TO BE DISBANDED

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 63, 12 September 1945, Page 7

TO BE DISBANDED

JAPAN'S SECRET POLICE

Rec. 11 a.m.

TOKIO, Sept. 12,

The Kempei Tai, Japan's secret police, will be disbanded completely by October 15, said Lieut.-General Jo Imura, commanding general of the organisation, in an interview with a correspondent of the Associated Press of America.

"Don't worry about secret organisations. There won't be any," he said. "I am obedient only to the Emperor's will. Our chief concern at present is the establishment of peace in this country. We won't permit steps towards a secret underground movement." The correspondent adds that General Imura and his chief subordinate. Lieut.-General Otogory .Ishida, have pledged themselves to be personally responsible to repress any moves against the occupation troops and against world peace. General Imura served in New Guinea and the Celebes, and was appointed to his present post on August 21 to keep down bloodshed during the occupation. General Ishida, who has been in the gendarmerie for 27 years, said that many records of the gendarmerie were burned in the Super-Fortress raids and others were destroyed voluntarily because -the organisation was being disbanded. He denied that they were destroyed to eliminate evidence against the gendarmerie. He added that the gendarmerie had interrogated 40 or 50 prisoners and he was unaware of any brutality.