LEADERS AGREE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21997, 15 April 1946, Page 3

LEADERS AGREE

BRITISHJTROOPS WITHDRAWAL PLAN JAPANESE ATROCITIES (11 a.m.) LONDON. April 14 The British and Dutch representatives have decided to withdraw the British troops from the Netherlands East Indies and replace them with Dutch, according to a communique issued from No. 10 Downing Street, stating that the countries had agreed on the measures still necessary to liquidate the war with Japan and to proceed with the gradual withdrawal of the British troops. It was issued after a meeting between Mr. C. R. Attlee. Professor Schermerhorn. Dr. van Mook, Lord Inverchapel, Lord Ahmbrooke, and other British and Dutch representatives. Following the discovery of more than 1000 skeletons in the coal bunkers of a Dutch freighter at Macassar, a Korean doctor told military officials that the Japanese, before they surrendered,

threw 400 prisoners of war and Indian civilians, including women, into a pit shaft at Loakoelde. 16 miles from Samarinda. and forced other prisoners to seal the pit. When the mine was reopened the bodies were recovered for burial, but many bones were included in coal loaded on to the Dutch freighter. About 120 Japanese were identified as responsible for the massacre by the doctor, who worked in the prison camp. Lieutenant-General S. 11. van Spoor, an N.E.I. commander, said 800 persons had been murdered at Bandoeng by extremists since August.