SURRENDER PROGRESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 September 1945, Page 5

SURRENDER PROGRESS

SINGAPORE AND RABAUL

JAP. PASSIVE ACCEPTANCE

DEVELOPMENTS AT TOKIO

(Rec. 12.45 p.m.) SINGAPORE, Sept. 6

The Japanese surrendering at Singapore include 85 Generals, an unknown number of Admirals, and 85,000 troops. Allied military authorities established the death penalty for looting after a number of incidents suppressed by the Japanese. The Allied military police are searching all Japanese trucks and baggage for loot before leaving the island. The Australian Associated Press correspondent reports the occupation of Singapore Island is being completed without fuss. The Japanese except those on guard duty are quietly retiling, moving hfind carts and lorries piled high with belongings in the oil ection of the mainland. It is an uncanny feeling to* pass squads of armed Japanese who either stare straight ahead or respectfully salute. The excitement of the Chinese at the return of the. British forces is still the most striking feature of our return. Freed from persecutions, their pent find expression in wild cheering, wherever the British appear in the streets. Lady Louis Mountbatten arrived by air to-day to take charge of the British Red Cross. A convoy anchored in Keppel Harbour carries large stocks of nourishing food and clothes for prisoners of war. The next convoy is bringing military bands and mobile cinemas to entertain the prisoners, who have to remain for treatment. The occupation of Singapore means orders valued at least five million sterling for British firms, fine Colonial Office has already offered three million worth. The chief engineer of Singapore municipality stated that he had placed a million sterling order for water supply machinery. There are also plans in London to: supply prefabricated houses. INQUIRY OPPORTUNE.

(Recd. noon). LONDON, Sept. 6 The time has come to hold a toll inquiry into the fall of Malaya and “impregnable” Singapore and publish the results, as America has done in the case of Pearl Harbour, says a “Daily Mail” editorial. Such investigation was always refused on the ground there was insufficient evidence. Sir S. Cripps in 1942 said it was something a future Government might tackle. That future has become the present. Those who took the principal parts in the tragic drama are now able to speak freely. DRY-DOCK FAILURE. LONDON. September 6. Among the long withheld stories that can now be told is that of _ a floating drydock capsizing at Trip comalee, the main base lor the British East Indies Station Command, with the consequent disabling of the battleship Valiant, says Reuter’s correspondent. . x . The dock, a prefabricated American job, was assembled at Calcutta and taken to Trincomalee. The dock promptly collapsed when the Valiant, the first battleship to use it, entered. The loss of the dock at that stage of the war was not critical, but it sank inside one of the narrowest entries to the inner anchorages, reducing Trincomalee to a stores and fuelling anchorage, with minor repair facilities, and necessitating long voyages to rear bases in Africa and Australia for periodic overhauls. The Valiant herself had to be taken to Suez for repair. She is reported to he seaworthy now, but obsolete. RABAUL AND TIMOR. SYDNEY. September 6. Lieutenant-General V. A. IL Slurdee, Commander of the Ist Australian Army, received the surrender of the Japanese on New Britain to-day, aboard the British aircraft-carrier Glory oil Rabaul. The Japanese troops in the Rabaul area were estimated to number 86,000. The Japanese on Timor appear to be concentrating in the technically neutral Portuguese section of the island. One unconfirmed report says that the Japanese have surrendered to the Portuguese Governor as representing a neutral Power. The formal surrender of the Japanese army in Celebes will be accepted by General Blarney. The Japanese commander will be taken to Morotai for the ceremony. SIGNING THE DOCUMENT (K.N.Z.A.F. OFFICIAL NEWS SERVICE.) ABOARD H.M.S. GLORY AT SEA, September 6. A surrender document, vitally, interesting to New Zealand, was signed formally at sea outside Blanche Bay, near Rabaul, at 11.30 a.m. to-day. General Hitshi Imamura, Commander of the Japanese South-East Army, was brought by an Australian sloop to the British aircraft-carrier' “Glory,” and, in the centre of an im-| pressive parade drawn up on the Hight deck, he formally brushed his signature on to the surrender document. The signatory for the Allies was Lieutenant-General Sturdee. Commander of the First Australian Army. New Zealand was represented by Air Commodore G. N. Roberts, Commander of the New Zealand Air Task Force, and Wing Commander P. A. Matheson. Imamura maintained a look of nx-

ed determination during the ceremony. and, after he had applied his signature to three copies oi. the surrender document, he resumed his position of attention. Before the signing, Imamura removed his sword and laid it on the table. There was a sight hitch when he requested that viccAdmiral Kusaka. Commander ol the Japanese Naval forces in the Southeast Pacific, also be asked to sign. After a brief parley. General Slurdee consented. Two Australian stoops lay astern of the aircraft-carrier during the ceremony, and the ships were under the vigilant watch oi circling Corsairs, which roared over the flight deck as the Japanese party disappeared from view down the aircraft lift to commence the surrender talks. Imamura confirmed the statement previously macle to envoys that there was only one New Zealand prisoner of war an Rabaul. There were 18 British, seven American, and one Australian prisoners ol war. Including Indians, Malayans and Chinese, the prisoners of war totalled 8,15 a. He aKo said that the forces under his command totalled 101.400 After conferring with Japanese staff officers concerning the New Zealand prisoner Sf war, Air Com. Roberts and his party boarded the sloop to return to the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Jacquinot Bay. New Britain. Rabaul will be occupied by Australian troops on September 10.

