The Wilmington morning star., 1945-11-05

his own breast he kept to hlmself.
But one Sunday morning we saw
his fine reserve break up.
We had been holding a religious
service each Sunday since our ar
rival at the camp, though we had
no chaplain. Two or three officers
had copies of the Episcopal Prayer
Book with them, and they would
alternate in conducting services.
We held such meetings near the
parade grounds. After Gen. Beck
with-Smith joined US, and we
learned that he was more than
familiar with the prayer book, we
asked him to conduct a service.
1t rained hard that October
morning, and after some delibera-
ton the Japs permitted us to hold
our service in the barracks, in a
room which apparently had been
used for classroom work for the
Jap military.
Gen. Beckwith-Smith used 3
Church of England Prayer Book
that morning, borrowed from an
other British officer. All went well
for a time, but then he began to
read a prayer asking Gods bless
ing on our loved ones and friends.
In the middle of the prayer, with
all its unbearable visions of home,
his voice suddenly broke and softly,
helplessly, he began o cry. He could
not stop it, nor could we. He turn
ed his back to us for a long time,
and when he could control him
self he turned again, and continu-
ed.
It was shortly thereafter that
our fears began to be realized.
Beckwith-Smith passed Jap
private near the parade ground the
following week. The British general
gave the sneering man good
British salute, but the Jap did not
like it. He chased after the general,
wheeled him around and hit him
twice in the face with clenched
fists. 1t was SO outra geously unfair
that it made all of us boil with
anger. Beckwith-Smith staggered
back but did not fall. And, as
furious as he was, he had the pres
ence of mind not to strike back
or he most. certainly would have
been killed.
Flies Into Rage
Gen. Percival and I went to my
room Immediately and we WRITE
out letter to Capt. Imamura, the
camp commander, objecting to
such treatment. We then asked the
guard to take us to the commander
Instead, he took us before young
Jap lieutenant named Nakashima
sur1y, muscular fellow whom
we had nicknamed Boots" because
of the way he walked in his il-fit.
ting riding boots. He glanced
through the letter rapidly anc
flew into rage. He shouted
that we would not see the camr
commander and that if we, ever
wrote another such letter of protes-
he would personally see to it tina
we were severely death with.
1 A day or two later a Dome
correspondent visited the camr
and asked me if I thought
would be court-martialed if I eve1
returned to the United States.
'Court-martialed? l asked
''Why?"
For surrendering," he answer
ed, as if I should have known.
I told him that I did not thinl
!, SO; that had the authority O
my Commander-in- Chief to act il
: accordance with my own judg
5 ment- which astounded the Jap
: and that we were reasoning
r nation not given to court-martiaI
ling officers VINO issue reason
able orders.
He could not fathom any of this
and started to leave But I de-
: tanned him. I took long chance
J and scrubbed out a message IL
r my wife and asked him to wire
or cable it to Mrs. Wainwright,
S had not been able to tell he]
since the fall of Corregidor tina.
j I was still alive. The jap report
S er accepted the message with
o some misgivings, and left.
nj Rift VIII at he had eaid ,hor4