GOING TO FIGHT ON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 31 August 1945, Page 5

GOING TO FIGHT ON

JAPANESE IN SINGAPORE • London, Aug. 29. The Japanese armies remain undefeated. said the Singapore Commander, General Itagaki. exchanging signals with his immediate superior, Field Marshal Terauchi. Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Southern Armies, reports the Associated Press' of Great Britain corresoondent at i i Rangoon. General Itagaki reiterated | ; his determination to fight on in de-; fiance of the Imperial surrender j order. General Terauchi is reported to have replied that further resist- 1 ance would be a disgrace to th e Jap- I anese Army’s honour and would erasqi all hope of retaining any Japanese’ | Army, whereas acceptance of uncon- ' , ditional surrender terms might per- j 1 mit them to keep a nucleus of a force, i The correspondent says the sternest! Allied measures the going ahead to 1 handle and remove General Itagaki. j MOUNTBATTEN’S WARNING

Admiral Mountbatten, after an ex- ! change of messages between Generals Itagaki and Terauchi broadcast a' message over New Delhi radio warn- ; ! ing General Terauchi that as Supreme' j Japanese Commander he will be held j { personally responsible for the exe- , cution of Admiral Mountbatten’s I orders bv nil subordinate Japanese I , commanders.

A small motor boat flying a tiny! white flag but with a large rising sun flag astern sailed through rain squalls I and heavy swell to the British battle- | ship Nelson off Penang, bringing Jap- I anese liaison officers to confer with I Vice-Admiral H. A. C. Walker, says ! Reuter’s correspondent. The Jap- | anese. arriving 90 minutes late, were j piped aboard. Their arrival was j watched bv all the ships’ companies I of the British East Indies task force. I The Japanese officers who were im- i maculately dressed. steooed over the! side of the battleship while two Bri- ! tish officers with revolvers and a 1 squad of armed ratings stood by. The! envoys were unarmed. The Japanese | commander looked up at the White; Ensign and saluted. The envoys were j then taken to Vice-Admiral Walker’s diningroom, where British, officers were sitting on one side of a i long table. The Japanese bowed. The ' British officers only inclined their heads and did not rise. The Japanese after questioning were piped over the side for return to the shore. (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) London, Aug. 30. A mission has left SEAC Headquarters for Sa’gon lor further nego- ' tiations with General Terauchi re-! garding the surrender of South-East ' Asia. All-India radio announced that the Jaoanese Commander in j Burma notified th e Allied Command j that a peace envoy was arriving in j the Sittang Valley to-day to negotiate! the surrender of 70,000 Japanese j troops.