OCCUPATION OF TOKIO FIRST U.S.A. CONTINGENT NEW YORK, September 6. “Eight thousand officers and men will comprise the American Ist Cavalry Division when it enters Tokio,” said a Domei News , Agency report, broadcast by the Tokio radio. “There are about 4000 occupation troops in the Tachikawa area north-

west of Tokio, and additional troops are expected there to-morrow. General MacArthur is expected to transfer his headquarters to the American Embassy in Tokio soon alter the occupation of the Japanese capital on Saturday. The commander of the United States Bth Army (Lieutenant-Gen-eral Eichelberger) estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 troops would be required initially for tne occupation. He added that all Japanese troops will be disarmed by October 10. United States Bth Army Headquarters has announced that . some members of the disbanded Kimpeitai, Japan's notorious Gestapo, will be used to augment the civilian police in Yokohama and Tokio. They will have no authority beyond minor guard duty, but will be empowered to arrest Japanese civilians. Headquarters also announced that Iva Toguri, known to the troops as “Tokio Rose,” had been detained for questioning. Toguri is under arrest as an American citizen. Toguri, interviewed before her arrest, denied having called the Americans in rhe South Pacific “forgotten men” or having stated that Americans' wives were unfaithful while the troops were away. . japanese’casualties.

NEW YORK, September 6.

j Reporting to the Diet a Japanese ; Government spokesman said Japan's Army and Navy casualties totalled I about 5,085,000. Japan began the war with an Army of about 1,900,000 and i ended it with 5,500,000.. He listed casualty figures as follow: Army, 310,000 killed. 146,000 wounded, and 4,470,000 sick. Forty i thousand of the sick men died. Navy: 157,365 killed, 1430 died of sickness, 1483 missing. No figures were given of wounded naval personnel. The dead included 2065 members of the special j attack corps. | The spokesman added that about 65 per cent, of the Army dead “prei ferred death to dishonour.” The Associated Press comments that Ihis-sug-i gests that they took their own lives. JAPANESE STATEMENTS. (Roc. 9 a.m.) TOKIO, September 6. The Domei News Agency said that Japanese buying goods from American soldiers or exchanging goods with them are liable to the death penalty or 20 years.’ imprisonment. Domei said that raids on Japan killed 241,309 and. wounded 313,041. Tokio lost 88,250 killed, 61.306 wounded, and 2,578,000 homeless; Hiroshima, 49,221 killed, 58.839 wounded and 359,000 homeless: Nagasaki 21,501 killed. 51,580 wounded, and 204,960 homeless. Kagav/a, the Japanese Christian leader, who is reported to be one of Kuni’s five civilian political advisers, in an interview, said that Japanese labour unions have begun organising. He predicted that the workers’ struggles against industrialists for better living conditions would be one of the greatest underlying difficulties in reconstruction. He added: There are still 300,000 Protestants and 200,000 Catholics in Japan. He resigned as a Christian minister in 1940 because of police pressure. According to the Domei News Agency American war prisoners sent gifts of cash, flowers and food as compensation to Japanese families bereaved by the deaths of several persons hit by parachuted supplies. An American delegation attended one luneral.

JAPANESE DISSENSIONS. TOKIO, September 6. An influential newspaper, ‘•Asahi,’’ said: A bitter struggle between the Army and Navy, and also disputes among militarists in the Cabinet regarding the control of the country, were instrumental in causing Japan’s defeat. This is the first time for a decade that any Japanese newspaper has dared to report what had long been known to be a fact. “Asahi” added: Remnants of a feudal society, based on a policy of “let the people obey, but do not let them know.” have existed until today, and have prevented the full use of'the nation’s strength. The Army and Navy fought over materials and labour. They heavily patronised black markets in a race to equip their own services. As a result, the munitions production power was halved. Even the Diet often did not know whether to take orders from the Cabinet or from militarists who stood behind it. KOR EANS - REVOLT. (Rec. 9 a.m.) TOKIO, September 6. Newspapers disclosed that Koreans revolted in the middle of August and seized part of Seoul. The Government ■ displayed signs urging independence, welcoming the approaching Russians, and waved long hidden Korean flags. Newspapers also reported the release of 20,000 political prisoners in Korea.

