WAVE OF ANGER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25055, 20 November 1944, Page 6

WAVE OF ANGER

AUSTRALIA STIRRED HEROISM OF SUFFERERS' (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 19 The stark story of conditions in Japanese prisoner of war camps told by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr Forde, has stirred Australia perhaps more than any other revelation of the war. Mr Forde said subsequently that his announcement on these conditions and on the torpedoing of the enemy prisoner ship, when 600 A.I.F. men lost their lives, was the hardest task of his political career. As the acting-Prime Minister told the hushed House of Representatives of the sufferings and heroism of the captive British and Australian troops, he was visibly affected. True Picture of Horrors

' "Never did the human spirit soar higher than among those Australian and British soldiers callously left to drown in tho oil-smeared waters of the China Sea after the sinking of the Japanese prisoner transport," says the Sunday Sun in a leading article. "That story and tho detailed account of the conditions i*fi Japanese prison camps will chill the blood and bring deep grief to thousands of Australian homes. Now we have a true picture of our soldiers —half naked, diseased, starved, beaten and forced to work as slaves were never worked before.

"In the deep wave of anger now surging across Australia, a great deal of the" 'war weariness' responsible for absenteeism, strikes and all ouher hindrances to the war effort on the home front should be swept away. One Australian survivor of the prison ship sinking places the number of deaths among Allied prisoners of war during the building of the Siam railway at about 26,000. A concrete monument to their memory was erected by the survivors. Cynical Captors Others alleged that the Japanese had cynically attempted to hoodwink the International Red Cross authorities into believing the prisoners were being humanely treated. They circulated pictures showing prisoners receiving soft drinks, sweets, cigarettes and other comforts, but the Australians revealed that the comforts were taken back after the pictures had been taken. Many stories of heroism are told by survivors of the sinking of the Japanese prison ship. One Australian cut flesh from his hand in a vain effort to catch fish for his starving mates on a ratt. When the survivors were picked up by an American'submarine they tasted their first bread for two and a-halt years.

ANOTHER SHIP SUNK 184 MORE LIVES LOST (Reed. 1.15 a.m.) CANBERRA, Nov. 19 The Australian Government-has been informed by the Japanese Government through the International Red Cross that another transport carrying prisoners of war was sunk in June lasi*. The acting-Prime Minister, Mr Forde, in making public this information, said the Japanese Government had advised that 184 Australian prisoners were lost and 72 had reached a camp in Japan.

CAMP IN GERMANY REPORT ON CONDITIONS (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Saturday There were over 38,000 prisoner's in Stalag 18A, 10,000 of them British, when the camp was visited by a Red Cross delegate in June last. A report received by the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office headquarters states that the area through which the work detachments were scattered was a huge one and 314 of the detachments were for British prisoners. Of the British prisoners 60 per cent hnd two uniforms. The camp representative had control of the food and clothing stocks. During last year 600 complete sets of dentures had been supplied to British prisoners, although it n-as a slow business and the men had to wait months for their turn. There were two Church of England padres and a Roman Catholic chaplain. The library had about 15,000 English books. An orchestra and theatrical troop were active. Air raid shelters were provided for patients in hospital, but not for prisoners in the main camp, although there was no complaint about this, as shelters would restrict the space and the prisoners did not consider the camp in a dangerous neighbourhood. In the works detachments adequate air raid shelters were provided. Most of tho British in the work detachments were employed out in the country, mainly construction work. The rest had jobs in glassworks. About 640 were mostly occupied in pick and shovel work and building air raid shelters for a municipality. Tho camp infirmary was well equipped with dressings and drugs.

ARGENTINA QUESTION AMERICA OPPOSES MEETING (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 The United States has informed Latin American Governments that it is opposed to Argentina's request to hold a meeting of Foreign Ministers to thrash out Argentina's diplomatic isolation., The Associated Press says that as a result of the United States attitude Latin American diplomats in Washington expressed the opinion that it would be impossible to hold a meeting on the Argentina question this year.

MILITARY TRAINING SWEEPING ARGENTINE ORDER (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 18 The Vice-President, Colonel Juan Peron, announced a new "organic law of the army," making Argentine citizens of both sexes between the ages of 12 and 50 subject to military training. Colonel Peron explained that the step was taken in conformity with the lessons of the present war, which had shown that it was insufficient in modern international conflicts to "have a trained army—it was necessary to prepare the whole nation.

VICIIY MINISTERS TRIAL BY SPECIAL COURT (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19 Petnin, Laval and all other members of the Vichy Government will be tried by a special court the constitution of which was announced by the Paris radio. The court, which will have the right to impose the death penalty, loss of civil rights and confiscation of property, against which there will be no appeal, is to consist of a president aided by two magistrates and 24 jurors. The consultative Assembly will choose the jurors from a list of 50 members of Parliament and 50 persons chosen at large.

INDIAN ARMY CASUALTIES (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18 Indian Army casualties to the end of the filth year of the war were: Killed, 15,115; wounded, 39,275; missing, 11.956 j prisoners of war, 73,803. Casualties in the Indian Navy were: Killed, 65; wounded, 74. Indian Air Force casualties were: Killed, 60; wounded, Si!).