‘BLOT ON JAPAN’

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21632, 8 February 1945, Page 5

‘BLOT ON JAPAN’

INTERNEES’ CAMP HEALTH"DANGERS UNSANITARY HOUSING

SHORT FOOD RATIONS (Special Australian Correspondent.). GO a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 8.

Only the efforts of the internees themselves, including American service and civilian doctors and nurses, prevented the Santo Tomas internment camp in Manila from becoming n veritable “death compound.” This was reported yesterday by the Sydney Morning Herald war correspondent, Mr. Jack Percival, who was released on Sunday after three years’ internment at Manila.

Although the Japanese prided themselves on their cleanliness, writes Mr. Percival, “from a sanitation point of view, a camp housing 4000 prisoners was a major blot on their history.”

Mr. Percival, a monitor in the camp, had to look after 500 men. Only one toilet was provided for every 100 men, and one shower and wash-basin to every 170. Since the majority of the internees were sufferers from dysentery and other contagious diseases, the problem of preventing their spread was almost insurmountable. All the rooms in the camp were infested with vermin. Despite harrowing experiences and malnutrition, only five Australians died during their internment. Four Australian women and one New Zealander gave birth to babies in the camp. The New Zealander was Mrs. Wilfred Atkinson, of Hawke’s Bay. War Supplies Round Cam)) After the first American air raids on Luzon, the Japanese used Santo Tomas camp to store war supplies. Field guns, ammunition, high octane petrol and crude oil were placed around the camp hospital and children's barracks. For months the Japanese did not supply the internees with soap, disinfectant and cleaning utensils, although supplies were actually in the camp storerooms, nor could the 'internees make such purchases from the Red Cross funds, although they were obtainable in the city. In the latter stages of internment, the Japanese Army refused to provide food for babies and the sick, and would not permit into camp eggs, milk, meat, fruit and vegetables contributed by neutrals. The camp was first run by Japanese constabulary and then by commandants from the Japanese diplomatic corps, and finally the army took in February, 1944. Mr. Percival indicts by name numbers of Japanese whom he accuses of being responsible for conditions in the camp, listing their actions which contravened the Geneva convention as well as the humanitarian code. He reports that he saw medical supplies sent from the United States on the exchange ship Gripsholm looted by the Japanese. Thefts of internees’ personal effects were common, Japanese civilians as well as soldiers being offenders.

Among the 1200 Americans liberated from Bilibid Camp were 465 men, women and children who had been transferred on December 29 from Baguio. The head nurse of the Baguio Hospital said the food ration was adequate for the first two years, but it was cut last year. There were two weddings and 14 births. Practically everyone had their appendix out.