Evening star., 1945-04-16
Two Jima Captives
Help Yanks in Hunt
For Japs in Caves
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.,

TWO JIMA, April 16.-A hunt
rodent warren continues here today
amid explosive caves, cliffs
and barrenS of this volcanic island
The parallel is close. with this
exCeption-eVery one of several hun
dred japanese burroWed deep in the
hot. steaming subSurface. has been
told over and over in his own lam
guage that surrender will mean
food, water and humane treatment
A strange sidelight on the psy-
chology of this stunted race is the
fact that prisoners who only yester-
day were ready to defend or destroy
themselves with whatever weapon
lay at hand are obeving their cap
tors today and even volunteering
to risk their lives in the dark caves
in an effort to bring out more
prisoners.
Japs Unpredictable.
The reaction of a trapped Japa
nese is unpredictable. He may pre-
tend to surrender to a volunteer of
his own race and then blow him
self and his captor to bits with g
grenade Or he may crawl out OF
his hole and join the volunteers
with the single-minded purpose OF
a fanatic.
Officers who showed neWsmen on
an Army Air Forces Air Transport
Comand tour around the island
were armed with carbines and auto
matte pistols always at the ready
To them the Japs are no longer "
danger-except to the carelesS-but
rather an internal nuisance. like
dug-in vermin that lrritate ano
threaten infection.
Due largely to the persuasion OF
volunteer prisoners, the surrender
rate is increasing Since the Ma
rines called the island secure about
a month ago, several hundred Japs
have been killed and captured.
AS We moved about the island
To-Day in ubiquitous jeeps, from the
famed crest of Suribachi to the
black assault beaches, We heard
ominous underground explosions oc-
casionaly. and passed patrols comb
ing the Jlunbles of volcanic rocks
anG shell-trjmed foliage One stub
bornly held catacomb dug into the
soft rock still contains some so Japs
who have arms and ammunition
three years stores. an underground
we'll, and many exits. some of which
are reopened as fast as they are
blasted shut.
Creep Out at Night.
The deep caves are hot with vol
canic steam and sulphur vapor like
that which constantly drifts up the
broken crater of Suribachi.
Hunted men creep out at night
naked except for little rubber shoes
split to allow use of the big toes ir
climbing. They try to soak ur
enough oxygen through their skin!
to carry them through another suf.
locating day underground.
They live in terror of torture Il
captured, regarded here as proot
that the veterans expect to bt
treated as they have treated theil
own prisoners in the past. On tn.
contrary, they are given adequat.
food, captured rice whenever pos
sible, dry tents and coveted Ameri
can cigarettes. This is repeated
over loud speakers by prisoners try
ing to talk the others into camp.
All this is tough on the lone souve.
mir hunter, who may stumble on {
viper's nest in the equipment-strewr
rocks, and frequently does, but i
imposes no delay on the island
principal business-the defeat O
Japan. Amphibious ducks run be
tween warehouses and Ships Sea-
bees are carving out a bigge
airfield, Mustang fighters are pre-
pairing for more forays against tn,
japanese Empire.
After yesterdays huge incendiary
strike at Tokyo, some 30 Supe,
Fortresses found haven here on tn,
return trip, and on the previous raie
almost so landed safely on Two Jima
The island is paying off dividend
rapidly on the original investmen
in American blood. The cost cam,