Evening star., 1944-02-09

am sure that Carl was as dumb
founded as I. But also felt wild
hope that an American invasion of
Japan was under way. We hastily
assured the Japanese commander
that We knew nothing about any
attack on Japan.
Refers to DoolittIe Raid.
He launched into a long TRADE
against the United States and par
ticularly against President Roose-
welt, during which we learned he
was referring to the American air
raid on Japanese cities Qater We
learned that this was the Doolittle
raid. At every pause in his TRADE,
we would get in a few words pro-
testing our innocence. He finally
indicated he had finished. AS We
turned to 60 he said, There are
500 of you in that stockade. If
I thought one of you sympathized
with the bombing of japanese cities,
I would turn machine guns on you"
Next day, when the sun had
reached its zenith, we began our
march of II miles to our prison
camp. Not one of us was fit for
marching. During more than three
weeks of captivity the japanese
had not provided us with single
decent meal.
AS we passed small Philippine
villages on the march the inhabi-
tants seemed anxious to help us.
Small children darted to our side
and gave us balls of boiled rice
Those that were caught by the
guards, however, were cuffed un-
mercifully.
After brief stay at a temporary
camp, we reached the Cabanatuan
Prison on May %. No preparation
had been made for our coming.
But the lack of food did not bother
most of us. We were glad to drag
our weary bodies into the barracks
and throw ourselves down on the
bare floors.
The next morning the camp was
electrified by report which quick
ly swept through our ranks. Dur
ing the night three young Naval
Reserve ensigns had walked off
into the darkness of the jungle
and had successfully escaped The
Japanese lost no time in discovering
they were missing.
shooting Squads" Formed.
Barbed wire was hastily thrown
about the camp and sentry towers
were built at short intervals. Then
the Japs formed us off into groups
of 10. If any one member of any
group escaped, we were told, the
other nine would be shot. These
squads quickly became known
among ourselves as shooting
squads"
On June 2 the first detachments
Of prisoners from Bataan began to
arrive. We were appalled, at their
condition and even more appalled,
when we learned what had hap
pened to them on what they all
called the death march from
Bataan."
In the first truck to arrive was
young enlisted man who once had
served as my orderly. He staggered
to my side and, holding himself up
by feebly grasping at my shoulders,
he sobbed out, Sir, is it different
herewith they treat us like hui
mans?" I tried to comfort the boy
by telling him that everything would
be all right, and he staggered away,
still sobbing.
The Bataan prisoners who were
joining us now had been prisoners
a month longer than we had. They
were the most woe -begone objects
I have ever seen-wild-eyed, gaunt,
their clothes in tatters. Many had
no equipment of any kind, and some
clutched at rusty tin cans which
they used as mess kits. These men
had their own doctors with them
the medical detachments from Ba-
taan-but the doctors had no medi-
cines and they were as sick as
the men.
Tomorrow: Japs slay Filipino
prisoners.
tCopyrisht, 1914, by the Bell Syndicate