Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0128, 1945-12-26.

Summary:

Second Lieutenant FUKUHARA, Harry K, landed May 1944 on some part of NEW GUINEA. The Japanese Forces were already surrounded by Allied Forces and ware leading a precarious existence in the jungles, daring only an occasional sortie. The company to which FUKUHARA belonged was separated from Japanese troops only be a river and the dense jungles of the opposite river bank. The Americans made sorties to the opposite shore and scattered leaflets urging the Japanese soldiers to surrender. One day four Japanese soldiers, sick with malaria and dysentary, surrendered. When food was given to the starved men, they devoured it as wolves would, so that the Nisei felt sorry for them.

One of the soldiers spoke to FUKUHARA and said, "Don't you know me? I am MATSUURA." At first FUKUHARA could not remember, but then he remembered his former classmate in HIROSHIMA.

FUKUHARA later fought several months in the PHILIPPINES and came to JAPAN. He immediately visited HIROSHIMA, where he found his parents miraculously safe. He also met the parents of MATSUURA, whom he informed that their son was alive in a prisoner of war camp.

Another Nisei, who declined to give his name, landed on 15 December 1943 in NEW GULNEA. Soon after a landed, ha was commanded by his superior officer to locate Japanese gun emplacements. While on the job, he encountered four American soldiers with a machine gun who cried "Halt." All four of them were trembling. The Nisei told them that ha was an American soldier, but they were still suspicious. After some minutes they put down the gun at the order of an American Officer.

The American Forces used natives in guerilla warfare against the Japanese troops by putting a price on each Japanese captured and brought back alive or dead by a native. The natives brought back only dead Japanese and many dead Nisei soldiers among them, for the natives could not differentiate between uniforms and were only able to distinguish between the white and yellow race.

Private URIFU, Ted, was born and educated in NEW YORK and never knew another Nisei until he entered the American Army. He was also unable to speak and write Japanese before he entered the American Army so that he drew general attention. After that he studied the Japanese language diligently.

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Another soldier related that on Bougainville firing was stopped at night and the Japanese and American called each other dirty names.

Private NAKAMOTO, Ben, stated that Nisei are American soldiers and American citizens, but they are of the same blood as the Japanese people. So, naturally, the Nisei felt more warmly toward the Japanese Prisoners of War and occasionally was reprimanded on that account by the American soldier. On the whole, the Americans and especially the American Officer's are kindly disposed toward Prisoners' of War. The Japanese Prisoners' of War as a rule acted coldly at first toward Nisei. Later, when they learned to appreciate their kindness, they often cried. The most disagreeable impression of Japanese soldiers that the Nisei received was in the PHILIPPINES. Here a Japanese soldier would go into a Filipino store, take any item that, caught his fancy, and walk away without payment, saying "Service to the Japanese!" Service in this case meant theft.

Summary:

Two boys were arrested as a result of extraordinarily precautious measures of the Police Office on 24 December. One of them was SAKAI, Wahei, aged 17, son of SAKAI, Hidezo, employee of the HYUGA Manufacturing Company. He was once a member of the Special Attack Force of the Navy. He committed four hold ups, stealing 370 yen. He was repentant over the cranes, and said that he was led astray by a friend of his.

The ASAHI further reports that six hold-ups were committed within 30 minutes at KAMEARI-Cho, KATSUSHIKA-Ku at the southern end of the JOBAN line. The police Office presumed the crimes were committed by two groups, judging from the following events: The volunteers of KAMEARI-Cho assembled in the house of TANAKA, Genichiro, leader of the volunteers, to devise measures against holdup men, and when one of them, SHIGATA, went out of the house, he was seized by two man and money was demanded from him. At the same time, another member, FUJITA, also came out of the house, and was threatened by a pistol, but ha had no money with him so FUJITA was struck on the head. Thirty minutes later, TAKAHASHI, Kotaro, aged 42, a musician of the HOGAKUZA Band, ran into the house screaming, and said that he was threatened by two men with pistols. While all the men stood there astonished, three hold up men appeared at the door, but ran away because there were many young men in the group. TANAKA reported to the KATSUSHIKA Police Station. Five minutes later, KATO, a plasterer, ran into the house. He had been robbed of 2,500 yen by the thieves. Soon after, OZAWA, a carpenter, came running and said that he had been robbed of all the money he had. A little later, three policemen came to the house, and one of them was about to be threatened by the thieves but the noise of the sabers of two other policeman frightened the thieves into fleeing.

Another hold up was committed in the same distract. A stall merchant was robbed of all the cash he had received for the night's sale by a burglar armed with pistols. Police failed to ret the situation successfully, and twenty members of the Youths' Association decided

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to make the rounds of the districts carrying clubs, lanterns, etc.

ASAHI further reports that at 0400 hours on 25 December, three burglars broke into the house of MARUYAMA, Jukichi, aged 67, of 822, 2-chome, DENENCHOFU, OMORI-Ku, and threatened him with a pistol and dagger, robbing him of 1,000 yen, clothes, watches, etc.

At 2030 hours on 24 December, SUZUKI, Jiro, aged 49, of 6, 3-chome, KITANO Machi, KOBE-Shi, was accosted by two men at a street stall near 765. 1-chome, TSUNOHAZU, YOTSUYA-Ku. The two men posing as police men, robbed him of 1,890 yen and a train ticket for SANNOMIYA.

On the night of 22 December in the NERIMA district a sick wife who was alone it her home was killed and 20,000 yen, a watch, and other articles were stolen. One of her sons failed to appear the following day, and is regarded as a suspect.

In the MITA district, a young coolie, employed by the occupation troops, was stabbed by a dagger in the heart. The criminal is unknown.

In TOKYO 25 murders have been committed in the four months since the end of the war, while there were only nine murder cases eight months before the end of the war and moreover, 70 burglaries and 7,000 robberies have been perpetrated since the end of the war. About 40 per cent of the criminals have been apprehended. Of 25 murder cases, the criminals in ten cases have been arrested, special investigation organs are endeavoring to arrest the criminals in six cases, and the criminals in seven cases remain unindentified.

The TOKYO Police Office failed to arrest the criminals in 613 burglary cases in September, 526 cases in October, 531 cases in November, and cases in December. On 24 December, criminal offenses committed in TOKYO totaled thirty. This is the greatest number of crimes since the beginning of the TOKYO Police Office.

The ASAHI also reports that at 1400 on 25 December, a burglar was shot to death by a military policeman of the Occupation Troops. The burglar was caught in the act of stealing charcoal from a factory of the NIPPON KINSOKU Company at ISHIHARA, KUMAGAI-Shi.

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