JOY IN SEOUL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 11 September 1945, Page 5

JOY IN SEOUL

RECEPTION TO U.S. TROOPS Tokio, Sept.. 9. The Japanese in South Korea have sjgncd the'surrender terms. Admiral Kinkaid and Lieut-General Hodge j signed for the United States. The Amj erican flag is flying over Seoul whose ! broad streets are lined from early i morning with thousands of joyful Koreans. As more and more Ameri- : cans arrived at Seoul from Jinsen the celebration intensified. Koreans lined the entire 40-mile route and were so enthusiastic that the Americans were compelled to duck from the showering baskets of flowers and the waving of flagpoles, Brigadier-General Crump Garvin, chief of staff of the 24th Corps, at a press conference, said the Americans planned to retain the Governor-Gen-eral, Noboyuki Abe and other Japanese civil officials in office for "may be a day and may be a year.” Japanese police would be permitted to retain arms. The announcement brought criticism from Korean newspapermen present but General Garvin said he refused to enter political argument and the decision was final. He added that the plan was analogous to the Tokio surrender. Moreover, it was nfeessary to keep the Japanese in office until the Americans completed the occupation. The Koreans questioned the comparison and declared that while the Japanese were fanatically determined to keep their Emperor, the Koreans were equally determined to oust Japanese officials from Korea. They called the policy a slaj* in the face after the Koreans’ long underground struggle. DEMONSTRATIONS BREAK OUT (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) New York, Sept. 10. After Brigadier-General Garvin’s announcement at the press conference de. monstrations broke out in Seoul where political factions plastered up protest posters, reports the Associated Press of America correspondent. Korean politicians asked whether the Russians and Americans were enforcing the same regulations in both parts of the country and warned that American failure to encourage democratic forces would strengthen the Communists. A Tokio message says General MacArthur proclaimed that any act disturbing the peace in Korea or any host.liti.es against the occupation troops would be punishable by death or such penalties as the occupation authorities might determine.