Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 April 1943 — Page 7

11 WITNESS SAYS. Former Tokyo Correspond- | ent Says Yanks Kept to

Military Targets.

Robert T. Bellaire, United Press Tokyo bureau manager who went through six months of terror and starvation in Japan's ‘worst concentration:camp, reveals in the following dispatch that the Japanese civilians outside vital _ military and industrial zones killed in the American raid on Tokyo were victims of their own pursuit pilots.

By ROBERT T. BELLAIRE ; United Press Staff Correspondent ‘The Japanese execution of American fliers was cold-blooded murder, but it didn’t surprise those of us who know the Japanese and their barbarism. Between the bars of a Tokyo prison camp cell I saw the Doolittle raid & year ago and can say all Japanese civilians outside vital military industrial areas were victims of their own pursuit pilots. * I saw the raiders hit Tokyo during .air raid maneuvers. The American bombers swept over the city at a maximum of 60 feet off the ground. Japanese pursuit planes attempting to dive upon the well camouflaged bombers naturally missed with most of their machine gun fire, which hit the streets.

~ Japs Killed Japs

From the hilltop prison I saw all American bombs hit military or factory district. . Japanese with whom I was allowed to speak later admitted their own planes, diving on the low-flying - American bombers were responsible for the civilian deaths. Execution of the American airmen was consistent with the Japanese announcement the first week of the war, warning all prisoners of war, especially fliers and parachutists would be executed if captured in Japan proper regardless of _ the consequences or provisions of international law. It was an obvious effort to terrorize enemy fliers. Although the executions shock most Americans, it hardly is surprising to a correspondent like me who travelled with the Japanese army in China prior to 1940 and personally saw the Japanese behead dozens of estimated tens of thousands of Chinese prisoners executed. Neither did it surprise Americans who were in Japan after Pearl harbor for many Americans were tortured to death, others tortured into insanity, subjected to such cruelties as water cure, rubber-hose beatings and “thousand stabs.” The state department has documentary evidence ‘on scores of

5 i , un cases.

By HELEN RUEGAMER

leaders took a streetcar ride yesterday afternoon to see how Indi-

spring cleaning. “This is the city’s Clean-Up, FixUp week. The war and priorities have taken care of the fix-up end of the campaign, so about all anyone can do it clean up. And there’s plenty of that to be done, everyone agreed. About 15 of the local notables, headed by Mayor Tyndall, clambered on a “special” streetcar at the car, barns. To get everybody in the mood, the streetcar had just been washed and swept. And you could see out of the windows. Following the streetcar was a fire truck bearing a sign which pointed out that a clean house and

fires. Mayor Leaves Party

a list of suggested items to watch for, such as yards that have newspapers blown in the bushes, collections of rubbish in various yards, inflammable material about the premises, streets cleaned and those in need of cleaning, especially wellkept yards and roofs, porches and steps of repair. Mayor Tyndall accompanied the group to Ohio and Illinois st, but got off there to return to his city hall duties. The rest of the party rode up Nlinois st., stopping at 12th st. to watch the city’s flushers, sweepers and street cleaners in action and to have their pictures taken.

parently discussing weighty problems of one kind and another. They were reminded occasionally to observe that they were not out just for the ride. At the end of the trip they were supposed to submit comments and suggestions as to how the clean-up committee should proceed with its campaign. At the end of the trip all but one of the volunteer inspectors climbed off the streetcar, promising to mail or turn in their questionnaires

GARY POLICE OFFICER NAMED EXGISE CHIEF

Ernest Minniear, Gary police captain, today was named excise chief by the alcoholic beverages commission. He succeeds Ralph Howard, Greencastle, excise chief since May, 1941, who has resigned. Mr. Minniear, a native of Bluffton, has been with the Gary police department since Sept. 1, 1928, and is now head of the detective bureau.

He will take over his new duties

A few city officials and some civie |

anapolis was progressing with its

yard go a long way in preventing 2

The volunteer inspectors all had %

Mayor Tyndall tried his hand

later. But the tour proved that the clean-up, fix-up campaign is just a start. To do a really good job of spring “cleaning, individual organizations and householders will have to take the job on their own shoulders. William H. Hamilton, assistant street commissiorier, appealed fo citizens to keep their yards and sidewalks clean and the city would do the rest.

During his period of police service at Gary he worked in praetically all divisions and was oneof two officers there selected for training by the FBI. He is 38, married and has two sons. Both Mr. Minniear and Mr. Howard are Republicans.

CONVICTS HAD MASTER KEY REIDSVILLE, Ga. April 22 (U. P.)—Warden H. R. Duvall today disclosed tools used by 25 convicts at the Tattnall state prison here in a mass break last week had been discovered and that the cache included a master key to all cell blocks reported lost by a former

here about May >:

warden.

at being a sireefcar operator yes-

As the tour progressed, members terday afternoon when the city’s Clean-Up, Fix-Up committee checked congregated in small groups, ap- up on Indianapolis’ spring cleaning.

The city has already cleaned the section north of 38th st., east of Rural st. and part of the northwest area. The mile square is brushed up five nights a week and the area argund defense plants every week. Sponsored by the fire prevention committee of the Chamber of Commerce, the clean-up campaign will end Saturday. Co-sponsors of the project are the woman's division of the OCD, the fire department

.Jand the Boy Scouts.

AVENGE EXECUTIONS BY BUYING BONDS

WASHINGTON, April 22 (U. P). —The Washington Post published the following on page 1 today: “Reading of the Jap murder of captive American fliers, your first reaction is horror, your second a desire ‘to avenge. “At your command is a means to express your feelings effectively. Buy war bonds today! “The government is asking $13,00,000,000 in bond purchases now.”

