Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 17, Number 17, DeMotte, Jasper County, 21 March 1947 — Japs Plan to Use Homemade Weapons in Defense of Home [ARTICLE]

Japs Plan to Use Homemade Weapons in Defense of Home

WASHINGTON. The Japanese i housewife was prepared to yield an assortment of crude, homemade weapons in defense <*f her country, army ordnance department *evealed here. ]./«;• j . j A report, hitherto secret, described fully the tools, mostly handwielded, which included everything from fastening an ordinary knife to! a bamboo pble to using a baseball bat. - | The doeulnent pointed out.that the Japs in 1944 realized that ;the decisive battle of the mainland of Japap was soon to be fought. It pead: “There was a call for complete national armament, and because of the shortage of weapons the study and development of simple weapons began." Civilians were said to have been shown different ways to convert; home implements into weapons for attacks on American soldiers. The report said*that with the pros-! pcct of a powder supply shortage! a short bow and- cross-bow which! could be made readily in a home! workshop were developed. Both ordinary and explosive arrows were to be used as missiles.