AMERICANS LAND ON HOKKAIDO

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23323, 5 October 1945, Page 5

AMERICANS LAND ON HOKKAIDO

More Orders For Japanese Release Of Political Prisoners Bv Telegrann —N Z Ptps? Assn Cnbvrteh* (Rec. 12.20 a.m.) TOKIO, Oct. 4. First Americans landed at Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido, the* most northerly of the Japanese home islands. Others will land at Otaru and Sapporo tomorrow. General MacArthur has ordered the Government to release all political prisoners arrested during the war, abolish all laws affecting civil liberties, dissolve the thought police, and remove Yamasaki from office. General MacArthur also demanded the removal from office of the chiefs of the Toklo and Osaka Police and the Hokkaido Territorial Police. The Home Minister (Iwao Yamazaki), whose Ministry tried to suppress the reports and pictures of General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito, told the Associated Press correspondent in an interview: “My police are still vigilant against any Japanese advocating the elimination of the Imperial House.” The Japanese Cotton Spinning Association reported that Japan as a result of the war had only 39 mills, compared with 291 in 1937. More than 10,00.000 spindles were scrapped during the war and 560,000 were destroyed by bombs. The remaining plants are operating at one-third capacity, turning out 15,000 to 20,000 bales of yarn a month. A Domel reporter who visited the infamous Fachu gaol, 13 miles west of Tokio, said that hundreds of political prisoners were anxiously awaiting release by the Allies. Tales of horror and brutality were related by Japanese and Korean Communists. Ten thousand Communists rounded up in 1929 were beaten with baseball bats and tortured. Finally, all but 1200 were released. Seven Communists were hanged. More than 200 died from beatings. Two hundred more died from malnutrition and mistreatment. Communists interviewed expressed a desire again to participate in political activity. They said that State land must be given to the people. The Communists must rid the country of the Emperor system. This can be accomplished only by a revolution, therefore blood must flow. The Fuchu gaol is guarded only by the Japanese. Kyuichi Tokuda, general secretary of the Communist Party, was gaoled in 1923 for 10 months for disturbing the peace and was again goaled in 1928 for six years and sentenced to a further 10 years later. Yoshido Shida, editor of a Communist newspaper, was imprisoned in March, 1928. Shito Matamura was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in 1927. Tire sentence was later changed to life imprisonment, when he was described as a dangerous character.