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Lores Dennis is and Woodrow Dunn Win Citations

‘For Bravery. Indianapolis can add the names

lot two more heroes to its list, and

they're both still making it hot for Hitler and Hirohito. Lores Wilfred Dennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Dennis, 100 N. 5th st., Beech Grove, has been advanced from gunners mate 2-c

|to 1-¢ for maintaining a heavy fire

against the Japs in a South Pacific battle, although he himself was wounded. . The chief of naval personnel has awarded Seaman 1-¢ Woodrow Dunn; son of Mrs. Ona Dunn, 1428 Hiatt st., a letter of commendation for bravery, skill and devotion to duty as an armed guard on a merchant vessel, which was attacked by the enemy. ’

Maintains Heavy Fire The promotion of Gunner's Mate

Dennis was made by the authority

of the commander of the South Pacific area and included the following citation: “During night action with superior Japanese naval forces on Nov. 13, although his battery suffered heavy casualties and he him-

self was wounded, he maintained a!

heavy fire with the gun in spite of a heavy return fire from an enemy battleship. In all actions he performed his duties in a highly satisfactory and courageous manner.” Although only 22, Gunner's Mate Dennis is a veteran sailor of five and one-half years and his goal is 20 years of naval service. . He was at Pearl Harbor and saw his best friend killed while standing beside him. After the Pearl Harbor attack, when he could have come home on a furlough, he spent three months in San Francisco, helping repair g boat, so he could “get: back out there.” It will be three years in August since he has been home.

_ Returns to Duty

He was in the hospital until Feb. » recovering from wounds received Nov. 13, but he has returned to duty now. A brother, Gelbert, also has been in the navy five and a half years, He will be home next week for a short stay, after completing special training in deep-sea diving in Washington, D, C.

*According to Mrs. Dennis, her|’

sons are both “born sailors and have their hearts and souls in the navy.” Seaman Dunn’s commendation re-

sulted when the convoy to which]! his vessel was attached was at-|.

tacked by “numerous enemy aircraft

and submarines on five separate|’

days. Downed Three Planes

“Throughout these days when the|’

convoy fought its way through bomb-blasted and submarine-infest-ed waters,” the letter reads, “the members of the armed guard crew, by their skilful and courageous action, assisted in the destruction of at least three enemy planes and contributed greatly to the successful completion of an important mission.”

BRITAIN ‘SHOCKED’ BY JAP BARBARISM

LONDON, April 22 (U. P.).—Brit-

ish government circles said today|: they were “inexpressibly shocked”| by the execution of American air-|i

men by the Japanese. President Roosevelt's ment of the executions

vance of the British 8th army.

U. 8S. Ambassador John G. Win-|{ ant in a brief statement said that|} the president “has spoken for alll Americans” in deploring the inci-

dent.

A spokesman for the U. S. army’s

European theater headquarters said the executions were without precedent in military history. “It must be dealt the president decides and then we will do our part to carry it through,” he said.

PENNY BEHIND FUSE 1S BLAMED IN FIRE

NEW CASTLE, Ind. April 22 (U. P.)—Fire Chief George VanZant said "today he believed a penny placed behind a fuse in the basement of the Jennings building here caused the $250,000 fire which destroyed the building Tuesday.

VanZant said an electrician} found the penny near the fuse box|'

yesterday while . investigating an electric conduit reported “red hot” by firemen fighting the blaze.

The Second

WAR LOAN DRIVE IS ON

BUY WAR

IBONDS

& Let's Put

| 1 Indiana a OVER

"10 FRAT AGAN

announce- |i was dis-|}{ played in British morning newspa- || pers second only to news of the ad-||

th however)

DENVER, Colo, April 22 (U. P). —The last piane to take off in the

raid on Japan a year ago caught four squadrons of Jap fighter planes napping on the ground, and after bombing Tokyo eluded the guns of an enemy warship and submarine en route to China. These details were disclosed today in the diary of Lt. William Bower, now a major in North Africa. Lt. Bower piloted “The Werewolf,” the last plane to leave the deck of the carrier Hornet, and detailed an account of the raid and the wisecracks of his crew in a small Chinese diary which he later had autographed by Mme. Chiang Kai-shek. The diary, believed to be the only one. kept of the historic attack, has been in the keeping of Lt. Bower's wife for the past seven months. It told how “The Werewolf”. flew slowly to conserve fuel, then flew in low to “harvest the rice crop” by bombing a refinery and a railroad yard in Tokyo despite a barrage of anti-aircraft fire. “We flew at zero altitude while the coolies in the fields below waved as we passed over, but we didn’t bother waving back,” Lt. Bower wrote. “Bill Pound was having difflculties due to inaccurate maps

4 Jap Squadrons Napping

and we were a little lost.” Before reaching Tokyo, Lt. Bower’s plane swooped low over an airfield “literally covered with pursuit planes.” But before Jap fighters could take off, the U. 8. bomber was gone. . “I called to Sgt. Bither to bomb the first good target,” Lt. Bower recounted. , “I leveled off and Bither called ‘bombs away.’ Our mission was complete and now to get the heck out of there. A look back showed plenty of smoke.” The bomber headed out over the ocean to China, dodging the Jap warship and submarine on the way. Over Chinese territory, the crew bailed out in total darkness and gathered on the ground. One man had sprained an ankle, but the others were uninjured. The crew traveled in Chinese rvier boats and British cargo planes to India and then back home.

POPE SPEAKS SATURDAY LONDON, April 22 (U. P.)— Pope Pius wil] make an important speech Saturday when he grants an audience to 40,000 Catholics, Radio Vichy said today. The axis-con-trolled station said Vatican diplomatic representatives had been in-

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