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Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 257, 28 September 1945, Page 6

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STORIES OF ILL-TREATMENT. (Press .ttSan.) aUvjx\.la±\.u,-bepi.. 'MI ine lourtn Air X'orce 'Haaspor Command aircrait to bring freed ±<ev persOiiiiel irum oingupuri arrived at whenuapai today, 'inert were i 5 in tne party including urn naval ouicer, i /Lieut. L. J*, Ja.eard tt.iN.Z.iN., of v> enington, Vr is. S Alexander, formerly Proressor oi JPnysics ai> Rames college, Singapore Dr. li. M. j onus, formerly ox new Plymouth, and Vr S. H. Swift, formerly of JUunedm. The names of the civilian and Merchant Navy members of the party are: -■-Civilians : Professor Alexandei (Wellington), Dr Johns (New Plymouth), i>r Swift (Lunedin), Messrs K. L. Bellington (Yvhangarei), C. H. Fairmaid (Dunedin), J. Gordon (Dunedin), A, B. Hogg (Auckland), S. 0. Lyon (Christchurch), F. L. Sanderson (Dunedin), R. H. Wallace (Napier), H. R. Wilson (Southland); from the motor vessel Hauraki, M. F. Day (Auckland), E. L. Derrett (Matamata), and E. Hughes (Bulls). Dr Johns is one of 3b' survivors of 57 internees who were subjected to ill-treatment by the Japanese military police in Singapore. He stated that 12 of the victims died from malnutrition, one jumped from a verandah after torture and suffered a fatal injury, and another was executed. Those taken to military police centres were kept there for periods varying from five and a half months to a year. They had been falsely accused of operating a radio transmitter in the Changi gaol. "Some of the survivors are in poor shape," said Dr Johns, "but with tho treatment they . are now getting I think they will recover. They were affected both physically and mentally. One of them is Mr H. Mclntyre, of Dunedin, chiropractor, who did very good work in assisting the doctors at the Sime Road camp." Dr Alexander was a member of the commission appointed by the authorities of the Sime Road internment

camp at Singapore to investigate and record evidence concerning the treat-

ment of internees by the Japanese military police. He has brought to New Zealand a copy of the report of the commission.