Evening star., 1944-02-06
Continued From First Page.

of us who finally escaped. We knew
that if We were caught we would be
put to death in a manner not pleas
ant to think about. We had seen it
happen to our fellow American pris-
oners. Although our group con-
tanned 10 of the strongest and
healthiest Americans in the prison
camp, we knew that there was a
better than even chance of death
as result of our treatment If we
remained in the prison.
When we finally did win our way
to freedom-10 Americans from
Bataan and Corregidor-we were
aided by two Filipino convicts who
before the war had been sentenced
for murder, yet were willing to risk
death from the japanese in loyalty
to the United States and their
native land.
During our captivity we were to
see thousands of Americans die from
the willful neglect of our captors-
up to the end of 1943 the Japanese
authorities had announced less than
third of the Americans then dead.
More have died since, and it is our
considered belief that not more than
10 per cent of the American military
prisoners in the Philippines will sur
vive another year.
During our captivity we were to
see American officers and enlisted
men driven to cleaning japanese
latrines and sewage systems-each
of us was forced to do both.
Beaten without Provocation.
We were to see American prisoners
slapped and beaten without provo
cation as a commonplace occurrence
and most of us were the helpless
personal recipients of such treat
ment
We were to see Americans SC
crazed b. thirst that they were
forced to drink from muddy and
polluted carabao wallows, although
separated from the clean water of q
running stream only by the menace
of Japanese bayonets.
We were to see Americans by the
hundreds suffering in various stages
of scurvy, malaria, beri beri and
other affections because the JAP
anese would not give us our medi-
cines, which they had conf1scated;
neither would the japanese permit
us to use the fruits and vegetables
which grew in profusion around our
prison StockadeS.
We were to see Americans slowly
going blind from vitamin deficiency
Not one of us escaped without hav-
ing suffered from one or more of
the diseases and deficiencies which
at one time were causing the deaths
of more than SO Americans each
day.
Saw Men Buried Alive.
We were to see unconscious Amer
leans, exhausted on the march,
tossed into shallow graves and
buried while still alive.
We were to see American prisoners
drop by the score from dysentery
and malnutrition, and their bodies
litter the camps while waiting for
the japanese to get around to CIV
ing us permission to bury them
More than 1000 had died in one
prison before the japanese per-
mitted us to hold religious services
or to mark their gravesD
We were to see Americans tied ul
and tortured in full view of oul
camp-beaten and battered unit
they were no longer recognizable as
humans, before they were finally re-
moved for execution without trial.
We were to see and experience q
daily pattern of existence and treat
ment which will remain with us as
Nightmares and revolving memories
for the rest of our lives. Among the
10 of us, these memories resolve
themselves into one simple convic-
ton: Japan as military power must
be utterly and finally defeated, soon
Clear Picture Important.
AS professional military men-one
a graduate of Annapolis, the other
of West Point-we fully are aware
that atrocity stories, as such, can be
dangerous in wartime. Yet we fee
most emphatically that this story
should be told. We feel that all oul
peole should be given a clearer pic
ture of the enemy we face in the
Pacific.
Most important of all, we feel that
the japanese treatment of American
military prisoners, at least in the
Philippines, should became a matter
of record, with the hope that this
treatment will be improved if the
Japanese. ever expect to be viewed
on basis of moral equality with
civilized peoples.
Finally, we feel that the highest
authorities in Japan should bt
warned before all the world so thai
there can be no evasion of re.
sponsibility-that we are fully awar,
of japanese treatment of captured
Americans in the Philippine military
prisons.
In addition, this story is being tole
with the fervent hope that 1T will
increase by even a small particle
the American peoples feeling O.
urgency and necessity for a suprem,
effort in the war, an effort which
must not be allowed to diminish
until the complete goal has beer
reached. ...+..,., .
Although this report has been pre-.
pared as q personal narrative ",
cannot emphasize too strongly tina
no one deserves mention above any
other. OF the other eight, each lives
up to the highest traditions Of hi