Evening star., 1942-10-24
BY JOSEPH E. DYNAN,

The Japanese have declared In
their latest terror drive that Amer
ican bomber crews attacking Toxic
and other large centers in Japan last
April l8 machine-gunned school
grounds, to which Washington has
replied that the airmen struck only
at legitimate military objectives.
In this apparent discrepancy there
Is this fact, which has not been
brought Quit was common knowl-
edge among Americans who returned
with me to this country aboard the
Gripsholm that the japanese
mounted machine guns and anti
aircraft guns atop school buildings.
The Americans have said that only
military objectives were attacked in
the surprise blow which had the Jap
anese so jittery for weeks to follow
and which apparently has given
them another attack of nerves as
the possibility increases OF new at
tacks.
Raiders SKINNED Rooftops.
Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle's
raiders skinned rooftops in the
April attack, using these evasive
tactics to dodge high-angle anti
aircraft guns.
And these guns were mounted on
school roofs
This was omitted in the Japanese
threat to punish" American bomber
crews for their atrocities" against
the Japanese people which evoked
comment by President Roosevelt
Friday that Japan would be vio-
latins the Geneva Convention on
on treatment Of war prisoners by
such court-martials.
Japans position also prompted
the British radio in India, in
japanese broadcast beamed at ia
pan, to reply that he United Ma
tions would not be intimidated by
threats of terroristic action and to
demand the japanese give their enc
mics the positions of hospitals and
other buildings considered out of
bounds.
Guns on School Buildings.
One educator in the concentration
camp at which l was held was at
one time associated with a college
close to the Shinagawa industrial
area. He told how military authori-
ties came to this school in the
tau Of l94l announcing their decision
to place guns on the structure on
an elevation overlooking the factory
area.
He protested. pointing out this
! would expose pupils to enemy fire
IN the event of a raid, but the Off
Ger insisted and won out.
On one trip into the city, internees
noticed such a gun atop a fairly
new middle tnighl schoolAon a ihiIl-
side in the Kamimeguro district
where factories extend along the
elevated railroad toward ShinagVa
and Kawasaki. These are both dis
tricts reported hit by the Doolittle
raiders
Pupils Death Publicized. .,.,'.
In accounts of Gen. Doohttle's S
raid, the japanese press, particu-
larly on April 10 and 20. made much
Of the alleged machine-gunning of
a school boy whose death and
funeral were reported with great
publicity
I Since the planes were flying low
enough to be within range of roof
top machine guns. they were prob
ably used. 1t is known pupils and
others in many cases did not seek
| shelter, but rather stood open
mouthed or, as in the case of girls
at Waseda University waved or
said they waved, at the planes.
The reason school buildings are
used for emplacements, in many
cases. is that in many neighbor-
hoods the only building of steel
and concrete or similarly durable
construction and the only building
offering additional height is the
! school building Frequently they
! stand in a sea of wooden shacks
or tenements.
Hence the British radio demand
that the Japanese furnish the
Allies with the locations of schools
and hospitals probably will not be
answered.