Evening star., 1945-08-31
Shiippen
Continued From First Page.)

as yet have not recovered from the
atomic bombing and the shock of
overwhelming defeat announced to
them without warning by war lords
who had led them to believe they
were winning the war up nutil the
very last.
Ten smiling and dapper japanese
reporters and photographers were on
hand to cover the landings. They
appeared friendly and eagerly an
swered in English questions as to
the condition of the heavily bombed
capital and the state of the people S
nerves. A number of them were
prewar acquaintances of correspond
ents arriving here.
On Alert Against Outbreak.
Officers who arrived here with
the advance party are convinced
the japanese, loyal to the Emperor
are doing everything possible to aid
occupation plans and guard against
an outbreak on the part of hot
heads that would cost Japan dearly.
A large japanese Army force is
stationed at strategic points around
the airdrome now commanded by
their field guns, some of heavy cali
ber, security officers said. The Japs,
before the landings. cleared the op-
irrational sections of the airdrome of
their own aircraft and took the pre-
caution of removing propellers from
fighter planes lest they be seized by
kamikaze pilots. This naval air
drome was nest of suicide airmen
in the final months of the war.
From Melbourne to Tokyo was a
long road, a long, hard road, Gen.
Macarthur said in stepping down to
Japanese soil. He added, embracing
the whole scene in his glance, that
this looked like the final payoff. He
expressed satisfaction with the pro-
gress of the surrender and conf
dence in the sincerity of a govern
ment which disarmed 100000 SOL
diers in this area in the past week.
The general declared there is
every reason to hope that the whole
capitulation will be completed law
fully and with no further bloodshed
The whole region around the air.
drome has been cleared of nonessen-
tial civilians and military personnel.
AS our air convoy with its fighter
and bomber cover swept up the bay
dotted with Yankee warships and
overlooked by the cone of Mount
FuJl projecting from its cloud deck,
there was scant sign of japanese
activity either on sea or land.
Streets Largely Deserted.
Crossing the coast we looked
down on occasional pedestrians and
bicyclists moving in country lanes
between densely cultivated garden
patches and farm villages. Nearer
the Yokohama and Tokyo areas a
truck or motor car appeared at in
tervals, but the streets seemed de-
serted and factory chimneys cold.
Approaching the airport we saw
that it was Uttered with wrecked or
dismantled Jap airplanes which had
been dragged off runways into the
weeds. About half of the light
frame buildings fringing the air.
drome were unroofed or flattened.
Hundreds of transports landed
here during the day while the air
overhead ebbed and flowed with the
thunder of passing B-29 formations
OF Army and Navy fighters and
reconnaissance. planes. Several hun
dred Japanese trucks aided jeeps
and lift trucks flown in in distribut-
ing heavy equipment while pas
sengers unloaded cots, K-rations
and personal gear. Accommodations
here are rough and makeshift at
least for the time being. although
there are many substantial buildings
remaining unchanged in Yokohama
and Tokyo.