Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0109, 1945-12-24.

Summary:

Mr. Earnest Stanley, member of the Civil Information end Education Section of General Headquarters and IIMUHA, Hiroshi, have related three war episodes based on their experiences.

On 3 January, 1945, five American tanks of a Cavalry Division rushed into San Tomas University, Manila, where 3,120 American and British prisoners were held. Colonel HAYASHI, the Japanese officer in charge of the internment camp and 60 of his men were quite upset at the unexpected invasion. They set apart 220 key prisoners and asked Earnest Stanley, the interpreter, to report to the American force the intention of the Japanese to fight to the last man. He did all he could to disuade the Japanese and to save the prisoners, who were non-combatants and the University buildings, which are used for cultural purposes.

The negotiations between Brigadier-General Chase and Colonel HAYASHI were consumated, and the Japanese troops were sent, Under the protection of American Forces, from the danger of Filipino Guerrilla troops to another Japanese encampment. However, the report by Colonel HAYASHI to Japanese Headquartars concerning his retreat from Santo Thomas University was quite different and read, "Colonel HAYASHI and 65 of his men fought bravely against five American tanks, which invaded the University, and inflicted heavy damage on American troops. They fought their way out to another Japanese encampment."

The position of Japanese forces on TARAKAN Island, Borneo, was precarious after meeting with American landing forces on 1 May. In more than half a month of desperate fighting, the Japanese Garrison had ever-in-creasing numbers of wounded. The supply of medical materials was cut o[illegible]by the enemy. With many wounded soldiers groaning and dead bodies piled up, it was literally a hell on earth. One day an airplane came and dropped a message. It was advice from Major-General Hart of Australian forces to the Japanese saying, that a general attack would be made in the near future. Prior to such attack, all men unable to engage in the campaign should be handed over to the Australian to be given medical treatment and then be sent back to the Japanese troops. The chief of the Japanese Garrison did not appreciate the General's good will and sent no reply.

Major-General Hart again wrote to say that he had made such a proposal

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because he wanted to thank the Japanese for the for the incident he once witnessed in which a Japanese airplane approached an American Red Cross ship, and, upon recognizing, the Red Cross marks, turned away. "Please accept my proposal," he concluded, "for the sake of humanity." The overwhelming bombardment on TARAKAN, both from warships and planes, came to a sudden end. The Australian Force suspended their attacks at one appointed time in order for Major-General Hart to receive a reply, but the wounded soldiers did not turn up, and the Japanese began firing from unusually short distances. Then the fury of the Major-General was fierce, and the Japanese force was annihilated.

The Japanese militarists have been using deceitful proganda on the Japanese people saying that American troops were rolling machines on Japanese wounded lying immobile on GUADALCANAL's soil. The fact is that the Americans were planning a, common burial service for the many Japanese dead and were using a bull-dozer. The picture appeared in an American magazine, but the Japanese skillfully replaced the bulldozer with a roller and said Japanese were being crushed, to death under the roller

Full Translation:

A demobilized technical engineering sergeant, KOMAYAMA, Masao, by name told a HYUGA NICEINTICHI reporter, at his home in MIYAZAKI-City, of his experiences encountered while escaping from HSINKING to JAPAN, via KORE after the defeat of JAPAN.

On 8 August HSINKING, as well as all the principal cities of MANCHUOKUO experienced air raid by Soviet planes. Our headquarters were moved to the suburbs of HSINKING; then, with the situation growing worse, to TSUKA, where we were told of the Imperial Rescript of the Japanese surrendered on 15 August. Then our troop began retreating to HEIJO. The families of our troops were all evacuated beforehand to SEHSM in the north of [illegible]OREA on the 11 August. As we had left some luggage there, I went to HSINKING, on 17 August, with some men but found that it had been stolen by [illegible]NCHURIANS. We next planned to proceed by rail to SENSEN, via SHIHEI, TETSUHEI, and MUKDEN, loaded with a 10 days' reserve of food for 5,000 people. We had no drivers and our difficulty in obtaining fuel to run the trains is beyond description. When we arrived at HEIJO, a Soviet directive said that no train would, run so we came to a standstill[illegible]After negotiating with Russian troops, we at last arrived at SENSEN and joined our families. On 4 September we succeeded in fitting out an open, 8 car freight train, greasing the hands of Soviet Officers and the Station master of SENSEN with the present of 150,000 YEN; 1,500 of us came down to KAIJYO where we were not allowed to pass through, so we had to turn back to HEIJO. In the meanwhile, owing to the heavy rain and lack of food, many children died, one after another. It was unbearable to see them hastily buried in boxes when we stopped at stations. Soviet troops began to come down to the south to plunder all Japanese possessions, and our children and women were hidden

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in a coal house. We were imprisoned in a small laborer's cottage of the [illegible]ANEGAFUCHI Spinning Plant, and we were never allowed to step out-side.

KOREAN police and communist troops came every day to examine us, and ex-Japanese military servicemen were very frightened every time they visit our prison. Japanese men were all forced to labor in engineering work on an air field and in the transportation of bombs, or even in cleaning toilets.

I had always been on the alert for a chance to escape. Fortunately, I gained the confidence of a KOREAN who gave me three tickets for my wife and sergeant KUSABA, a FUKUOKA man.

We three dis[illegible]uised ourselves and slipped out of the cottage at 0200 on 28 August and took the 1500 train, arriving at KAIJYO on the 30 August. There I had a ride on a train, which was transporting KOREAN war victim and I arrived at SEOUL on 1 October. On 27 August I took the TOKUJU-MARU to KAKAMA and came homt to MIYAZAKI-City on 2 November.

The present situation in MANOHUOKUO and North KOREA is not known for certain, but I suppose all Japanese military people are being imprisoned and forced to labor. Some Korean communists told me that some of them were being taken to RUSSIA for Russian post war reconstruction work. Immediately after the end of the war, the Manchnrians at HSINKING were crying for the annihilation of the Japanese and some damage was sustain there by Japanese. However, order has now been restored.

Full Translation:

An-ECHIGO lady and a sergeant of the Occupation Force were tied together recently by a happy international marriage. Miss WADA, Toshiko, at SFC SHOJI, MINAMI-TERA-MACHI, 3-CHOME, TAKATA, and sergeant [illegible]OBO[illegible]UGA, of the Occupation Forces Military Police, are the happy couple.

Miss WADA, after her graduation from Girls' Night School, had some experience in household work at the British and Italian Naval attachee's homes. Her knowledge of English was useful at TAKATA.

Sergeant NOBORUGA* became her acquaintance through a Prefectural Assomblyman, Mr. KAWASE. He is a medical student, who was born in Hawaii. His two brothers wives are also Japanese from YAMAGATA and YAMAGUCHI-ken. The Sergeant finished his military service on 8 December and is going back to Honolulu.

After obtaining his parents' consent, he is coming back. A formal marriage is to take place next June, and the couple is going to live in TAKATA.

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