TERRORISM IN JAPAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1945, Page 5

TERRORISM IN JAPAN

MILITARISTS’ THREATS EX-CABINET MEMBERS ARRESTED SUZUKI’S "disclosures

NEW YORK, 'September 15. The Tokio correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor” says: “Acute tension, hangs over Tokio, where an intense political struggle is being waged under the very noses of the occupation forces. Two highly placed Japanese anti-militarists have stated that they are being constantly shadowed. Their entire attitude is one of intense fear of ‘hotheads.’ Prince Konoye, the Vice-Premier, has been openly warned to guard against assassination. There are countless other indications of continuing political terrorism, and it would be asking for trouble to imagine that the Black Dragon, Black Ocean, and kindred Samurai societies have just taken up their knitting. Meanwhile, members of the Kempetai, or Japanese Gestapo, are still armed, and the Education Ministry has announced the revival of youth regimentation groups on the pre-war footing.” Colonel Hoover, chief of the censorship counter of the United States Intelligence Office, told the heads of the Domei News Agency, the Tokio radio, and the “Nippon Times”: “General MacArthur desires it to be understood that the Allied Powers do not regard Japan as an equal in any way, but as a defeated enemy whicn as yet has not demonstrated its right to a place among civilised nations.” Colonel Hoover charged the Japanese with lack of good faith in handling news. He said the Domei Agency had coloured its news, both as to the American occupation of Japan and the status of Japan in relation to the Allies. He added that some “Nippon Times” articles and leading articles were detrimental to public tranquility and were causing considerable * irritation among the United States forces. He warned that a repetition would result in immediate suspension. The Tokio radio says that the Great Japan Political Society, which was Japan’s totalitarian party, has been officially disbanded. Leading Japanese imperialists entertained correspondents at a cocktail party at the Imperial Hotel.- They said that Japan’s businessmen had been opposed to the war and were dissatisfied with the present Government. They wanted more democracy. They were vague about democracy, and the correspondents gained tne impression tiiat they warned bust-' ncss interests to control Japan, thus substituting industrial Fascism for military Fascism.

Lieutenant-General Eichelberger virtually invited the Japanese to plan for a new campaign of aggression when he said that The occupation ot their country might be unnecessary within a year," says the New York “Herald-Tribune" in a leading article. “He might as well have said that America required nothing of the Japanese except that they maintain a pretence of humble co-operation lor a few months. His words were unwise to the point of being dangerous."

EMPEROR AGAINST WAR TOKIO, September 15. United States Btn Army Headquarters nas announced that members of trie Tojo Cabinet—Suzuki, wno was Prime Minister at tne nme oi the surrender, Kaya, fmamura, and ino —and also iviurata, former Japanese Ambassador to me puppet rnihppines Government, are in custody m a Yokonama gaol. Hirota, signatory of the AntiComintern Pact, has been removed from General MacArthur's list of Black Dragon Society members wanted ror questioning. Yoshitaka Uecia, wno is twentyfourth on General MacArthur’s list, is believed to have been the “master mind” or the imperialistic Geopolitical Bureau. He surrendered himself. "Suzuki, before his arrest, was moving from place to place to escape tne wrath or Japanese who are blaming him lor the surrender,” says the Mutual Broadcasting Corporation correspondent. “Suzuki said his home was burned down by Japanese. He fled, clad only in a kimono, up a back alley near nis home on the day Japan surrendered, because he feared the wrath of returning officers. Suzuki claimed that he and the Emperor Hirohito had been against war with the United States from the beginning. The Emperor had to approve the attack on Pearl Harbour, fil.it did not order it. Suzuki claimed mat he had approached Russia last June with a peace feeler. Later he convinced the Emperor that he should accept the Potsdam Declaration.

