FEW AMERICAN AIRMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1942, Page 4

FEW AMERICAN AIRMEN

IN JAPANESE HANDS STATEMENT BY MR STIMSON. OBSERVANCE OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) .(Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 22.

Four American airmen whose names closely correspond with those broadcast from Tokio actually were among the Army’s list of airmen missing as a result of storms encountered after the raid on Tokio in April had been completed, said the Secretary for War (Mr Stimson). He added that there were relatively few airmen missing after this raid. Some might have been forced down by lack of petrol in Japanesecontrolled territory. One plane was interned in Russia and several others were involved in forced landings in China.

“Very few of these planes are missing.” said Mr Stimson. “Our flyers who attacked Tokio were instructed to attack only military targets and our reports indicate that they did so with remarkable accuracy. We abide by the Geneva Convention governing war conduct and expect our enemies to do the same. We are very loath to believe that Japan is going to violate these rules. We have allowed the Red Cross to inspect the condition of all Japanese prisoners held by us and are making every effort to see that the rules of Geneva and the rules of humanity are carried out.”