JAPANESE COMMUNISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 October 1945, Page 5

JAPANESE COMMUNISTS

ILL-TREATMENT ALLEGED EAGER TO RESUME ACTIVITY TOKIO, October 4. A Japanese Domei Agency reporter who visited the infamous Fuchugaol, 13 miles west of Tokio, said: “Hundreds of political prisoners are anxiously awaiting release by the Allies. Tales of horror and brutality were related by. Japanese and Korean Communists. ' Ten thousand Communists were rounded up in 1929, beaten with baseball bats, and tortured. Finally, all but 1200 were released. Seven Communists were hanged, more than 200 died from beatings, and 200 more died from malnutrition and mistreatment. . , “Communists who were interviewed expressed a desire to participate again in political activity and said that the land must be given to the people The Communists must nd the country of the Emperor system. This, they said, could be accomplished only by revolution, and. therefore blood must flow. “The Fuchu gaol was guarded only by Japanese. Kyuichi Tokuda, general secretary of the Japanese Communist Party, was imprisoned in for 10 months for disturbing the peace, and was again imprisoned in 1928 for six years. He was latei sentenced to a further 10 years. Yoshido Shida, editor of a Communist newspaper, was imprisoned in March, 1928. Shito Matamura was sentenced to 15 years in 1927, and the sentence was later changed to life imprisonment, when he was described as a dangerous character.”

“CRY-BABY” CRIMINAL. (Reed. 11.35 The big “cry-baby” among the 34 war criminals locked up in Yokohama prison is “The Butcher of Warsaw” Colonel Meisinger. He pleads for sleeping pills, reports guards who watch his twitching face through a cell door peephole, and he reiterates tearfully: “When .do I get outr I haven’t done anything. It must have been my officers.” The prison’s executive officer, Major Lattal, said the J a P al ].ese prisoners were, tactiturn, but all the prisoners were visibly shaken when they happened to see an American picture magazine depicting the trials and hanging of German war criminals. The prisoners get the same food as the guards, but the American cook complains that they eat as much as 100 American soldiers. COTTON SPINNING TOKIO, October 4. The first Americans to land at Hakodate, on Hokkiaido island. North Japan, did so to-day. Others will land at Otaru and Sapporo to-mor-The Japanese Cotton Spinning Association reported that result of the war has only 39 mills compared with 291 in. 1937. More than 10,000,000 spindles were scrapped during the war, and 560,000 were destroyed by bombs. The re maining plants operated at °ne-third of capacity turning out 15,000 to 20,000 bales of yarn monthly.

ALLIES’ COMMISSION. LONDON, October 3. The Moscow radio says that M. Molotov, in a letter to the Umted States Secretary of State (Mi. Byrnes) referred to the statement made by Mr. Byrnes in London on Sentember 28, thcit agreement had. been reached for the establishment of a Far Eastern Consultative Commission, to which Russia find China had “given their consent.’ Mr. Molotov said: “The statement does not exactly describe the position. The Soviet Government as far back as September 24 handed the council of Foreign Ministers a memorandum containing a proposal for the formation of a Control Council for Japan with headquarters m Tokio, composed of representatives of Britain, America, China, and Russia with an American chairman. The formation of a Consultative Commission should be preceded by the formation of a Control Council, because postponement will create considerable difficulties. The commission should include the other countries which have taken an active part in the war against Japan.” AUSTRALIAN COURT

CANBERRA, Oct. 4. Power for an Australian court to sentence to death war criminals guilty of atrocities and outrages is provided in a Bill for the trial and punishment of war criminals introduced in the House of Representafives to-day by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Beasley. . “There will be no delay m dealing with war criminals,” Mr. Beasley promised. The special courts are to be military tribunals, functioning along the lines of a field general court-martial. They will consist of not less than three officers, with power to include officers of any Allied or associated Power. Mr. Beasley said the courts would not be bound by the ordinary rules of evidence. They will have wide scope and will have power to sit either within or outside the limits of the Commonwealth to try persons charged with war crimes committed against persons resident at any time in Australia, or against British subjects or persons from allied or associated nations. The punishments range from death to a fine of any amount. The sentences are to be carried out in those places where their effect will be most impressive. The measure was necessary to deal adequately and expeditiously with war criminals, Mr. Beasley concluded.