NEWS COMMENT FROM TOKYO

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23716, 14 August 1942, Page 4

NEWS COMMENT FROM TOKYO

ANNOUNCER IDENTIFIED AS AUSTRALIAN (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received August 14, 12.45 a.m.) (N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, August 13. A former Sydney radio announcer, who was taken prisoner after the fighting in Malaya, is believed to be broadcasting English news commentaries from Tokyo. He is Captain Charles Cousens, formerly chief announcer at Station 2GB, Sydney Military investigators believe the broadcasts are being made under duress Mrs Cousens has identified the voice as that of her husband, and the identification has been confirmed by other investigators. Mrs Cousens describes the broadcasts as “terrible and tragic.” Former broadcasting associates of Captain Cousens describe the voice as "colourless, flat, and sick,” and quite different from his normal broadcasting voice. They believe he has been tortured or confronted with evidence of Japanese atrocities, and, hoping that he may be able to ease the lot of his fellow-pi’isoners, has at last consented to go on the air. Captain Cousens, who comes from an English military family, was a graduate of Sandhurst Military College. He saw service in the Khyber Pass, where he was decorated. His father holds the rank of colonel. One 'brother is interned in Turkey, another is missing after Royal Air Force operations, and a third is on service in Abyssinia. The Minister of Information (Senator Ashley) said to-day that investigations indicated that Captain Cousens was broadcasting direct from Tokyo. Investigators were of the opinion that the broadcasts were being made under duress.

The voice has been heard on the air several times during the last fortnight at 9.15 p.m. New Zealand time, and again at 12.15 a.m.