
Recently Returned
ALLIED PRISONERS IN TOKYO
Rec. 11 a.m. COLOMBO, May 20. Burmese citizens who left Japan four months ago report seeing gangs of European war prisoners, whom they believed were Australians, working as labourers in the streets of Tokyo, says The Times Rangoon correspondent. The prisoners wore boots and overcoats, but their uniforms were in tatters and they looked unkempt. The Burmese say that the Super Fortress raids, although increasingly destructive, are not affecting the Japanese morale much. They saw no signs of dearth of manpower, but there is ruthless conscription of men and women. Even geishas are working in factories. They described Tokyo as dull and depressing. The authorities haddecided that levity and amusement were improper while men were dying on the battlefields. The Burmese say that the Japanese showed no disposition to do anything but to fight on to the limit of the nations' resources.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 5
Word Count
155CONDITIONS IN JAPAN Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 118, 21 May 1945, Page 5
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