AIR RAID HAVOC

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25289, 24 August 1945, Page 7

AIR RAID HAVOC

• BATTEBING OF JAPAN ATOMIC BOMBS' HEAVY TOLL (Herd. 11.10 p.m.) > LONDON, Aug. 2U The Tokyo radio said that about one-sixth of the population of the homeland had been killed, wounded or made homeless by air attacks during the war. Altogether, the report said, nearly 2,250,000 houses were destroyed and nearly 100,000 damaged. Four cities were almost completely wiped out and 37 others, including Tokyo, lost about onethird of their built-up areas. The atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed or injured 280,000 people and left 200,000 homeless, according to the Tokyo radio. Many more victims of the attacks are dying daily from burns. Sixty thousand were killed in Hiroshima, where the bomb hit the central part of the city during working hours. The number of dead is mounting. Many who were burned cannot survive because of the uncanny effects which the bomb produces in the human body. .Even those slightly burned appeared quite healthy at first, but weakened after a few days from some unknown reason and frequently died. Monstrous Spectacle The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima affected an area 30 kilometres in diameter, in which practically all the houses were either blown up, knocked down or burned down. Hence it is difficult to count all the bodies, many of which are buried under collapsed buildings. The sight of the wounded women and children defies description. A. Japanese Defence Headquarters technician, Sutezo Torii, reporting on the Hiroshima bomb, said that, unlike an ordinary bomb, it apparently continues to build up increased pressure after the first impact. People who witnessed the monstrous spectacle said they saw ripples circulate from the explosion. A black shower, apparently some form of liquid, rained for from five to ten minutes after the explosion, staining clothes. Stream of Neutrons The Japanese reported to have died mysteriously a few days after the atomic blast most likely suffered from the effects of a concentrated stream of neutrons, says the Associated Press science editor. Such ravs have been produced at the University of California and applied to animals, which died in a few days because the rays destroyed a lot of the white blood corpuscles. Neutron rays from the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were mostly in the air. It is also likely that the neutrons streaming from the bomb flash struck particles of earth and caused them to emit their own streams. The neutrons would become temporarily injurious. The outstanding fact about all these rays, however, is the ease with which the air and earth disperse them to the point of harmlessness. AUSTRALIA'S STATUS f ■ BRITISH ATTITUDE CONCERN IN CANBERRA (Rfcd. 7.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, Aug. 23 Behind yesterday's announcement that Australia would be a signatory to the instrument of surrender by Japan lies an amazing story which may have repercussions within the British Commonwealth,

It is reported that when the Commonwealth first intimated to London that it desired that Australia should he represented, the British Government intimated that the request could not he granted. Australia sought a reason for this and the Government was given to understand that the United States had offered objections. Representations were immediately made to Washington, and a surprising reply came back that not only had the United States Government no objection, but, on the contrary, offered strong support of Australia's claim to representation. When this disclosure was brought under the notice of the British Government all objections were withdrawn. There is considerable perturbation in political circles in Canberra at the attitude displayed by the British Government in this matter. Labour members are somewhat dismayed that the Labour Government in England should be so off-handed about Australia's claims. Thev are astonished that an eflort should have been made to fob Australia off with the excuse that the United States objected. This was obviously j'nlse and Australian Government circles are wondering who was responsible for it. TANGIER CONFERENCE GOOD PROGRESS MADE PARIS, Aug. 22 The work of the conference of experts on Tangier is continuing in the friendliest spirit, states a Foreign Office communique. The British, American. French and Russian delegations have already reached agreement on the following points: — (1) The re-establishment of the international statute in Tangier. The conference adopted proposals for a temporary regime based on the Statute of 192 a.' , r (2) The calling within six months or an international conference of the signatory Powers of the Act of Algeciras with a view to examining modifications to the convention at present in force which might be proposed by one or other of the signatory Powers. (3) The terms of the resolutions adopted by the conference cannot.be made pubfic until they arc communicated to the Governments concerned. ENEMY'S BURMA LOSSES LONDON, Auk. '."2 The Burma campaign cost the Japanese 128,000 killed, states an official announcement. In heavy fighting during the break-out, for each Allied soldier killed 150 Japanese fell or were taken prisoner.