ENTRY TO TOKIO TO TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 211, 6 September 1945, Page 5

ENTRY TO TOKIO TO TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY

BRITISH LAND IN SINGAPORE JAPANESE SPEED DEMOBILISATION Reed. 11 p.m. Washington. Sept. 5. American troops are to enter Tokio on Saturday. The entry will be made first by the United States Ist Cavalry Division, troops which first returned to Manila. It is believed General MacArthur will establish his headquarters in Tokio when the troops enter the capital. British and Indian troops, according to the Singapore radio, have landed in Singapore, being the first British troops to set foot in that great naval base since the Japanese captured it in February, 1942. Reed. 6 p.m . Chungking, Sept. 5. Chinese 6th Army troops flew to Nanking yesterday for the formal surrender of Japanese forces in the China theatre scheduled for to-day. Reed. 7.40 p.m. Tokio, Sept. 5. Japan to-day moved toward speedy and complete demobilisation under a blunt ‘‘step-on-it” order from General MacArthur, who has directed the Japanese Ist Army commander to report to General Eichelberger, the United States Bth Army commander, at a time and plaee to be designated by General Eichelberger for instructions covering the American entry to Tokio,” says the Associated Press.

The commander of the Japanese 2nd Army has been instructed to report by radio, without delay, to General Kreuger, 6 h Army commander, regarding the American occupation of South Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The Japanese commander in Korea has been instructed to contact immediately Lieutenant - General Hodge, the 24th Corps commander. All Japanese merchantmen of more than ICO tons, are '.o be subject to American supervision. The Japanese Government must provide, at a time and place designated by General MacArthur, a pool of unskilled labour for repairing roads, railways, docks, etc. Japanese naval Merchant Marine personnel must remain aboard their ships pending instructions. All ships commanded must train guns fore and aft and also make them inoperable. General Eichelberger to-day summoned Field Marshal Sugiyama. former chief of the Japanese General Staff and military advisor to Emperor Hirohito, to Sth Army Headquarters to hear Ame-ican orders to the Ist Cavalry Division, which was the first to enter Manila and will be the first to enter Tokio.

The Japanese at Katsura, a submarine base on the Chiba Peninsula, called an the Sth Army to accept their surrender, but were told that since the base is not in the inital occupation area they must await their turn.