The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-12-25
Former American Girl
PROBES Japa Radio Voice

4N4<1AI&1AN9y y a. wv. w.
tiny, dark-haired woman revealed
herself today as the possessor OF
the mysterious voice with the
American background which daily
has been violently attacking the
British and Dutch over the In
donesian Nationalist radio in east
ern Java.
She said her name decade ago
was Mrs. Vannen Manx; that she
fled the United States for Bali IN
1881, adopting the Hindu religion
and the Balinese name of Ketoet-
Tantri. Before the war she open
ed hotel in Java which became
famous as a Swiss managed, In
donesian-operated mountain resort
near Malang. It was destroyed
during the Japanese occupation
and Mrs. Manx, suspected of being
an American spy, was subjected to
the cruelest of fortunes, she said
Il can't tell you where I work
from but I change stations fire.
quently and I work closely with the
youth leader, ,Soetomo," she said
II was in Soerabaja when the
British bombed it. l saw hospitals
crowded with innocent 1ndonesians.
That was when ! decided to go
along with the Indonesians. / keep
close watch on the Soerabaja front.
Once / went back through the lines.
Friendly Gurkhas British Indian
troops) saved me from being shot.
"What do you think the British
would do with me II they caught
me?" -,-. '%
For some time she dwelt on her
narrowing experiences as prison
er of the Japanese, who she said
regarded her as their principal
enemy in Java and heaped cruel.
ties upon her. Others who were
interned with her have corrobo-
rated this part of her story, saying
she received the most brutal treat
ment. A>-.
She went on:
"They kept me locked in a room
alone, often without clothes, for
a year and half. They made me
walk the main street in Poerwoker-
to stark naked, with a sign, Amer
lean Spy and forced water down
my throat until my stomach dis
tended terribly.
"Four times they fastened my
arms behind me and hung me by
them-again naked-until tainted.
They broke all my toes and fingers
by hammering them.
Nothing could convince them that
l was not spy"
The tiny woman recalled the
days when she was hostess at her
hotel to many world notables-
writer's, actors and other dignitar
les. The hotel was destroyed after
the Japanese captured Bali.
II formerly lived in Hollywood
but I don't like to talk about that
part of my life," she said. Il
could have had fame and fortune,
but when a terrible accident took
my husband and child, I fled to
Bali from San Francisco in 1881.
The first five years I spent in a
Sultan's palace, adopted as his
daughter. I took a Balinese name,
learned the language and customs
and spent my spare time painting
Then I opened my hotel, not for
the public but only for people
liked to be with--writers artists,
musicians and never the monop-
olistic dutch"
Mrs. Manx prefers to be called
Tantri. Acquaintance said that
although she has an American
passport she is native of the Isle
Of Man and is a British subject.
To British monitors of the outlaw
ed free 1ndonesia radio she is
known only as the woman "who
calls herself an American
Her own dream, she says, is to
60 back to the United States, for
three months, taking with her sew.
eral representative Indonesians to
plead their cause at ashington.
Then I want to return to Ball
and my painting" she concluded