Cease-Fire On Burma Fronts

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1945, Page 5

Cease-Fire On Burma Fronts

(Received 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, August 24. FIGHTING HAS FINISHED THROUGHOUT BURMA, SAYS 1 REUTER’S CORRESPONDENT WITH THE BRITISH FORCES. A senior British officer this afternoon met Japanese officer representatives in the Sittang River area. The conference lasted two hours, after which a statemnt was issued-reporting that the officers had agreed to means of stopping useless bloodshed between the opposing forces during the period from the cease-fire order to the signing of the instrument of surrender in South-East Asia. Earlier the. Japanese commander (Field-Marshal Terauchi) informed Lord Mountbatten by radio that the Japanese envoys would arrive at Rangoon next Sunday to sign the surrender documents. Four Spitfires flew low over Japanese headquarters near Shwegyin at dawn on Monday and dropped leaflets ordering the Japanese to release a British officer they captured on Sunday, says a special correspondent of the Associated Press, in a delayed despatch. The officer, who was a member of a guerilla force, visited Japanese headquarters on his own initiative to try to arrange surrender, and was promptly taken prisoner. The rest of the party, waiting at a distance, saw the officer disappear in the direction of the Japanese. After a lapse of time he failed to return, and they signalled thqir headquarters on a portable radio. Leaflets were immediately printed ordering the instant release of the officer, unharmed.