DISBAND ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25300, 6 September 1945, Page 5

DISBAND ARMY

MacARTHUR'S ORDERS CLEARING OF HARBOURS SHIPPING supervision (Reed. 8.10 p.m.) TOKYO. Sept. 5 General Mac Arthur has ordered the Japanese to immediately demobilise and disband the army, says the Columbia Broadcasting System's correspondent. The directive also ordered the Japanese to clear mines and other obstructions from harbours and to supply oil, labour, housing and airfields for the occupation forces. In a general order General MacArthur authorised the American Army to requisition anything it needs in Japan. He instructed the Japanese to turn over all existing prisoner-of-war camps to the highest ranking officer interned in each, who will be given authority to demand from the Japanese whatever food and medical care are necessary for his camp. All Japanese merchantmen over 100 ! tons are to be subject to American supervision. The Japanese Government must provide at a time and place designated by General Mac Arthur a pool of unskilled labour for repairing roads, railways, docks, etc. Japanese naval and merchant marine personnel must remain aboard their ships pending instructions. All ships are commanded to train their guns fore and aft, also to make them inoperable. The Japanese have promised that Allied prisoners from 21 camps'in .Japan will be assembled at Yokohama and five other ports in the next six days for transfer to Allied ships. The Japanese at the Katsura submarine base, Chiba Peninsula, called on the Eighth Army to accept surrender, but were told that since the base was not in the initial occupation area it must wait its turn.