Evening star., 1942-08-27
Australian Prisoners
In Indo-China Called
Shocking Sight
Reporter Says Some
Were Too Weak to Walk
French Cove Them Food
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Aug. T.-Home from
months Of internment in Japanese
prison camps, three Associated Press
war correspondents told radio audi
ences yesterday OF their experiences.
The three were Max Hill, who was
chief OF the A. P. Bureau in Toxic
when Pearl Harboa was attacked;
Relman Norm, correspondent who
was in Indo- China, and Morris Har-
ris, chief OF the Shanghai Bureau
for Is years. All three returned
aboard the diplomatic exchange ship
Gripsholm.
Mr.. Hill said in an interview on the
Blue Network that he was thrown
into prison Immediately after the
outbreak Of war" stripped and
searched, and placed in a cold cell
about 8 feet by Q, where I was held
from December 8 to June q"
When he was questioned, Mr.. Hill
continued, the Japanese police
started in with threats OF 4 military
court-martial The officers ques-
tioning me laughed over what they
had been doing to Otto Tolischus Of
the New York Times. They thought
1t was good joke to slap him and
beat him."
Data on japanese Sought.
Mr.. Hill declared that An Ameri-
can missionary named DR.. Meyers,
who was imprisoned In Kobe, was
forced to sit Japanese fashion until
the veins in his ankles broke.
The purpose of the Japanese bru-
tality, Mr.. Hill added, was ito get
new information about their own
countrymen who had been foolish
enough to associate with foreigners.
The average japanese lives in Just
As much terror of the police and
gendarmes as any white man over
there. The main purpose of all the
investigations was to turn up evil
dence against the Japanese them
selves"
In spite of the poverty and op-
preston to which the Japanese peo-
pie are subjected, Mr.. Hill said, "the
morale Of the people is good They
have been fed steady stream OF
propaganda by Premier Gen. Tojo.
They won't collapse. They must be
crushed and the military group now
running the country must be liqui-
dated"
Mr.. NORM said in an interview
on the Columbia Broadcasting Sys-
tenn that he was interned with two
other Americans In Saigon, Indo-
China. in the British consulate.
1t was totally different from the
other nternments anywhere else
in the Orient" he declared. I'VE
had more servants than internees
And whenever an occasion arose. II
We could. We did send out for cham
payne to celebrate"
The most shocking sight in Indo-
China, Mr.. Morin said, was the
emaciated appearance of several
thousand Australians who were
f"prisoners OF war, brought there
from Malaga and Singapore"
| Australians Burned Black.
"On the day they came ashore
even the native people who saw
them burst into tears" he said
They were burned black from thu
sun, emaciated frcm underfeeding
and many of them were too weak t<
walk. They were placed in an oper
field near the dock area"
The natives and the French resi-.
dents of the area collected none,
and smuggled food and medicine
to the Australians, Mr.. Norm added
He expressed the belief tina
what was smuggled in has prob
ably kept the Australians alive, be
cause the japanese diet woul.
hardly keep canary in condition
to n.y."
Mr.. Harris took part in a round
! table discussion on Japan carrie'
!, as a special program by the Nation
|, al Broadcasting Co. He said h
|, learned of Japan's attack on tn
United States early on the mornin
, OF December and rushed to hi
: ofiice.
,, With the staff OF the bureau,
,, sent out dispatches until about
: o'clock that morning, when tn
Japanese forces arrived and ordere,
us to leave" he said. They scale,
up the of1ice.'