THOUSANDS OF DEATHS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27296, 24 January 1950, Page 5

THOUSANDS OF DEATHS

Japanese In Russian Prison Camps

Repatriates’ Disclosures

NZPA—Copyright TOKIO, Jan. 23

About 150,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians died in Russian prison camps from the Caspian Sea to Vladivostok, according to Japanese repatriates who arrived at Maizura today. Another 100,000 Japanese died or were killed by the Chinese Communists in Manchuria before Russian troops took over. Between 6000 and 7000 Japanese still remained in Russian hands. A former medical officer with the Japanese Kwantung Army said the Russians in Manchuria destroyed all records of Japanese deaths. Before withdrawing from Manchuria they disinterred thousands of Japanese bodies and loaded them on freight cars.

The repatriates reported sharplyincreased Russian military activities behind the Asian iron curtain. The Russians had many twin-engined bombers and tanks. There was a network of airfields, while giant concrete forts and gun emplacements were being built at Nahodka, near Vladivostok. Russian lecturers told them that the United States and Britain would shortly start a third world war against Russia. Most of the repatriates came from the great Karaganda prison camp north-east of the Aral Sea, from Khabarovsk and from Vladivostok. They reported many Rumanian, German and Polish prisoners, including 50 German girls, were held in camps at Karakanda.

The Japanese medical officer said the food was very bad and most of the deaths resulted from malnutrition and typhoid.