Evening star., 1942-01-15
BY NAT A. BARROWS,
Foreign Correspondent Of The star o.

Foreign Correspondent Of The star and
chicaEo Daily News.
SOMEWHERE IN THE CANAL
ZONE, jan. 14-Many months ago
the impe'i 'ial Japanese Navy planted
an ONCE, in Panama City as part
of their spy system on the canal.
Utilizing ais training with the Navy
intelligence School In Toxic, this
oncer disguised himself as q humble
tradesmal. He was smart, but not
smart enough.
Today lis talents are languishing
behind a ring OF machine guns and
bayonets Toxic will get no more
reports rom him. Half an hour
after tn, first reports were re-
ceived hre from Pearl Harbor, the
United S ;ates and Panamanian au-
thorities lad jailed him in a clever
ly organized alien roundup, accom-
plished ,efore many of the sus-
poets ha1 even heard Of the treach-
erous Jay attack.
This Jap and 1874 other Japs are
now helt temporarily in q United
States concentration camp for ci-
villain in,ernees-and they are get
ting fat IN it. Most of them never
have hao such good food and such
good quarters in life before. In the
daytime hey lounge stoldly in the
shade OF do light work about the
camp. N the nighttime they In
dulge ir wrestling in an earthen
ring or Just sit expressionless study
ing thei, guards Evil spirits are
frightened away from the wrestling
ring by small mound of dirt in
which { festooned white paper
futters On one end of 4 stick.
Al Want to Be Alone.
Your correspondent has just made
an Inspection of this concentration
camp, which the United States Is
operating until the Republic Of Pan
anna is able to finish its own camp
and take over all internees. except
IS enemv aliens, picked up In the
zone. vas Immediately impressed
with the neatness of the grounds,
the six-nan tents and the cook
shacks Not even q cigarette butt
was to b. seen. Most of these Japs
certainly never before had known
such clean surroundings.
Three camps within the main
camp have been set up-one for
Germans and natives of the cap
tured countries, one for Japs and
one for italians, of whom there are
some 80e in all. Outside "a women
and Al children are confined in what
was one. a private club-with the
best breeze In miles around. The
military police early found 1t i'm
possible % permit the Germans and
Italians 70 mingle The Japs want
ed to be alone anyway.
Jas Resent Intrusion.
The Germans, Central Europeans
and Italians watched my inspection
intently often calling out greetings
in Eng ish or Spanish as they
pounded nails. carried material or
wrote letters on benches under the
palms. But the Japs sat frozen
faced ard resentful of the intrusion.
They had no smiles, no greetings.
The -talians had their own i'm
proviseo altar decorated with army
blankets and cheesecloth. AS we
approac led. one Italian darted
ahead and hastily Strengthened out
wrinkle in blanket. Then he
bowed.
Until 1e was stricken with q heart
attack, An aged monsignor of the
Catholic Church-one Of the civilian
internee+had held mass. Now the
Catholic chaplain from Fort Amador
comes ever for Saturday confession
and Sunday masses. Religious
services are being arranged for the
Central Europeans and for the in
ternees who say they are Jewish
refugees. The Japs just want to be
left alone.
For entertainment the camp has
volley ,all. a makeshift bowling
alley, clrds, chess, musical instru-
ments-and the songs Of an Italian
operate singer caught in the round
up. Net only was the camp built