Detroit evening times., 1945-08-16

CluCI Ecu Wtdl III y hlAiOho ohA
wooden sandals, climbed into his
car and drove off.
But he was back in an hour.
He sent up word he had failed
again.
HOW do you explain that ?
Ill l can't, any more than ]
can explain the fact that, much
later in our Imprisonment, an
other ] apanes e commandant
stole two copies of ship mani
fest for c. c. Grinnell and me.
That happened the day a Jap
vessel arrived with the first
American Red Cross shipment
for us-and what a glorious day
that was
When word reached as the
ship was IN, we told the COM
nandant We wantsd to see the
nanifest . h o u 1 nj everything
sent to ais because Ue pere
afroid his eountrymen had
stolen most Of ii. And he Went
to the. ship, got the captain
drunk and stole not one but tWo
copies of the manifest for us!
Perhaps Tomoyasu was not the
man who ordered the executions,
But / believe he could have
stopped them and would have ex-
cept for that bloodthirsty young
Takahashi.
IT WAS TakahaShi who, fear
Il full we might find a way to
halt the executions, had moved up
the hour from Monday to Sunday
evening and then to Sunday noon.
And 1t was Takahashi who
fOrestalled our next move. He
forbade all calls out OF the
camp just as we were preparing
to telephone several influential
neutrals.
Now we had one last card to
play. Arthur II. Evans of
Arcadia, Cal, former adviser TO
the Philippines customs and the
appointive haison between the
camp and the Red Cross, had a
pass to 60 out of the camp Sum-
day morning on Red Cross busi-
ness. It was decided he would
get TO Episcopal Bishop Norman
f. BinSted, Weston, Mass, a mar
who had spent years in japan anc
was so respected by the japanese
he was not interned until later.
The bishop acted instantly.
He reached high Japonese
parsonage in Manila. That off
eiaI promised to stop the sSseu-
tions. But the official Guide ntiy
still thought it w0s set for Mon
day morning and that he had
plenty Of time to act.
A Ill over the camp our people
"A were gathered in groups. The
harsh realities of our imprison-
ment were coming home to us
now, and some of us were having
trouble adjusting to them.
Rumors flew everywhere.
Those last rumors were given
real credence when TOmoyasu
sent for Stanley and me and for
Stewart and Pedder, the moni-
tors, shortly before noon. They
piled us into cars and put n
squad of soldiers into bus.
Then off we drove while the
camp watched silently.
We went to the San Marcelino
Jail in Manila and the three
prisoners we're brought out. When
they saw us they began smiling.
They thought they were to 60
free.
When we drove TO the Chinese
cemetery north of Manila and
stopped near a large, freshly dug
grave, they knew.
"Why, we haven't been
tried!" exclaimed Laycock. And
that was that.
Tomoyasu asked me II I had
anything to say to the men. / do
not recall all that l told them
But / remember saying this:
"Your names will not be for
gotten at Santo Tomas. You
are dying as martyrs TO free
dom"
I GAVE each man a cigaret and
Il started to light them. One OF
the Jap guards pushed me aside
and lighted them himself.
Takahashi seated the three on
the mound of earth beside the
grave with their feet dangling in.
Laycock, an Australian, refused
a blindfold:
'Tll die like n man, not a
rat" he said. But Takahashi
ordered him blndfolded any
way.
Then the jap detail took up
positions rs feet in front Of the
men and took out their side
arms.
Those pistols were small bore,
and would kill a man only if the
bullet struck a vital spot. The
Japs could not aim that well.
They fired and fired.
eottnfad IA shofs WaaL's hodv