“He said that he had sincerely voiced his opposition to war as long ago as 1918, when he visited the American west coast. After becoming Prime Minister he had had many conversations with the Emperor on the feasibility of seeking a negotiated peace. There were great differences of opinion in the Diet, even before the peace feeler to Russia. He had approached the Soviet on his own volition, without the Diet's knowledge. Russia ignored the proposal. “The prime movers in Japan for the surrender were the educated,” he said. The uneducated and the factory workers making war materials wanted the war to continue. “Suzuki claimed that he had advocated the retaining of the Emperor. He knew cf no plan to replace the Emperor with a Regency. The Emperor was aware when Suzuki became Prime Minister on April 7 this year that the war was lost and should be ended. “The Pearl Harbour attack, he said, was a top military secret, and therefore he doubted if the Japanese epvoys to Washington knew that it was impending. The Emperor "was unaware of Ihe attack until the militarists told him. The choice of where and how to altnek was made by the) Chief of the Military Stall'.” Contain Tokuda, a Japanese Army doctor, who is accused of experimentin'’ on prisoners, has been turned over to the Americans by the Japanese Government. Others handed over include Colonel Suzuki, the commander of the Shinaeawa cairn, alleged to be responsible for the atrocities.’ there; Sergeant Tokvo Tobpta, a guard at the Shinagawa gamp, who is accused of mistreatment of prisoners: Jnsias van P’onst. accused ■of broadcasting anti-AWed nronar/ando in Dutch from the Tokm radio: Dr. Thein MatiM punnet Burmese Ambassador to Japan - and James Sabpi’i. chief civilian interpreter at the Of'unn oemp ivpn is perused of responsibility for the mistreatment of pri"nn.C"s The Tokio correspondent of the “Mw York Post” says: “Some Japopesn sources assort .thr>+ Japanese banned the publication of rionerai MacArthur’s list of war cr’minnis to unrest among '"'trem’ c fs. Others sav that publication of the list-would make t h e listed •^ ,o n appear wa r criminals. The ‘Minpon Timos’ comments; ‘Th-=> All?o<s. ]f pimjner tn orient another) wouM bo ’’volt p-fwepfl to non- I ddor meet pnre'’’ i llv before mM’ng out severe nunKhments to so-called war criminals.’ ”

ANOTHER SUICIDE _ TOKIO, Sept. 15. Kunihiko Hashida, Minister of Education in Tojo’s Cabinet, committed suicide with poison. He collapsed as he stooped to put on his shoes before being taken from his home by Japanese police. HOMMA TO SURRENDER ‘ "~TOKIO, Sept. 15. Lieutenant-General Homma, the former Japanese commander in-the Philippines, when he arrived in Tokio, told the Associated Press correspondent that he was preparing to surrender himself. He said: “1 am ready to take the responsibility for any act of my subordinates.” He added that he had learned from a friend that he was number eleventh on General MacArthur’s list of war criminals. He then went to Tokio from his home on Sado island, off north-west Honshu. Lieutenant-General Homma i was accompanied by his wife and 'daughter and four Japanese civil police. He retired from the Army in 1943. When asked about the Bataan “death march,” Homma replied that he did not see any indications that the Americans were being abused. Interviewed later, while in police custody Homma said there was great confusion after the Bataan surrender. Americans and Filipinos were forced to march because of the lack of conveyances. “I do not know what arrangements my staff made,” he said. “I did not give details on the carrying out of the orders of surrender, though I accepted the surrender from Lieutenant-General Wainwright.” Homma said that he was approaching the conclusion that the final Japanese assault on Corregidor had fail- , ed, when the white flag was raised. Had the Americans been able to take the offensive they would have won. , The Japanese troops’ condition was pitiful. Only 2000 could have landed, as the fortress guns had smashed 28 of 50 assault boats. The battle tor Bataan had taken longer than he had expected. He was surprised at the American radio’s estimate of his forces, which wore actually only one • division plus a mixed brigade.

ARMAMENTS DEMOLIT lON. (Rec. 12.35 p.m.) , TOKIO, September 16. Admiral Halsey announced that the Americans had demolished m coastal guns, 51 midget submarines, and 103 suicide boats on the peninsulas guarding Tokio Bay. General MacArthur’s headquarters has announced that thirteen more American divisions are landing in japan in the next six weeks. HALSEY’S WHITE HORSE TOKIO, September 16. ■ Admiral Halsey rode a white horse in Tokio to-day—but not Hirohito's. When those who assisted him to mount started to walk away, Halsey said: "Please don’t leave me alone with this animal." After dismounting, the Admiral gingerly patted the horse farewell. Major-General William Chase, Commander of the First Cavalry Division said: “I am glad to have had the .opportunity of letting the Admiral ride his first white horse."

