CONTROL OF JAPAN

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1945, Page 5

CONTROL OF JAPAN

U.S.A. MAKES START

TO-DAY’S ENTRY TO CAPITAL DISARMAMENT OF JAPANESE (Rec. 9.15.) TOKIO, Sept. 6. General MacArthur stated seven million Japanese troops, comprising three million in the home islands, and four million in outlying Pacific areas, would be disarmed by the middle of October. Between three and four hundred thousand American troops would occupy the home islands and Korea. Tokio Rose, who has been detained by the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps, was released yesterday after interrogation, Says a New York “Her-ald-Tribune” correspondent at Yokohama. She has been placed in the care of the Japanese Government. As an American citizen, she may be tried for treason. MACARTHUR’S ENTRY TO TOKIO. EARLY TO-DAY. (Rec. 6.40.) TOKIO, Sept. 6. The first American reconnaissance patrols have entered Tokio to arrange for General MacArthur’s formal entry on Saturday. General MacArthur and the G.H.Q. will enter with the First Cavalry Division at six a.m. He will raise over his headquarters at the American Embassy a flag which flew at Washington on the day Pearl Harbour was attacked and later also at Casablanca, Rome and Berlin, and at the surrender ceremony aboard the “Missouri.” The cavalrymen will enter the capital from various positions around their perimeter, and not as one large unit. “Eight thousand officers and men will comprise the American First Cavalry Division when it enters Tokio,” said a Domei News Agency report, broadcast by the Tokio radio. “There are about 4,000 occupation troops in the Tachikawa area northwest of Tokio, and additional troopsp are expected there to-morrow.” General MacArthur is expected to transfer his headquarters to the American Embassy in Tokio soon after the occupation of the Japanese capital on Saturday. The Commander of the United States Sth Army (Lieuteant-Gen-eral Eichelberger) estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 troops would be required initially for the occupation. He added that all Japanese troops will be disarmed gy October 10. (Rec. 9.0.) NEW YORK, Sept. 6. Indications at present are that the Japanese Government is co-operating to the utmost to meet General MacArthur’s schedule for the world's greatest demobilisation, says the New York “Times’s” Tokio correspondent. How the four million Japanese overseas will be returned to Japan is still undecided, but the present inclination is to place that responsibility on the Japanese Government and shipping resources. Railway stations in the Tokio metropolitan area at present are crowded with hundreds of unarmed troops night and day, waiting to return home. ' The New York “Herald-Tribune’s” Tokio correspondent says: Since the occupation 'at Tokio of new headquarters, the Information Section of fifty men will operate. The section, which includes former Office of War Information employees, experienced in psychological warfare, will reflect Allied policy and also draw up programmes enabling the Japanese press, radio and film industries, libraries, and schools to know the truth about everything. The Counter Intelligence will see that a general line of conduct to be laid down is obeyed. Japanese communications will be controlled by signal corps, although the actual operation will be left to Japanese personnel. The intelligence section will watch for subversive movements. The Military Government section is responsible for law and order, including finance, public safety and health, utilities and transportation. Japanese civil servants will be retained in their jobs wherever possible, subject to overriding orders from General MacArthur through the Emperor. (Rec. 11.15.) NEW YORK, Sept. 7. General MacArthur’s spokesman said:. Generally, our occupation policy will be to allow the Japanese to run their country under the Supreme Commander under the Potsdam Declaration, using our forces as a means of guaranteeing fulfilment of these terms. The Japanese Domei News Agency said that Japanese buying goods from American soldiers or exchanging goods with them are liable to the death penalty or 20 years’ imprisonment. 8,000 PRISONERS RELEASED. Rec. 10.10.) YOKOHAMA. Sept. 6. The liberation of Allied prisoners from Japanese home islands is virtually one-fourth completed. General Eichelberger’s Headquarters announced an additional three thousand English, American, Australian and Dutch were brought from prison camps, making the total released from home islands about eieht thousand.

According to Domei New Agency American war prisoners sent gilts of cash, flowers and food as compensation to Japanese families bereaved by the deaths of several persons nit by parachuted supplies. An American delegation attended one funeral. U.S. TRIALS OF JAPS IN TOKIO (Rec. 9.10) NEW YORK, Sept. 7 Colonel Alva Carpenter, head of the U.S. War Crimes branch of General MacArthur’s staff, said: Seveaal thousand Japanese were named in one thousand atrocity cases already prepared for a trial which probably would be held in Tokio. The Associated Press correspondent at. Manila said: Some of the crimes were masterpieces of hideousness.. They were divided into three classes: (1) Crimes against peace by tnose who prepared for war; (2) Violation of the rules of war. including slaughter of hostages and mistreatment of prisoners; (3) Crimes against humanity, such as slave labour, civilian deportations, and rape. The correspondent said: “Our depositions and photographic evidence are so complete, I do not think we need any witnesses in most cases.’’ A New York “Herald Tribune” correspondent in Tokio said: A list of those responsible for war atrocities will be hunted down relentlessly. As soon as the occupation is comolete and enemy units are demobilised. the Japanese may expect a stern but just peace, beginning with Tojo as number one criminal. U.S. ADMIRAL DIES (Rec. 7.50) WASHINGTON, Sent. 6 Vice-Admiral McCain, the Commander of Task Force Thirty-eight has died of a heart attack at nis home at Coronada, in California. He was '6B years of age. ' WASHINGTON. Sept. 6 Mr. Truman announced that Manpower Commissioner, Paul McNutt, had been appointed United States High Commissioner in the Philippines.