ARREST OF NEW ZEALANDER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19806, 23 May 1934, Page 9

ARREST OF NEW ZEALANDER

CHARGE OF DEALING WITH REDS

JAPANESE WAR ON COMMUNISTS United Press Association—By Electric Tel egraph—Copyright TOKIO, May 21. The police have permitted the publication of particulars of the arrests since last year. There were 736, including 154 women, accused or suspected of communistic activities or sympathies. Fifty-three have thus far been indicted. All are Japanese except the New Zealander, A. W. Bickerton. until his arrest a teacher in the Tokio High School. 1 Charge Against Bickerton. The charge against Bickerton is that he contributed 500 yen to Japanese Communists, and assisted in the interchange of literature between English and Japanese Communists. The police allege that before departing in April of last year on leave of absence from two Government high schools, where he taught, Bickerton offered to contribute 300 yen from his tin veiling expenses, supplied by the schools, through a Communist friend, who, however, was subsequently arrested. Bickerton proceeded to Moscow, and was then several months in London, where he obtained and sent to Japanese Communists 60 copies of various European Communist magazines. He also translated and gave to English Communists articles published in the “Japanese Red Flag.” Returning to Japan in September, Bickerton paid 100 yen through a Communist named Matsumoto, whom he secretly interviewed on the beach near Bickerton’s residence at Chigasaki, near Kamakura. Thereafter Bickerton contributed 100 yen monthly from October to January, through various intermediaries. Case Featured in Press. At Matsumota’s suggestion, Bickerton, in October, applied for membership of the interdicted Japanese Communist Furty, but while debating whether to admit a foreigner, the organisation’s leaders were arrested Bickerton’s contacts were arrested one by one, until he himself was arrested on March 13, and indicted on April 6. Bickerton is still out on bail of 209 yen. The date of the trial has not yet been fixed. The police say the Communists are in financial difficulties, and Bickerton’s contributions assisted them considerably. The Press is widely featuring the Bickerton case, pointing out that it is the first active participation of a foreigner in the history of the Japanese Communist movement. Newspapers, recalling the unhappy youth, state that Bickerton had four stepmothers in Christchurch. He imbibed Communism from his grandfather, who was a friend of Kropotkin, thereafter studying Communist literature. He agitated against military training when a student at Victoria University. He spent a decade in Japan, at first studying at the Tokio Imperial University, and later taught English at the First Higher School, and the Tokio Prefectural Higher School. His monthly income was 600 yen. He gradually made the acquaintance of Ithe intelligentsia type of students, who had Communistic leanings. He became proficient in the Japanese language, immersing himself in Japanese literature, particularly that with a Leftist trend. He translated and published in book form in London numerous short stories by Japanese proletarian novelists, and also his own writings. He also taught at Niho University, where he reportedly encouraged the students in radicalism. He contributed a total of 800 yen, of which 300 was through a Communist son of the Imperial University’s ex-president, Mr Knozu.. He brought quantities of Communis; literature when he returned to Japan last autumn.