CIGARETTE BAIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21753, 30 June 1945, Page 5

CIGARETTE BAIT

JAPANESE SURRENDER

U.S. OFFICER’S COOLNESS MANY COMMIT SUICIDE (10 a.m.) NEW YORK, June 28. Marine Lieutenant George Thompson and four other Marines watched 200 Jaipanese surrender to the lure of American cigarettes while 150 committed suicide, says the Associated Press correspondent at Okinawa. The Marines were chasing 15 Japanese when they found themselves in a clearing surrounded by 350 of the enemy. The Japanese brandished guns, swords and grenades, and seemed to be in an ugly mood. Lieut. Thompson smiled, bowed and called out “Tobacco! Tobacco!” He was a non-smoker, but another Marine quickly handed him cigarettes which he extended to the Japanese. Several Japanese dropped their weapons and reached for the cigarettes. *' '

The enemy officers, however, con-' tinued to glower. All were accompanied by women. One officer killed his woman companion with a sword, saluted the Americans and handed his sword and wrist watch to Lieut. Thompson, stepped back, and blew off his own head with a grenade. The other Japanese followed his example. The slaughter of women and suicides went on at the rate of one a minute.

Lieut. Thompson continued handing out cigarettes and smiling. Meanwhile he communicated with his battalion headquarters. He and his men stood for two hours watching suicides and offering cigarettes to any who would surrender.

Just as the packages of cigarettes ran out, a Marine reinforcement and the remainder of the Japanese surrendered. Three hundred and fifty civilians also emerged from a cave and surrendered.