NATIVE FORCES ON BOUGAINVILLE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24633, 1 August 1945, Page 6

NATIVE FORCES ON BOUGAINVILLE

* ORGANISATION BY “TRIBAL HITLER” 'N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 31. "A powerfully-built native with the must evil-looking face on Bougainville has caused the deaths of nearly 2000 Japanese in the last few months,” says a war correspondent of the Sydney “Daily Telegraph.” The native is named Misiami and is described by the correspondent as “a power-crazed little tribal Hitler, who is in many ways a genius.” The story of Misiami is one of the most remarkable in native history. Insolent and overbearing to the resident authorities, he served many gaol terms before the war but at no time is he known to have co-operated with the Japanese. Instead he raised a strong force among his tribal mates and went into action with bows and arrows, knives and spears. Members of small Japanese parties were often found on the tracks with their throats slit. When the Americans invaded Totokina, and particularly when the Australians took over in February, Misiami gave full play to his undoubted military genius. He led his tribe against a Japanese camp and captured several weapons. When he had learned how to handle the weapons he ran the equivalent of a military staff school for the other natives. Misiami's men stood in such high favour with the Australians that the intelligence reports often contained the brief announcement: “Our aircraft gave support to partisan forces.”