Evening star., 1942-07-29
Two Million Soldiers
And Civilians Held
Detailed Instructions
Bv MORRIS J. HARRIS.

Associated Press War Correspondent.
LOURENCO MARQUES, Portu-
guese East Africa, July % (Delayed)
TO China and her millions the
outbreak of war between the United
States and Japan was a complete
surprise-but not to the japanese
and their henchmen in occupied
areas there.
Despite amazing secrecy of the
japanese in China knew war with
another foe was near, while Amer
leans and other foreigners and
Chinese wishfully felt it couldn't t
happen.
A million japanese soldiers and
another million Japanese civilians
in China were in the know AS one
man they kept their mouths shut.
The revelation of how japanese
authorities had marshalled the
legions of their countrymen in
China into regimented secrecy
came out after Pearl Harbor.
Detailed Plans Ready.
Then they unprotected detailed
plans Of the wars prosecution which
of course included the use of un-
counted thousands of japanese
civilians" in China in aiding the
armed forces in every describable
way.
Pearl Harbor stunned a majority
of Americans in China. just as it
did the people at home The enemy's
initial successes caused amazement
and alarm over the safety of Ha-
waii; wonderment about defense
preparations at the mid-Pacific out
post, and about what the Army,
Navy and Air Force were doing
that December morning.
Japanese propaganda played on
the theme that the defenders were
out the night before
To the elated Japanese the lick
gotten in at Pearl Harbor was the
achievement of achievements in
their empires history.
To the more sober Japanese the
bombs that blasted Pearl Harbor
started fire which will either make
the Japanese Empire the world S
greatest or break Japan utterly.
Allied Nationals Quickly Seized.
To fanatical japanese who cheer
fully hurl themselves at death
there's no defeat possible Japan is
everything, Japan is divine, there
fore she cannot lose.
The minute Toxic flashed the
news of the attacks Japans long
perfected machine in occupied China
went into action swiftly and over
whelmingly.
With amazing promptness and
precision the japanese descended in
the early morning hours on Allied
/ nationals, their institutions and
off1ces throughout occupied China
The Associated Press Office in
Shanghai, like many others there
was sealed by japanese who arrived
with minutely detailed diagrams OF
every establishment.
The procedure clicked precisely
BY noon everything American, Brit
ish and Dutch had been bagged. In
Shanghai army and navy gen
darmes plastered up thousands OF
big notices telling everybody how to
behave. The month December
had been printed on the notices but
the date was left blank.
All Accused of Being Spies.
The neatly printed posters
phrased in correct English, bore nc
evidence of hasty preparations; al
! indications were that they had Ions
been prepared. Some even had beer
yellowed from exposure.
The japanese later charged thai
big American and British espionage
and sabotage rings had been oper,
ating, but they certainly made ne
immediate efforts to nab them.
1t was afterward that the gen
darmes appeared, arresting CORE.
spondents, bankers, educators ane
merchants in an effort to prove theil
f1imsy contention that every Amer.
ican in China was a spy.
AS the hostilities progressed enem,
nationals throughout occupied
China felt the increasing impact O.
war. BY midsummer the welfare
and safety of those remaining be
hind was becoming increasingly