ALLIED PRISONERS

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

ALLIED PRISONERS

CAKE TO BE TAKEN MacARTHUR ISSUES ORDER (Rerd. 10.30 p.m.) YOKOHAMA, Sept. 5 General Mac Arthur has ordered the commanders of Japanese prison camps to transfer complete control to the senior prisoner or internee in each camp, also to provide rations equivalent to the best available locally for Army and civilians and the best medical care. Adequate shelter, clothing and bathing facilities must be made available. Lists showing the complete names, ranks, nationality," next-of-kin, home addresses, age, sex and physical condition of prisoners lfmst be provided. Burial places of the dead must be listed General Mac Arthur also requires within 48 hours the names and location of all prison camps and the total number of prisoners and internees. The total number of liberated prisoners in Honshu has reached 2289, with the arrival of 850, including 200 British, by train, plane and sea. The British prisoners have been placed on board British warships. A further 2147 prisoners are coming from the Niigata area and 488 from Kobe in the next two days.

FIGHTING IN BURMA STILL SOME RESISTANCE SURRENDER ORDER IGNORED (Reed. 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 5 Fighting is still reported in parts of Burma. The Japanese are still resisting north of Toungoo and leaflets have been dropped to them telling of the arrival in Rangoon of the Japanese general for the surrender parleys. West of Toungoo scattered Japanese forces, when called on to surrender, are reported to have fired on Allied guerillas. An official observer at the South-east Asia Command told Renter's correspondent that an unexpected difficulty had arisen in getting the surrender news to isolated Japanese forces in Burma, due to the reluctance of the Japanese envoys from Moulniein to go among their own troops with the notification. The commander of the Japanese forces in Burma asked permission to delay sending further envoys until the result of the present group's activities is known. JAPANESE SHIPPING 5,000,000 TONS LOST (Recti. 7.30 p.m.) TOKYO, Sept. 5 The Nippon Times says: "Japan lost more than 5,000,000 tons_ of the 6,600.000 tons of shipping with which she started the war. This was a major factor in the defeat." ELATED VICE-ADMIRAL "NOW WE CAN PLAY TENNIS" TOKYO, Sept. 4 Vice-Admiral Masao Kanazawa, commandant of the Kure naval base, greeted correspondents with the words: "It is all finished. It is good. Now we can play tennis together again." Kanamva said the Japanese went into the war on orders and stopped fighting on orders. The reason for the latter orders was something he did not understand. It was a matter of higher policy. ADVISER TO PREMIER CHRISTIAN LEADER'S POST (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) TOKYO, Sept. 5 The newspaper Asahi reports that the Christian leader, Toyohiko Kagawa, is among the five civilian political advisers to the Prime Minister of Japan, Prince Higashi-Kuna. RABAUL SURRENDER SYDNEY, Sept. 5 An Australian officer, Brigadier E. L. Sheehan, met the Japanese surrender envoys from New Britain aboard the destroyer Vendetta off Rabaul yesterday. The meeting was held to make preliminary arrangements for the full surrender of the Japanese in the New Britain area outside Rabaul tomorrow. Pr isoners of war held in the New Britain area include one New Zealander, one Australian. 18 Britons, seven Americans and one Dutch, all of whom are reported to be in good health.