Evening star., 1944-01-28
Eden Tells Commons
OF Jap Atrocities and
Pledges Retribution
BY the Associated press.

oJ thc hsoOClattu fIeSS.
LONDON, Jan. 28.-Foreign Sec
retary Anthony Eden told the House
of Commons today that thousands
Of British troops had died as prison.
ers Of the japanese after being COM
PEELED to live under tropical jungle
conditions without adequate shelter,
clothing, food or medical attention. :"
Britain, he warned, will not forget
in time to come Japan's misdeeds,
in this respect. w
Mr.. Eden's statement came after
the disclosure in Washington that
the Japanese had tortured, staryed
and wantonly murdered many of
the $4,000 American and Filipino
soldiers captured at Bataan and
Corregidor..
Voices Solemn Warning.
The Foreign Secretary charged
that Japanese authorities had die
tated postcards and letters received
from prisoners giving the impression
they were in good health and well
treated.
The information which has lust
reached the government no longer
leaves any room for doubt that the
true state of affairs is a different
one SO far as the great majority
of prisoners in Japanese hands are
concerned" Mr.. Eden said.
Then solemnly he voiced this
warning:
Let the japanese government
reflect that in time to come the
record Of their military authorities
in this war will not be forgotten"
Pointing out that the Japanese
government had refused permission
for neutral inspection of their
prison camps, Mr.. Eden said:
For some time past, information
has been reaching his majesty's
government regarding the condi-
tions under which prisoners are de-
tanned and work in some of these
areas, and as 1t was of so grave
a character as likely to cause dis
tress to relatives, his majesty's gov
eminent felt bound to satisfy them
selves that it was authentic before
making 1t public"
Several Thousand Deaths.
Referring to the many thou
sands" of British prisoners held in
Ihailand alone, he said:
Our information is that their
health is rapidly deteriorating, that
high percentage Of them are seri-
ously i'll and that there have been
several thousand deaths. The num-
Der OF such deaths reported by the
Japanese to us is just over l00."
conditions in Hongkong appear
to be growing worse" Mr.. Eden con-
tlnued. The whole story would ap-
pear to be very bad indeed, but I
have worse to come. We have a
growing list of cases of brutal out
rage on individuals, or groups of
individuals.
Il cannot burden the House with
full details Of these, but in order to
give some idea of their nature I
must, I fear, quote one or two typical
examples" -,
Mr.. Eden then cited the case of
Shanghai police officer who was
lnterned with 300 other Allied
nationals there. --.-..
Tortured to Death.
He incurred the displeasure of
the Japanese gendarmerie and was
taken to their office in another pari
OF town." Mr.. Eden related.
When he emerged from the build :
ing ne was practically out of his
mind. His arms and feet were in
fected where ropes had left deem
scars and he had lost 40 pounds
weight. He died within a dav or
two Of his release"
The second case concerned three
British subjects who escaped from a
japanese internment camp in the
Philippines February II. 1912.
Ihey were recaptured and flopged
oy the camp guard" Mr.. Eden said
Two days later they were sentenced
to death by a military court in
spite of the fact that international
law prescribes imposition of only
disciplinary punishment for at
tempts to escape.
The firing party used automatic
pistols and three of the men were
not killed outright"
Bayonetted In Back.
He said that the hands of a mum.
Der of Indian soldiers captured in
Burma had been tied behind their
backs and then the men had been
systematically bayonetted from be-
hlnd-each receiving three bayonet
thrusts.
In another case a British officer
saken prisoner in Burma, was dubbed
across the face with sword, then
tied to a stake with a rope around
his neck. so that only by lunging up
on tiptoes could he get enough air
to live. The officer was saved when
the Allies attacked and the japanese
fed.
Assailing the "barbarous nature of
our Japanese enemies" Mr.. Eden
declared Japan violated not only the
principles OF international law "but
all canons of decent civilized con-
duct"
All Efforts Exhausted.
Sir John Wardlaw Milne, Con-
servative member of Parliament.
urged that the British and Ameri-
can governments serve notice on
Japan that every atrocity will be
remembered" and bring pressure
to permit a commission Of Spanish,
Portuguese and other neutrals to
investigate Japanese prison camps.
Replying, Mr.. Eden said:
I'VE have tried every representa-
ton We can possibly devise. We have
put up every suggestion we can
think Of but We have been met by
a cynical refusal, and the govern
ment feel that there is nothing left
to do but make the facts public and
hope perhaps that action at long last
would bring the Japanese authorities
to understand their responsibilities.