HOTBEDS OF DISEASE TOKIO. September 14. Health and sanitary conditions in north Honshu are so bad that American doctors have recommended that the towns of Omnato and Tanabu be placed out of bounds for military personnel. One doctor said both towns were hotbeds of disease. There was only one competent doctor in the whole area. Forty per cent, of men examined. from the Aomori prefecture for the Japanese army had trachoma. Dysentery, typhoid, and paratyphoid were prevalent. Diphtheria was common. A spinal meningitis outbreak occurred occasionally. Tuberculosis was most common, and smallpox was sporadic. Peasants were living in filth. Their bodies were covered with lice, and the food was covered with flies. A Japanese doctor said the situation was attributable to the Japanese custom of concealing the facts within the 'prefecture because they regarded them as shameful.

RUSSIANS FIRE ON U.S.A. PLANE. (Rec. 12.40 p.m.) TOKIO, September 16. General MacArthur has lodged a strong protest with the Russians, who on August 29 shot down a Superfortress. It headed out to sea, but Red fighters again ordered it to land. Then the fighters made a third pass and shot out one engine, upon which the Superfortress pilot ordered the crew to bale out and all escaped. General MacArthur’s protest asserted the Superfortress was obviously an American plane, and was shot 'down after the J'apanese had been ordered to cease fire for a week, and all planes were grounded. The Russians replied that the shooting was to be regretted. It was a mistake, but the Russian fliers knew some Japanese planes were still flying. Russian pilots thought the Japanese might have repaired a Fortress forced down in Japan, and the Russians were taking no chances. MOUNTBATTEN'S ORDERS

KANDY, Sept. 16. Admiral Mountbatten, Supreme Commander in South-east Asia, has issued a directive to troops, saying that the attitude towards the Japanese must be strictly correct and coldly polite. The directive says:— (1) In the cases of senior Japanese officers, use their correct titles but do not shake hands. (2) Allied officers and other ranks will not. initiate salutes to Japanese officers, but their salutes will be returned punctiliously. All Japanese military and naval officers of whatever rank will salute all Allied officers. (3) British and Japanese officers will not feed in the same room nor will drinks be offered at any meeting. (4) Japanese officers arriving for orders or to report should be kept at arm’s length on the other side of the table. They must not sit at the same table. (5) All Japanese officers will surrender their swords when the troops under their command are disarmed. The Japanese traditional flag will not be exposed in any territory occupied by Allied forces. (6) Any Japanese of whatever rank who disobeys these orders or shows truculence will immediately be reduced to the status of a prisoner of war. TAKING OVER HONG KONG. (Rec. 12.35 p.m.) HONG KONG, September 16. Japanese commanders surrendered Hong Kong and Kowloon to RearAdmiral Cecil Harcourt, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in this area. Major-General Umekichi

commander of Hong Kong, and ViceAdmiral Ruitako Fujita, commander of the South China Fleet, signed for Japan. Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser attended the ceremony. After the Japanese commanders signed and surrendered their Samurai swords, every warship in the harbour fired a 21-gun salute as the Union Jack was raised on Government House, which ironically the Japanese had rebuilt and modernised. CALM IN BATAVIA. (Rec. 1.30 n.m.) ' LONDON, September 16. 1 A British task force arrived in I Batavia. The Japanese were polite I and cheerful, and helped to unload I medical and other supplies, and furnished all information sought by Rear-Admiral W. R. Patterson, R.N., including a six-inch stack of data on 130,000 war prisoners in Java. The Japanese asked if they might retain their arms for fear of uprisings . among Java’s population, but obeyed meekly when told that all weapons must be stacked and all troops con 7 centrated in designated areas. RELEASE OF CAPTIVES SUMATRAFRISONERS LONDON, Sept. 15. ' “The first batch of 100 liberated prisoners from Sumatra have arrived by air,” says Reuter’s correspondent in Singapore. “It is hoped to evacuate by air most of the 5000 British and Indian prisoners from the island. Today’s arrivals were wizened, prematurely old men, from the notorious Pakan Baroe camp, in which the Japanese housed the bulk of the prisoners who gave their life-blood to build the central Sumatra railway. Most of ; the arrivals are stretcher cases, 'through malnutrition and beri-beri. , One said: ‘We completed the last link of,the railway on August 22 after 16 , months’ work.’ The liberated men, be- [ fore leaving Pakan Barae, held a me'morial service for 450 of their com--1 rades who died working on the railway.” GUNBOAT STOPPED SHANGHAI, Sept. 15. The Japanese gunboat Ataki, suspected of carrying important personages from China to Tokio, was stopped by a United States destroyer and brought to Shanghai for examination. Her complement of 190 is at least three times the normal complement. Some persons aboard were photographed for a check with war criminals’ files.

