JAPAN'S HOME FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25111, 30 December 1942, Page 4

JAPAN'S HOME FRONT

SYDNEY WOMAN • RETURNS LIVED 49 YEARS IN KOBE SYDNEY, Dec. 28. After having lived for 49 years in Japan, Mrs W, Marshall arrived in Sydney the other day. She left Japan on the diplomatic ship last July. Mrs Marshall is a sister of Mr Montague Ellerton, of the Australian Legation in Tokio, and, with Mrs Ellerton. left Japan in the same ship. There was an ugly element In the youth of Japan to-day, which would make the country in the future very different from the "cherry-blossom" tourist paradise of the past, Mrs Marshall said. The Japanese were obsessed with the idea that all foreign nationals were spies, she said. She had had absolute freedom while she remained in Kobe, because of her long residence there. Recently, however, she had been completely cut off from the outside world, and could neither send nor receive letters.

When she left Japan, Mrs Marshall said, the Japanese people did not know the true course of the war. There were no grumbles about the food and clothing shortages, and the people believed they were winning. Reverses would bring.about a change in their morale. Many foods were becoming difficult to obtain when she left Kobe, Mrs Marshall stated. Rice, sugar, potatoes, vegetables, cheese, butter and eggs were becoming scarcer, and coupons were required for bread, sugar and rice.

The Japanese recently opened food centres for the different nationals such as British, Americans and Dutch and a little more meat, as well as trays of vegetables, were obtainable. Fish was plentiful.