CAPITULATION TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 25566, 20 August 1945, Page 5

CAPITULATION TO-DAY

MEETING WITH JAP. GENERAL WARSHIP PROCEEDS TO SEA (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, August 20. The commander of the Japanese forces on Bougajnville, General Kanda, will, it is expected, formally surrender to-day. H.M.A.S. Lithgow, an Australian corvette, sailed from Bougainville last night to meet General Kanda at sea and bring him to Torokine for the sur-

render ceremony to-day. Aboard the Lithgow is a small party of Army officers, Press correspondents, and photographers. If General Kanda obeys the orders handed to his convoy y.etserday he will be foUnd 011 a barge six miles off Moila Point, the southernmost tip of Bougainville. Negotiations for the surrender of the Japanese in New Guinea have been delayed until next Wednesday. Australian representatives have made two visits to Museliu Island, off the Wewak coast, but the spokesman for the Japanese rear-admiral commanding the naval forces on Museliu and the adjacent island of Kairiru refused to capitulate without the authority of Lieutenant-general Adachi, commander of the Japanese Eighteenth Army, which, he said was under the regional commander'of Singapore to whom surrender might be referred. The naval spokesman on Saturday agreed to communicate with General Adachi asking for authority for tbe garrison on the islands to-lay. down its arms and instructing him of Australia’s orders that he should proceed to the nearest airfield from his. inland base. Because it is estimated it null take four days for a reply to be received from General Adachi further negotiations, have been postponed till Wednesday afternoon.