The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-02-10
Says Life
Not Too Bad
In Jap Camp
japanese Guards We're
Friendly to Internees-
Overjoyed to Be Free.
SAW STARVED CHINESE
LYING DEAD IN STREETS

1
LYING DEAD IN STREETS
An audience that filled to en-
| pacity the auditorium of the Pres
byterian church gathered Sunday
night to hear an address by q re-
turned missionary from China who
had spent some months in Japan
csc internment camp.
1t had been announced that De.
Chester Lawson, medical mis-
sionary, would give the address
But because DIR. Lawson w1x
threatened with severe cold md
because his small son was i'll md
had high fever, it was found UNI
wise for DR., Lawson to come to
Libby and Mrs. Lawson substituted
in his place. She made an excea-
lent substitute and held the atten-
ton OF her large audience for close
to an hour
Had Easier Time
After hearing your discourse TO-
night have come to the couclusiue
that you had it much easier than
many OF our boys are having who
have fallen into japanese handk~
the newspaper man said to NH
Lawson following the meeting.
THAT is undoubtedly true" she Re-
piled, "but it is difficult for one Who
has never been deprived OF ones
liberty to realize how extremely
trying it is to live day after dry
with someone debating to you Whit
you shall do and what you shall
not do. You know, we Americas
are just too independent to enjoy
anything like that" she said.
That remark was characteristic a
her entire discourse. Mrs. Lawson
is fluent speaker and Is given u
relating anecdotes that hven up her
talk. She said that when the Jap-
anese took Canton they at once O.
tAblished martial law, a customary
thing to do. But the Lawsons and
their associates did not find r.
1strictions too difficult. DR.. Lawson
was in charge Of hospital at that
time and Mrs. Lawson, herxen 4
graduate nurse, was assisting md
training Chinese girls in nursing.
| She said the Japanese guards
were courteous and apparently
wished to be as lenient as possible
with those in the internment camp
The superior officer over their camp
was graduate OF Michigan State
University, was very proud Of the
fact and still wore his Michigan
class pin. He Of course spoke excel
lent English. He visited frequent
ly with the internees and they In
turn entertained him at tea, 1t
times. This was before war broke
out between Japan and the United
States.
After Pearl Harbor the status OF
the internees changed somewhat,
said Mrs Lawson. The men were
separated from the women and
moved to distant camp. For some
time thereafter Mrs. Lawson had
no opportunity to see DR.. Lawson
with the exception Of one short visit
Then short time before the intern
ees were to be exchanged, DR.. Law
son and some of the other men were
sent back to their original quar-
tiers.
DR.. Lawson later told that at one
time the men had been given some
food that was badly contaminated
and 1t made all of them quite ill.
Whereupon they drew up a letter
OF strong protest to the Japanese of
ficials. What was their surprise to
have the Japanese officer who had
been so friendly at the other camp
appear before fhem and lecture
them .roundly for their act. You
must realize .that you are prisoners
Of war now" he, said, "and you have
no right to protest against whatever
we may wish to feed YOU The man
who had formerly been most polite
and gracious was now the domineer-
ing enemy in that instance.
Prefaclng one statement with the
remark that she certainly had no
desire to become involved in a la :
Dor dispute, she told of converse
ton she had with one OF the Japan
csc guards. This guard was very
sure japan was going to win the
war and added, why, you Ameri-
cans don't seem to be very much
concerned about winning" When
asked what gave him that notion.
he replied, Just look at all your
strikes. We Japanese wouldn't even
think of striking in war time"
Dead Bodies in Street
In speaking Of conditions in Can
ton, Mrs. Lawson told how the Jap
anese soldiers. where DIR. Lawson
had been confined were supplied
with great abundance of rice
seized from south China. In fact,
the Japanese army lives on the
country that it captures. She told
of crossing the city at one time to
reach grocery store and seeing
trucks loaded with rice passing on
their way to the Japanese army
camp. Behind those trucks there
walked naked Chinese children with
cans and pieces OF glass in their
hands scraping into the cans any
stray kernels OF rice that fell off
Continued on paes 81