EXPERIENCES IN EAST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 253, 25 October 1937, Page 6

EXPERIENCES IN EAST

MILITARY-RIDDEN JAPAN SANSON MAN S IMPRESSIONS (From Our Own Correspondent). SANDON, Oct. 22. An interesting letter was received by Mr A. K. Drew yesterday from Mr W. E. Barber, chairman of the Manawatu County Council, who is at present on a tour of the East with Mrs Barber and Mr and Mrs Arthur Hopwood, and in it are some interesting comments on conditions in Shanghai and Japan. "We were at Shanghai just the day after the Japanese officer was shot,” says Mr Barber. “The next day about fourteen Japanese warships? came in and berthed about 200 yards from our > ship to unload troops. I can assure y" you our captain was pleased to get his ship away, and I believe the wharf where we were berthed was blown up two days later. “From Shanghai we crossed to Japan to a fortified area known as Moji. On the way we passed a convoy on the way to Shanghai, 24 transports, three cruisers, and two or three battleships. There was a notice put up on the boat forbidding the taking of photographs in or about Moji, a prohibited area. Unfortunately, a cadet on the boat took a snapshot of the transports, and the man-o-war. The Japanese had glasses on cur boat, and when in Moji a few hours later all passengers were wanted, also all cameras had to be produced, and many questions answered. Finally they caught the boy whp ‘funked’ the position and said he had thrown the film overboard. He was taken ashore by the Japanese and put through all the degrees known; they had the boy for a week on shore shut up, and he was only sent aboard at Yokohama when the boat left for the return journey.

“We are on our way to Hong Kong A where we expect to get some home news as to how the war is progressing,” Mr. Barber continues. “The Japanese say very little about the conflict, except to indicate that they are winning by killing thousands of Chinese with no loss to themselves. A more military ridden country would be hard to imagine; we have been treated to the Japanese method of the soldiers being called up to go to the front. Every time I went out there were mobs waving flags and singing their national war cry. Everywhere we went, even miles out in the country, it was just the same. Almost every house and shop had a flag on a I r>amboo cane at the front door. “I have been over a lot of land and saw tens of thousands of acres of rice plots, every plant put in by hand by small farmers; no fences, all irrigated, no weeds, and each section defined by scya beans, and each section per family about 30 yards square.”

In concluding Mr. Barber stated that all the party had been very hospitably treated by the Japanese they met and had thoroughly enjoyed their visit.