RUSSIANS KILL JAPS (Rec. 9 a.m.) MOSCOW, Sept 6. Red Army troops killed 70 Japanese and took prisoners in a pitched battle with a group which attacked a Russian armoured train 27 miles noith-west of Vladivostok. Small bands of Japanese are still roaming the Manchurian hills, attacking the Russian lines of communication. ELTRMF.SE DISUNITY. KANDY, September 6. Admiral Lord Mountbatten has sent for the delegates of the AntiFascist People’s Freedom League in Burma to ascertain the reasons for the delay in carrying out the agreement to incorporate the patriot Burmese forces (originally the Japan-ese-sponsored Burma National Army) in the regular Burma Army. The League is believed to be issuing instructions which are causing the delay. CHINESE IN NANKING. CHUNGKING, September 5.

The Chinese and American troops who arrived in Nanking less than a week ago are in effect “guests” of the Japanese, who have occupied the city for almost eight years" Nan- , king is showing few war scars. It still has more than 70,000 Japanese troops in its neighbourhood and , more than 15,000 Japanese civilians. The Chinese forces are at present fewer than 1000 and the Americans number about 20 officers and men. The Chinese main body is expected to begin landing to-day. An aeroplane from Chungking yesterday brought British, French, ,Dutch. and Australian envoys for the surrender ceremonies at Nanking. Correspondents who flew from Chungking landed on what used to be the main Chinese military airfield.

INDO-CHINA. PARIS, September 6. Admiral d’Argenlieu, French High Commissioner for Indo-China, has left by air to take up his post. Three thousand men of General Leclerc’s armoured division will leave shortly - for Indo-China by transport, accompanied by two cruisers, as the first contingent of the French occupation forces. More troops will leave in October and November. submariners - hard LUCK. GUAM, September 5. The United States submarine Tang was the victim of one of the freaks of the Pacific war. She was sunk by her own torpedo, which “boomeranged,” according to one of the survivors. The Tang was sunk on October 25, 1944, between Formosa and China, after sinking six ships of a Japanese convoy. The Tang was preparing for'more kills. The fatal torpedo was aimed at a ship in the convoy, but made a circular movement and hit the Tang’s stern. Only nine survived of the crew of 85. MIDGET SUBMARINES SYDNEY, September 6. _Two midget submarines from H.M.S. Bonaventure, a submarine depot ship, which is now in Sydney, sneaked underneath a Japanese heavy cruiser at Takao, in Johore Strait, near Singapore, on July 31, and divers from the submarines attached time fuse mines to the cruiser’s hull. It is believed the vessel was blown up. Coinciding with this exploit another midget submarine from the Bonaventure cut the Saigon-Japan and the Saigon-Singapore cables at the entrance to Saigon harbour. These daring activities were revealed officially by Captain W. R. Fell, 0.8. E., D.S.C., of the Bonaventure, who is a New Zealander, and who has been in the Royal Navy for 30 years. He said the Bonaventure’s first mission was the crippling of the German battleship Tirpitz. Midget submarines put the Tirpitz out of action long enough to enable her to be sunk by the R.A.F. . PEARL HARBOUR INQUIRY (Rec 1 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 6. The Senate voted unanimously for a joint Congressional inquiry into Pearl Harbour. The Democratic Leader, Senator Barkley, introducing the resolution said it had President Truman’s full approval. The investigation should be so complete and so fair that no person could doubt the good faith of the finding. It should not ba conducted to aid or damage anv political party, or bedaub the escutcheon of any innocent man. It should not be conducted with the purpose of gratifying misanthropic hatreds of any person towards any present or past public servant, high or low, living or dead. The Associated Press comments that most listeners thought Mr. Barkley was referring to critics who sought to blame Mr. Rnosevelt for the disaster. The resolution now goes to the House, where Speaker Rayburn promised speedy consideration.

“PEACE” NEGOTIATOR’S CLAIM (Rec. 11.30 a.rri.) TOKIO, Sept. 6. Kurusu told correspondents that ne knew nothing about the Pearl. Harhour attack before leaving Tokio for the ■ Washington negotiations, -lojo was more optimistic than I about the ! chances of peace. I told him I thought things were pretty precarious in the Pacific, and I told Mr Roosevelt the same thing. Admiral Nomuru was also ignorant of the Pearl Harbour P1 Asked if he and Nomura were not used bv Tokio to present a peace front, -Kurusu said Tp.io wanted peace, but, of course, the Japanese Government had .many plans to cover many possibilities, just as the American Government had. Japan decided to put the Pearl Harbour plan into effect, but could probably have called it off had he been successful m maintaining peace. “I worked hard for peace. It hurts me being called a treacherous, double-crosser by the Americans. 1 have lost everything—my reputation, my home and my son, who was shot down over Tokio. Let nobody think 1 like war.” He added that he had not spoken to Tojo since he was rePa Kurtufu is now spending his time in retirement a short distance irorn. Tokio, chopping wood and reading English nineteenth century history m French. PHILIPPINES COMMISSIONER (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) t „ WASHINGTON, September 6. Mr. Truman announced that Manpower Commissioner, Paul McNutt, bad been appointed United States High Commissioner in the Philippines.