The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-10-25
Gen. Wainwright Tells Of Decision
To Surrender To Hard-P Pressing laps

certainly must come tonight. Il
would be better to clear up the
situation now, in daylight"
It was 1915 a. m, on the BLACK
day of May 6, 1942.
then ordered Gen. Beebe tt
get out a previously prepared sur:
render broadcast-prepared in the
event 1 lost my life and could not
be present when the broadcast
eventually had to be made-and
told him to insert therein that we
would cease firing at noon. He
and Gen. Moore agreed that l mad
taken the only step possible under
the circumstances.
With view to surrendering as
few troops as possible, then sent
radio to Maj. Gen. William F..
Sharp, Jr., commanding my Visa
-Mindanao force, and relieved
him of further responsibility to
me, but directed that he Herewith
place himself and his men under
WGdpOuS OCSe4 W ~
Then ordered the men Of Cor
regidor and the other fortified is
lands in the Bay to destroy all re-
naming weapons of greater than
As caliber before noon,- as well as
all other military and naval stores,
equipment and ships. Our only two
modern large guns, the 12-inch
rifles built primarily to combat
a warship attack from the sea,
soon went up with a roar, their
nozzles ripped by shells placed
therein in reverse and then struck
by emerging shells.
I did not know it at the time,
but in the terror and confusion OF
the scene my order to destroy larg-
er guns was misinterpreted by Col.
Towards Marines. They began de-
stroying their small arms. and
thousands of others followed suit
before we could stop them.
Promptly at 1890 a. m. Gen.
Beebe stepped to the microphone
of our little radio station, which
Macarthur had named 'The Voice
of Freedom" His voice was clear:
sMessage for General HON.
ma Message for General
Homma," he repeated, cor the
present Commander-in-Chief Of
the Imperial Japanese Forces
on Luzon." This he also re-
peated, then added, with other
repetitions:
"Anyone receiving this mes
sage please transmit it to the
Commander-in-Chief of the I'M
perial japanese Forces on Luz
ION.
"For military reasons which
General Wainwright considers
sufficient, and to put a stop
to further sacrifice of human
life, the Commanding General
will surrender to your Excel
lency today the four fortified
islands at the entrance to Ma
Mia Bay together with all mill
tary and naval personnel and
all existing stores and equip
ment.
cat IL noon, local daylight
saving time, May 6, 1912, a
white flag will be displayed in
prominent position on Cor
regidor, at which time all fir
ing from the Harbor Forts will
cease unless landing by jap
anese trops in force is attempt
ed without flags of truce, in
which case they will be taken
under fire.
eff all of your firing and
aerial bombardment has ceas-
ed at IL noon local time the
Commanding General will send
two staff officers by boat, fly
ing white flag, to the Cabca-
ben dock to meet japanese
staff officer, whom the Com
manding General requests that
your Excellency have there,
empowered to name the time
and place for the Commanding
General to meet your Excel
Iency in order that he may
make the formal surrender
and to arrange all details.
upon the return of his staff
officers the Commanding Cen