DEMOBILISATION OF JAPANESE

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24677, 21 September 1945, Page 5

DEMOBILISATION OF JAPANESE

THREE-QUARTERS OF HOMELAND FORCES (Rec. 11 p.m.) TOKYO, Sept. 20. General Mac Arthur hafc announced that three-quarters of the Japanese army under arms in the homeland in the middle of August has been demobilised. There were 2,253,000 under arms in' the homeland on August 15. CHUNGKING AND COMMUNISTS PREPARATION OF DRAFT AGREEMENT CHUNGKING, Sept. 19. The Central Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist negotiators are reliably reported to be working with the United States Ambassador (Major-General P. J. Hurley) on the draft of a basic agreement which may be acceptable to both sides. A well-placed informant describes it as the most substantial hope so far of a full settlement of the long-standing dispute. “ ENVOY OF APOLOGY ” TO CHINA TOKYO, Sept. 19. The Tokyo newspapers have reported that the Japanese Prime Minister (Prince Higashi Kuni) has decided to send an “envoy of apology” to China because of Japan’s war crimes against China. BRITISH WARSHIPS AT SHANGHAI (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 20. A British cruiser and four destroyers have arrived at Shanghai. They were the first Allied warships seen there for four years. In Chungking, a Chinese Government spokesman announced that the United States intended to send troops to Shanghai, Nanking, Peiping and Tientsin, to help to disarm the Japanese. The Chinese invitation to the Americans had been sent on the understanding that it was a purely temporary measure.

EDITION OF “NIPPON TIMES ” SUSPENDED (Roc, 9 p.m.) TOKYO, Sept. 19. General Mac Arthur ordered the "Nippon Times" to withhold its Thursday morning edition because it was published with a leading article which had not been submitted to the American censors. MORE JAPANESE SUICIDES i TOKYO, Sept. 19. General Shizuichi Tanaka shot himself dead at the headquarters in Tokyo of the Internal Defence Army, of which he was commander. The Domei News Agency says that he accepted responsibility for the damaging of one of the Imperial palaces in an air raid. His command included the aerial defence of Tokyo. Tanaka succeeded Lieutenant-General Homma as commander in the Philippines, but he was replaced before the reconquest. South-east Asia Command Headquarters has reported that LieutenantGeneral Hamada Hitochi, deputy-chief of staff in the Japanese 18th Area ;Army, committed suicide at Bangkok. I Hitochi. nine days previously, received an order from Major-General G. C. I Evans, commanding the Allied land | forces in Siam, to disarm all Japanese I forces.

Chinese Premier in Paris.— The Chinese Prime Minister (Mr T. V. Soong) has arrived in Paris by air from London.—Paris, September 19.