OUTCRY IN AUSTRALIA

Chronicle (Levin), 8 March 1946, Page 5

OUTCRY IN AUSTRALIA

HONGI1 E DECLAEED AT STAKE ; Rece-ved "t'ixarsday, 3...0 p.m. j SYBN.df, ivlarcn '(■ \ "That this Housc is of the opaina. ! that the uononr rud ceputation or th : Commcnv.'-iLtii Fariiame.it, the Stats i vamamciit a d -:he cruihury iusn an.. j women oi manu ..a ea... os ui.-uoi:1 o-u. | oy the nihr.nt ntm o- tim 'heilsiup, j is thc re: : o. r.n mv ut mohon by the I xiepnty T-oadc- c. i tne Oppos-c.on no. j behxg discr.sv:.' m ui: ti ev: Soutn Waie.. i jjegisiativ s Awvsuibiy. ' ' This ParL'.imeat regi stars its ab ! horrence at tne rc.oi.ting herdiug 01 j women and hui Weri oi hi s Japanc.e ; rnanned rdtip buid cUuiands tnac an | future tr hiVpjr: r.rrangements for th, I repatnatiOM of v.ou-cn and children are such' as Vv'ill ... -;c-nsi3t2Ut vath Aus ; tralian cou:e'.t?on; oi cieccncy and hon-j our," thc mciiOii0 ?.ent on. The veohei coutomma is the de ; militarirs rd Japnrese ciestroyer Yoizusi, j which cl a red Sydum, yesterday witu ; more t.ha:i l.rJ2 pr coiiers and intemee. afcoard. For two dr.ys the Yoizaia cas-.- j has heid thc frcnt p :ye in all the metro- ! politan par era. Leaders and ne.vsi ! stories emphasiso tae hopclessly over J crowued conditio.i of the ship, whic- | was bu.l . to accominodate a crew oi ; 180. The strteumnts are driven home by J mmy pi oturoa of Ihe cmbarkation I snowing thc rasscngcrs beiag herdeo aboard iiue ea Lie. women with severn, children rmisnng the guards' attempt to get them ahoard, and a youth win tried to commit smicide rathcr than sai: cn a Ja.'uner.e ship. > A covnp'icating pactor is the presence of. tnore '.Imn 2C3, J'ormosan women and chUdren, as well an a nuiuber of men .These pemle hate and feax the Japanese and ciairn that they are wholiy « .-hinose. Vcry fe.v e : thom can speaa the Japancsc ianguaare. During their internsneni they had been c&red for by the Chinese ruthorifcies here, asdormos". us alread; ra parae :1 . by many ' highiyI placed people as again part of Cliina. Sir.ce a party of journaiisos v/enc over the ship a t'cw days ago, indignation S has been rising at the state of the ship j and the primitive acco. imodation pro I vided. . The public reaction has been I one of horror that the Australian } authoriti.es should permit the ship to leave; . and- talk^oF -the- honour of the

country- being at stake is common m ah the main cities. in a front-page leader the Sydney Morning Herald says: "Japanese officers have "been cited as war criminais xOr permitting such acts. They at ieasi, could plead the exigencies, of war, but .10 such piea is -possible here. Children md the sick may well never' see the enJ of this nightmare. The fate of women without protection or even a pretencc of privacy is not difficult to imagme .vitn cauous maiixerence, aimosc m credihle in the circumstances, Korean.. and Pormosans, with a long tradition oi ennnty towaras Japan, nave oeer. deiivered bound to their enemies. It is j a sliameful betrayal of the principies of decency and humanity for which we have just waged the bloodiest war ir. our history," The Daily Mirror this afternoon car ries four pages of print and pictumes concerning the Yoizuki. The paper ter minates .its leader with the following • Let the man responsible be named. Let him be punished. /Let these people be recalled and taken out of their present hell as quickly as possihle." This presumably refers to the fact that the embarkation was halted for 4 ■ hours yesterday morning when the women were going aboard, because Aus tralian officers were appalled at the state of the accommodatibn. They got in touch with Oanherra and were order ed to proceed. A Canberra message just received ! says that Mr. Chifley and the Ministe: ! of the Army (Mr. Forde) are conferrin,'. ! on the question of recalling the ship. J A statement will be made directiy a i decision is reached. j The Chinese Charge • d'Affaires in | Canherra stated that General MacArthur had ordered the repatriatioh of the Formosans. The ship can he diverte'ct i only by his order. • ;/ - - -