ARRESTS IN SINGAPORE SINGAPORE, Sept. 15. Fifty-two Japanese and enemy collaborators, including a commander of the Indian National Party, have been arrested so far on charges of comi miffing atrocities against prisoners of war. AUSTRALIAN GRIEVANCE (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) SINGAPORE, September 16. I The evacuation of Australian war prisoners from Singapore has been . suspended, because the Australians refused to travel on the troop deck, and demanded cabin accommodation. The Flag Admiral of Malaya declined to allow ships to leave the port with 80 per cent of the space not utilised. HAINAN~INVALIDS. (Rec. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, September 16. z\. total of 4900 British. Australian and Dutch prisoners of war on Hainan Island, off the South China coast, are reported to be in a critical condition through disease and malnutrition, says’ Reuter’s Singapore correspondent. All resources are being employed to speed up the evacuation of prisoners of war and internees from Sumatra to Singapore. Several hundred more rescued men were flown to Singapore to-day from Pakan Baroe. MISSING IN BORNEO. (Recd. 12 noon.) MELBOURNE. Sept. 17. Of 2400 British and other prisoners, including Australians, who were at Sandakan (north-west Borneo) in August 1943, only six are known to be alive, says an Army statement. Originally there were 2550 at Sandakan, including Singapore men, but 150 were moved to Kuching. There is some hope that a few of the Sandakan prisoners who escaped into the jungle may have survived.

COMMANDANT’S SUICIDE. (Recd. 12 noon) SYDNEY, Sept. 17. Colonel Suya, Japanese Commandant of all prison camps in Borneo, committed suicide with a blunt knife yesterday, says a message from Labuan. He had been lodged in a compound to await questioning on the condition of the Borneo prison camps. One of the camps was at Sandakan where it is estimated that approximately 2500 British and Australian prisoners died in the past year. It was considered ’certain that Suya would have been tried as a war criminal. The prisoners regarded him as an inhuman fiend and held him entirely responsible for the 600 graves of prisoners of war in Kuching cemetery. After having been ordered to have all records of the prison camps ready for inspection Suya destroyed them before our forces entered Kuching.

; NURSE-SURVIVORS. i JAP. CALLOUS MURDERS. (Rec. 11.50 a.m.) SINGAPORE, September 16. Twenty-four Australian nurses, the only survivors of a party of 65 whom the Japanese machine-gunned on Banka island beach in February, 1942, have been rescued from Sumatra. They were found this morning about 100 miles west of Palernbang, and were flown to Singapore this afternoon. The 65 nurses left Singapore just before the fortress fell in the" auxiliary naval vessel, Vyner Brooke, which was sunk by Japanese bombers in Banka Strait.

Sub-Lieutenant R. J, Murray, of New Zealand, who has just been rescued in Siam, told the story. He said three of the nurses were drowned, with many of the crew. A group of i officers got ashore with the rest of , the nurses, but ran into a Japanese i patrol. The Japanese took the naval | officers off into the jungle and returned without them. They next marched a group of the nurses into the water and bayoneted- them m i the back and macnine-gunned them. Staff Nurse Bullwinkel, cf Adelaide, survived, falling into the water with bullet wounds in a shoulder and being left for dead. Crawling into the

jungle she wandered for several days before being captured. Escaping once again she reached Java, where the Japanese found her working in a village hospital. A German doctor m the same village made secret arI rangements with friends and had Nurse Bullwinkel removed to anoth- . er hospital in Bandoeng, where MurI rav met her and heard her story. Telling of the shooting Nurse Bullwinkel said: “We all knew that we were going to die. We stood waiting and there were no protests. Th' 2 sisters died bravely. Their marvellous courage prevented my calling out when I was hit.” The rescued nurses are all much below normal weight. They told of drudgery, semi-starvation, cuffings and indignities. Eight died in prison camps ' LATER. Twenty-one nurses were massacred on Banka Island beach. Twelve are missing believed drowned and eight died in prison (these with the 24 survivors make up the total of 65). The Japanese ordered a party of 22 nurses

