The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-26
Jap Persuad er,
BY BONNIE wy,

IlNlAN.- (R This :.
Toughy, who swaggers W N,bd ABOUT
walks. Toughy is Japanese ,Iei n. ne
or, blasted out of cave -, SAIL
Americans took Tinian. h. "nen
CANT and cocky, to be sure ; b' AFRO
Toughy several Americana wv 10
lot of his own countrymen anu
their lives. He's helped brjng 1--WE e
more than 400 japanese hidesSo,,tsaa
on this Pacific island. O0'S
"Toughy is no traitor to /
people. He's saviour for tha u /
declared Maj. Charles F, Frh +'' H.
U. S. Army intelligence officor IT..
Los Angeles. Touehy serves u
''persuader' for the "Tjnian - h, as
club the Army intelligence ., mun'
that has cleaned most Of the , o4p
over Nipponese out of Tinian b Lgl''
and caves. ''' Hills
Well dressed, well fed o,..
Toughy goes out with the soI GG.,,
guards, drops down into c.n.
where he knows japanese ara I b;s
ing, climbs up jungle hillside ''lo,
dives into thick cane fields ia ~ VI
vince his countrymen that nr cu,l'
ganda about American torture 9,
killing of prisoners isn't trno '"0
Toughy's conversion to ~.
American way of thinking is on.
OF the. wars most bizarre taIo,
A Marine patrol literally blew him.
out OF a seas edge cave.
I'VE took him to the hospita, f..
treatment of wound in his hacl -
Erb said. His name was tonos
one to pronounce. so We decids5
to Just call him Toughy. II seem
ed to fit him
"Suddenly.' the major Continued
"Toughy looked at us and said
through the Interpreter: 7 knor
where there are eight more Law
not far from where you cspture5
me- "
"Toughy was taken to the RI,
Cross relief office and outfiHod
with care.
After long conversation abot
his life as a boy in Japan-hs
was a jockey and is only q wear,
Old noW-We gave him a good meal
and a chance to rest all he want.
ed. Later that night we asked him
who he thought should 60 out ia
convince the eight Japs he had
mentioned and, with but a mn.
ment's hesitation. he volunteered
asking to be sent out at dawn
Toughy's orders were to bring
the japanese to an open patch in
cane field.
1--WE told him to come back after
an hour if he couldn't talk them
into surrendering," Erb said. He
was back in 40 minutes, coming
up the hill with nondescript col.
umn of shabby japanese"
Toughy was eager after that 10
serve as "persuader." He has lin.
ed himself up a volunteer crew
and works with other converted
Japanese to convince his country.
men they should surrender.
"You probably wonder why this
japanese, Toughy, has been so will.
ing and eager to help" Erb re,
marked. We'll, the answer is sim.
ply that we've convinced him that
the Americans, in order to make
this island absolutely secure
would rather take the remainder Of
the Japs alive. This man has been
made to envisage a new life ahead
for him, notwithstanding his gov,
ernment's edict that all those who
surrender are officially dead, and
he intends to help in the creation
of it."
Erb starred in football at the
University of California in 1921
1922, and 1923, playing on the Co.,
den Bear wonder team. He be-
came acquainted with japanese
when he toured Japan with co.,
lege baseball team.
! At the age of % he was head
football coach at the University Of
Nevada, the nations youngest
Two years later he coached the
University of Idaho team to a
tie for the Pacific coast champion
ship.