The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-11
This Is Ny Story
Outlines Beginning Of Trip
To Manchuria- Start
OF The Last Mile
BY GENERAL JONATHAN M.
WAINWRIGHT

BY GENERAL JONATHAN M.
WAINWRIGHT
Copyright, 1915, by King Feature
Syndicate, Inc. Reproduction in
whole or in part strictly
prohibited.)
The heartless Japs at Shirakaw
prison camp quickly took steps t.
punish my brave officers VIII
stood up for their rights under tn
Geneva convention and refused tt
engage in mental work.
These officers were no longe,
permitted to lie or sit on theil
hunks before bedtime. They coule
not assemble in groups of more
than two. They could not visit out
side their barracks. All their en-
tertainment was cancelled. Two OIL
three times every night they were
routed out of bed, had to dress. q
to the parade grounds and stanc
a roll call. They were always KEEP
waiting in the dark for Jap Of
ficer to appear. When they were
dismissed they came back, TN.
dressed, went back to bed for an
other hour or two, and then were
summoned again.
Then the Japs declared. that q
sanitation emergency existed, in
volving the health of the entire
camp, and ordered our officers to
cut out all grass, brush and trees
in a large area around the camp.
This was their program to destroy
mosquito breeding areas. The
Americans were worked harder
than they had ever been worked
or the Shirakawa farm, but, since
they were being punished, they
were not given the work rice
they earned and SO desperately
needed. All began to lose weight
at an alarming rate.
At one of their worst times dur.
ing this period, with the older Of
ficers hardly able to do more than
stand, the Japs authorized the
slaughter of one pig each week.
Those pigs had been bought ano
raised by cur men, including the
officers who were now being made
to work against all covenants ano
their wishes.
Took Best Part OF Pig
But when the first pig was butch
cred the Japs took all the best
cuts, gave the remaining parts tt
the enlisted men, who of course
were still working (and who hac
never been given a chance to re
oeD, and to those officers who hae
remained at work.
One fantastically cruel month
followed another, and still our Of
Ulcers held out on the strength O.
sheer American fortitude and will
power. Ravenous as they were
they even came to laugh at the
efforts of the Japs to break then
down.
Toward the end of their fearful
ordeal, two representatives of the
Protective powers visited the
Shirakawa camp. The Geneva con
vention provides that belligeren
governments shall designate some
neutral government to act as theil
representative in dealing with the
enemy nation in matters concern
ing prisoners of war. Switzerland
was the Protective power for the
U. S. and British prisoners. Swed'
en- represented the Dutch. A Swiss
and Swedish delegate made the
trip to the camp.
The Japs, forewarned, of course,
appointed certain spokesman to
speak for our men at this meeting,
which naturally made it farcical,
because the true purpose of such
meetings is for the Protective
power to determine if the captor
nation is living up to the provision
of the convention. The American
spokesman were told in advance
exactly what they must say to the
Swiss and Swede. They were for
hidden to discuss anything of con.
sequence concerning the camp
Before the Protective powers ar
rived the Japs rounded up all the
starvlings in the area, ordered
them to 60 inside the barracks
wash and put on their best remain
ing clothes.
The American officers selected
to speak with the Swiss had sc
little to say, except to look the mer
in the eye and invite his attention
to their ha2gard bodies, that the
meeting broke up much sooner
than the Japs had anticipated. In
leaving the camp, therefore, the
Swiss and Swedish delegates rar
into a group Of our dirty, dishevel
ed, starved officers returning from
their forced work in the fields.
The Japs did their best to run the
men to cover before the represen
tatives of the Protective powers
could see them, but they failed
Our officers just stood their ir
their sweaty breechcloths and LEI
themselves be seen. The Swis:
delegate attempted to say some
thing to an American major gen
eral, but before the American
could answer more than a wore
or two he was brushed aside ane
sent indoors.
Report Ignored
Nothing good ever came Of thi
tragic meeting. If the Swiss dit
render his report, it was ignored
The ordeal of our courageous OF
ficers at Shirakawa ended on DC
tober /, 1914. At 3 o'clock that aft
ernoon they, along with certain
If ~