Put Country First

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1945, Page 5

Put Country First

NEW YORK, Sept. 3. Colonel Cosgrove, who signed the Japanese surrender for Canada was the culprit in an incident which interrupted the signing of the document on board the Missouri and “introduced a touch of humour into one of the gravest ceremonies of our time, says a "New York Times” correspondent. Each delegate signed two copies, one for Japan and one for the United Nations. The first delegates to sign placed their signal ures correctly, above the name of their country. Colonel Cosgrove somehow lapsed and committed a historic blunder when he signed the Japanese document underneath the name of his country. General Leclerc, Admiral He If rich and Air Vice Marshal Isitt, who followed, repeated the error. The Japanese noticed the mistake, whereupon considerable discussion ensued, ending when General Sutherland crossed out the names of the four countries concerned .and wrote them below the signatures. The Japanese gravely accepted the correction.