CLOAKED IN MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 25169, 8 May 1944, Page 3

CLOAKED IN MYSTERY

ADMIRAL KOGA'S DEATH SUICIDE OR ASSASSINATION 1 (Rec. 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, May V. The Chungking newspaper, the ' Central Daily News,' quotes an unconfirmed report that Admiral Koga committed suicide after the American seizure of the Gilberts and the Marsnails. The Washington correspondent of the ' New York Herald-Tribune ' says that officials are discussing the mysterious circumstances of Admiral Koga's death. They disbelieve the report that he was killed in action directing naval operations from an aeroplane in March. They point out that his death followed the vociferous and false Japanese claims ot victories in November, 1943. Three suppositions are advanced • First, Admiral Koga may have committed hara-kiri as a protest against the reshuffle of the Japanese Navy's High Command; secondly, he may have committed suicide assuming the responsibility for misleading the Eniperor who issued an Imperial rescript praising the fleet for a non-existent victory; thirdly, he may have been assassinated in a feud with the army. He wouldn't be the first high naval officer to be murdered by young army rebels whose protracted feud with the navy was recently sharpened because the latter'was uuable to save stranded army units from the Pacific lslanu*

[lt was reported a few days ago. through Tokio official radio, that Admiral Mineiehi Koga, commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet, was killed in action while directing naval operations on board a plane. Admiral Kogu succeeded Admiral Yamamoto, who was killed in an air action in April, 1943]