MAJOR ON TREASON CHARGE

Chronicle (Levin), 21 August 1946, Page 5

MAJOR ON TREASON CHARGE

ALLEGED BROADCAST OF JAP PROPAGANDA CASE OPENS IN SYDNEY Ei'rciv ml Tucptlnv, 10 p.m. SYDNLY, August 20. An altrnetivo aiul smarlly (lresseu Japuin'sn uniinin, Foi. ni Baislio, was tne lirst wilimss at tio' C.ntral t'ourt today v, licn Major Charie.s Hnglins Cousens was chargeil with l.igh trenson. Wuness, who is a gniiluate of Michigan I'ni vorsity, spokn in alniost liawless English, after swearing to tell the trutn ''in Ihe pre.senee of Dmldlia." Slie said Cousens hroudeast newsjiajiei' editorials from a Tokio pa])er o\ er Radio Tokio, but liis voiee was ffiit and monotonous. She did not tlmiK he was doing liis best. Ontlining the case, .Mr. W. R. Dovey, K.c. for the Crown, said tlmt. tlie statute uniler whicli the present proseenlion was lodged, was passed in t tio reign of Edwnrd Third, 1351. Records inade at the time of Cousens' broaurast.- from Tokio would be piayed wuuin tlie hearing of witnesses and ttie Mugistrate. There were iive eliarges m al), of whicli tlie last two eoneernnig . coiupnsing 'und sub-editing, were considcred by the Crown to be by far ttie inyst serious. Before tlie war, Cousefts was a well-known announeer. He was holding the rank" of temporary Major , wheu the Mli Division capitulated m Malaya, and was sent to ('hangi Camp. Soon afterwards, at tlie request oi a liigli-ranking Australian officer, he reeorded a massage to Australia saying au were as well as could he expected. Later he rejeeted offers by the Japanese to broadcast and volunteered to join a force going to work 011 the 'Burma raitway. When in Burma he was direeted by the Japanese to Tokio. When toiu lie must broadcast he at lirst demurred, but a me.ssage was read to him that he must cooperute. He was later installed at a fasliionable Tokio hotel wliere he stayed eight or nine inonths with a riiimi to himself and all amenities ohtuinable at a lirst-class hotel. Al'ter the lirst few days he went to tlxe broadeasting studio unaceompanied. With clothing coupons issued liim, he obtained two eivilinii suits whicli lie wore instead oi a uniform. Cousens continued to write commentaries until June, 1944, when illness obliged him to cease worx. Copies of the commentaries were in the hands of Intelligence. As the war progressed, Cousens was escorted by meinbers of tlie Japanese secret police and iinally transferred to a camp at Bunka. Al Radio Tokio, tlie Crown alleged, Cousens selected liis own announcers and oll'ered suggestions for the improvenient of deliverv. In other programmes, in the preparation of whicli Cousens was engaged, Cousens elaimed he chose Tokio Rose beeau.se she would be the least eil'ective. Mr. Dovev read extracls from 52 comnientaries initialled by Cousens. "The Crown eliarges that they were wriffen with enthusiasni, horn possibly of the eonvietion that what he was writing was true, but that tliey are iiu more nor less than blatant propaganda designed to assist a desperate enemy ai a time when the Aliies were very mue.h up against it," said Mr. Dovy. "The Crown eliarges that these documents are plain unadulterated propaganda maae without the sjightest suggestion oi duress, pressure or guidance by liis then Japanese masters. "