Evening star., 1945-11-15
~
Bulky Locomotives, Damaged Bridges and Mud
Impede Path to Freedom After Reds Open Prison

rapping for something. Through
Leith he made 1t known that he
wanted something alcoholic with
which to propose q toast. Leith
produced 1t. Marui.
Does the Japanese Army have
any wine or liquor?" the colonel de-
manded Of Mar,ii.,
Undoubtedly" Marui answered
with some pride.
Get It'll" the colonel ordered, and
glared him out OF the room.
We waited IS minutes and then
Marui came back, somewhat crest
fallen, with several bottles OF Jap
beer. He started to make an apology
but the colonel waved him aside,
passed bottles to me, Gov. van Star
kenbourgh and Gen. Percival and
we drank several toasts to the con-
tinued security Of the Allies.
Train Finally Arrives.
At 4:3o pm, while we were watt
ing for the regular train to come
through, q train, consisting Of sew
eral coaches and three. nat cars,
pulled into the station. The colonel
had requisitioned it. We loaded
our baggage and the Russian jeeps
on the fiat cars and lashed them
down in the manner Of a travelling
circus. It was Z o'clock before the
colonel could reach superior Of
ficer in Mukden and get clearance
for this special train. But at last
we were under way and at l am,
on August n, we pulled into the
Mukden station.
The engine promptly uncoupled
and left us parked there in the
dark place. The Russians came to
our ,wooden-seat coach and. bade
us fond farewells and they, too, left,
ignoring the jeeps on the fiat cars.
I was doing at 2.45 am. when
Sergt. Carroll shook me and said
that Maj. Lamar had arrived.
He had been searching for us for
more than two days; had even had
planes out looking for our convoy
Lamar had stirring news. Two
planes were waiting for US at the
Mukden airport and would take on
for Chungking after sun-up. Atop
this wonderful news, he told me that
Gen. Macarthur had invited Gen.
Percival and me to fly to Yoko-
hama to be with him at the formal
Of the Japanese nation,
to take place on board the battle
ship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on
September 2.
Makes Passenger List.
The two available planes could
carry out 80 passengers with 80 or
40 pounds Of baggage for each man,
Lamar told me, and added that
there were 1,700 of my officers and
men at the prison camp 10 miles out
of Mukden-the camp whose en-
listed men had given the Jap factory
so much trouble.
Lamar asked me to make up a list
Of the passengers for the first trip.
Aside from our group from Sian
there would be room for a number
Of others. I walked to the nearby
fiat car, took q few items out Of my
locker, closed it, and never saw It
again.
Then with Mai. Gen. George r.
Moore, our two orderlies and Maj.
Lamar I walked through the dark
streets for about a mile to q hotel,
where I made up the list and sent
the names of the chosen Mukden
camp members to Maj. Gen. George
M. Parker. urging him to have the
officers and men at the air.
port soon after daybreak.
At 4:30 am. on August ~ my
paper work was done and with con-
siderable gratitude I dropped into
the first real bed had been In for
more than three years, and slept
three wonderful hours.
fTomorrow: Back TO Civilisa-
tion.)
Copyright, 1915, King Features
Syndicate. Inc. Reproduction in
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