OCCUPATION OF JAPAN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 225, 22 August 1945, Page 5

OCCUPATION OF JAPAN

FIRST LANDING ON SUNDAY ARRIVAL POINTS NEAR TOEIO (N.Z. Press Association. —Copyright.) (Rec. 11.10 a.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 21. The Domei News Agency, quoting the Information Ministry, said the first Allied airborne occupation group would land at Atsuki airport on Sunday. Seaborne landings will begin on Tuesday at Yokosuka. The Associated Press says Atsuki, in the Ngawa Prefecture, south-west of Tokio, is about 10 miles north of Sagamhßay and about 20 miles from Tokio. An Imperial announcement that the envoys have returned from Manila is the first thing the Japanese people have heard of the surrender mission. The Manila correspondent of the New York Times says that a huge American armada of ships and planes will disgorge forces in Japan prepared to meet any eventuality, in an operation as carefully planned as any Pacific landing. This will tend to prevent or counter any hothead opposition.

ALL-AMERICAN FORCE

A headquarters spokesman said that, while representatives of all the Allied Governments will be present at the surrender ceremony, it is presumed that only American armed forces will comprise the initial occupation force, since the troops of other nations could not reach Japan in time.

Commenting on General MncArihur's intimation to the Japanese Government that lie expects to sij?n the formal surrender documents in Tokio within 10 days, the correspondent points out that, although the period mentioned by General MacArthur may appear long, it is calculated to assure the safety of aerial landings, because many airfields must be repaired. Furthermore, the interval can be employed to prepare the people, who are overwhelmingly shocked by the sudden revelation of defeat, both generally and technically, for the occupation.

In "Washington the State Department announced that the Australian, Canadian, Netherlands, French and New Zealand representatives at the surrender ceremony will only be observers and not active .participants.

General MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan, is expected to resign immediately the occupation of Japan has, been assured. The command of the occupation forces will probably be handed over_ to a younger officer and General MacArthur, who is 65, will retire. This will be one of several changes that are expected to bring a lot of new blood into the American army's top commands within a year.