The Canberra Times, Friday 8 December 1944 JAPAN DENIES ILL-TREATMENT OF WAR PRISONERS NEW YORK, Wednesday. The spokesman of the Japanese Board of Information (Sadao Iguchi) told a Press conference in Tokyo that enemy radios and news agencies had been spreading rumours regarding Japanese treatment of Allied aviators. The Japanese Government, he said, reiterated that its basic policy was to observe with sincerity and consistency, the international rules and regulations governing the methods of warfare, which the Japanese naturally expected Britain and America to also observe. The Japanese Government would hold responsible enemy aviators found to have deliberately breached established warfare tactics, he added. Iguchi denied Australian and British charges of mistreatment of prisoners while being transferred by ship. He said that after the torpedoeing, rescue ships took every possible means to save lives, without discriminating between Japanese and prisoners. Iguchi referred specifically to statements made regarding the treatment of prisoners being transported to safety on a ship reportedly sunk, by an American submarine on September 12, in which, allegedly, many prisoners were battened below decks and left to die. Everything possible was done and 136 were rescued. They are in the best of health and highly appreciative of the Japanese, he concluded. "Thus far, the Japs have used only a few of the newer, improved planes but there is reason to believe they are holding large stocks of these planes in reserve on the Jap mainland," added Mr. Forrestal. ========================== The Canberra Times Wednesday, 22 November 1944 AUSTRALIAN P.O.W. PROTEST TO JAPAN Note Sent Through Switzerland The Commonwealth Government has protested to Japan through Switzerland against the treatment of Australian prisoners of war rescued from the Japanese transport torpedoed in the Pacific on September 12. The protest also covers, the conditions under, which Australian soldiers are imprisoned in Japanese camps in Burma and Thailand. Stories of these conditions were brought back to Australia by survivors of the transport. Of 700 Australians on the transport, 98 were rescued. These men have since had two months' leave. It was stated last night, that the usual practice with repatriated prisoners of war was that after recovery leave, they were medically examined and those medically unfit were discharged. Those medically fit rejoined their own units, and if that was not possible, they were posted to other units. This procedure would he followed in the present case. It was learned last night thal Sir William Webb, who is the Australian Government's Commissioner for the investigation, of Japanese atrocities and breaches of the rules, of warfare, will leave Australia shortly to take his place on the War Crimes Commission which will collate information on war guilt. ======================= The Canberra Times Wednesday, 29 November 1944 "HELL-SHIP" VICTIMS CARVE NAMES ON HATCH PLANK Survivors from the Jap "hell-ship," torpedoed by U.S. submarines, carved their names and addresses on a hatch plank, adding "Left to perish by Japanese on September 12, 1944." The story is related by an R.A.A.F sergeant who was rescued by a submarine. He was an armourer with the R.A.A.F Lockheed Hudson squadrons in Malaya, Sumatra, and Java. Describing events after leaving the prison ship the sergeant said he came across a hatch plank and found a map also on a plank. They lash d the two together and drifted all day. That evening they found a naval man. On the third day the raft broke up. One man became delirious and disappeared "rather than go slowly mad." On the fourth day we recognised a submarine. It took us aboard.