Pacific

The Gentle Jap in the Pacific

mo the logically-minded, the Japanese 1 propaganda policy of “words with out deeds” is incomprehensible. The joys of their “co-prosperity sphere,” which they peddled so vigorously among the native peoples in the Territories they over-ran, have been offset by their be haviour wherever they have set foot.

It has been reported that, on Tarawa, the Japs brought with them a Korean labour unit. The Gilbertese, although exhorted to gaze upon and admire co prosperity, were dumbfounded at the treatment meted out to these Koreans.

There was no sigh of equality—they were treated as slaves; they worked long hours and were thrashed if their work was not satisfactory; in return, they received poor, inadequate rations and a loincloth. They begged food from the islanders, stole from Jap rice stores whenever possible, and made no secret of the fact that they worked only under pressure land that they would desert to the Allies should they land.

Finally, there was the brutality with which the Japs dealt with the islanders themselves. Harold Cooper describes how two starving Gilbertese stole a few hand fuls of rice and were publicly executed.

A grave was dug, and the men were made to sit blind-fold in front of it; a Japa nese officer then struck off their heads with his ,sword, and the bodies were pushed into the hole.

Three women who had infringed black out regulations by smoking cigarettes were strung up by their wrists, their toes barely touching the ground, for 18 hours.

To test the efficiency of some “live wire” entanglement on one part of the beach, three Gilbertese were forced to walk on the wire. Two were electrocuted, and the third, still alive, was finished off with a rifle.

The marriage of Mr. Frank Bogle, USN, and Miss Joan Mansell, of Fiji, was cele brated in the Lautoka Methodist Church on August 16.

Major B. Osborne, who has been away from Fiji for 15 years, recently spent 14 days’ leave in Suva with his hiother.