to walk into the sea. A soldier with a tommy-gun opened fire and shot them down. After the shooting the Japanese bayoneted those who were still alive, with the exception of Nurse Bullwinkel, who was thought to be dead. Before the massacre of the nurses naval ratings and civilians, who were also on the/Vyner Brooke were lined up and ordered to face the sea, and were shot, but some escaped by dashing into the sea. Among the nurses who died in prison was Sister Gladys L. Hughes of Walmsley Road Waihi. BRITISH NAVAL AID (Rec. 1 p.m.). LONDON, Sept. 16. It is only a matter of days before the evacuation of northern Honshu, including Tokio, is completed, says the Press Association. The British warships are playing a vital part in the evacuation of what is already estimated at 33 per cent, of the Allied war prisoners from the Japanese mainland. Aircraft from the carriers have not only discovered additional war prisoners’ camps, but helped to supply them from the air. Some prisoners were sent to hospital suffering from broken limbs because in their eagerness they allowed the parachuted food containers’ to strike them in falling. javaneseTdisunity.

SINGAPORE, September 16. There are indications that the forces of reoccupation of Java will have a political as well as a prisoner’ story to handle, says the Australian Associated Press special correspondent. It has been known for some time there are several factions among the Indonesians, the strongest of which is the so-called Republican Party. The latest development is an intimation from the Japanese that this party is giving orders to the Japanese and is trying to establish itself in a position of authority. Southeast Asia Command Headquarters sent the Japanese immediate orders to ignore the underground faction. Reports from Java classify the rival parties into anti-Japanese, pro-Jap-anese and pro-Republic. The position of the Dutch in this picture is not clear. SHANGHAI SHANGHAI, Sept. 15. The Chungking Government has stopped the circulation of the Shanghai Puppet Government currency, which is so inflated that 100,000 dollars buys only an average meal. Businesses and factories are at a standstill pending an announcement of the exchange rate.

INDO-CHINA FRICTION PARIS, Sept. 16. “The French Government has announced that the Chinese High Command in southern China refused to permit the French delegate (General Allessandri) to accompany the Chinese occupation forces when they entered Indo-China,” says the Associated Press. “The announcement stated I that the Chinese were supported by the American. General Gallagher, who allegedly tried to justify the Chinese refusal by saying: “The entrance of the French into Indo-China would risk starting a world conflict.” “General Allessandri returned to Kinking on September 12 after the Chinese Yunan commander, General Lu Hang, had refused to allow him to enter Indo-China because he had not received appropriate orders. This was contrary to assurances given to France by the Chungking Government. , , . 21 t “The announcement added that Chinese and American military officers had indicated that French sovereignity over Indo-China had not yet been recognised by the Allies.”

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16. American officials, puzzled over the official French report that Americans opposed the French delegate’s entry into Indo-China with the occupation forces, said the occupation was primarily a British-Chinese affair. Ameiican expectation throughout has been Prat French administration would be re-established, and the only concern expressed has been that there would not be widespread fighting. JAP. SHIPPING TOKIO, September 15. A final report from Japanese Imperial Headquarters said that before her surrender had 1975 suicide craft round the homeland, including 273 midget submarines and 203 human torpedoes , and also 782 suicide craft at island outposts, including Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Formosa. There were 760 cargo ships, aggregating 1,277,236 tons, in homeland waters, but 154 of them were unserviceable. There were also 154 steamers in Korean, Manchurian, Chinese, and South-east Asia waters. Wooden craft totalled 1266, of which only 515 were serviceable. Japan had under construction three destroyers, 15 escort ships, and 77 other vessels. Work on live aircraftcarriers was discontinued on April 1.

KOREAN GOVERNMENT CHUNGKING, September 14. Members of the Korean Provisional Government in Chungking are watching with dismay and anxiety events in Korea, and are urgently but unsuccessfully pressing requests to the United States Army and diplomatic authorities that they should be transported to their country. The Vice-Minister of Foreign Af•fairs (Dr. Chung Hanpum) said: “A deaf ear is turned to our requests. We represent a coalition of Korean parties. We have been fighting Japanese rule inside and outside Korea for decades, and have led a continuous bitter struggle. There are other political groups, but none compares in influence with the Chungking organisation.” PHILIPPINES ELECTIONS MANILA, September 15. After a warning by the Secretary of the Interior (Mr Harold L. Ickes) that American help may be discontinued to the Philipoines unless the Government purges itself of Japanese collaborationists before the next election, Congress has halted arrangements for an election scchedule for eatrly in 1946. ■