SIGHTSEEING IN KURE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 56, 8 March 1946, Page 3

SIGHTSEEING IN KURE

NEW ZEALAND MEMBERS OF ADVANCE PARTY Party. (Official J-Force Correspondent.) Kure, March 2. The New Zealanders who arrived yesterday as members of the advance party from Italy wasted no time in seeing such sights as are to be seen in the vicinity of Kure. The Japanese are rapidly becoming accustomed to the uniforms of the Commonwealth forces and take no notice of the newcomers unless spoken to, in which event they bow and hiss like startled turtles. One thing which intrigued the newcomers was the apparent mobilisation of all Japanese males in some branch of the serv.ces. Actually the explanation is that, following the bombing and the typhoon, Japanese stocks of surplus clothing were distributed among the civilian population. In consequence, nearly every male above the age of five is wearing some kind of uniform, or parts of one, in weird combinat.on with modern civilian garb or ancient costumes.

Another c vilian feature, for which the newly-arrived New Zealanders sought an explanation, was the habit, of about a quarter of the population, male and female, of wearing gauze masks over the.r noses and mouths. They loop strings which hold these devices behind their ears. The masks are not a wartime sanitary measure, for the Japanese have used them for years. As sanitary devices they are absolutely useless, but they do g.ve the populace a rakish, "Oriental Lone Ranger” air. The sight of a blueuniformed policeman, with sword and facemask, directing pedestrian traffic on a tram stop in the dusk, w.th a gaudy paper lantern (garden party variety), is straight tnus.cal comedy. The occupation troops are surSrised to learn of the docility of the apanese. The only sabotage going on is the result of the Japanese tinkering with the English language, some of their carefully-lettered signs be.ng masterpieces of mangled phraseology. One American correspondent admitted that he had been baffled for several minutes by a sign reading, “Care of foot,” until he realised, that it meant "watch your step.” When the first British women members of the Occupation Force went sightsee.ng in Kure’s shabby markets yesterday, they jolted the Japanese out of their apparent lack of interest. Civilians were noticeably interested, especially in one blonde nurse, who attracted an open-mouthed audience at a respectful distance.