NEW YORK: Nearly all the 82,-
012 Japanese wounded in the
Philippines died or were killed by
their comrades on orders from of-
ficers, reports General Mac-
Arthur's Headquarters, quoting
captured records. Many others
The central commanding officer
of the Philippine defenders wrote:
''Wounded and sick unable to en-
gage in combat will mass suicide.
Each unit commander will assign
a responsible man to witness the
(From' James O'Connor, at Manila)
Japanese atrocities are not
limited to the enemy, but extend
to their own sick and wounded,
said a spokesman at General Mac-
Arthur's Headquarters on Satur-
When troops from the 37th
Division entered the town of
Bayambang on Luzon, they found
dead Japanese strewn on the floors
of enemy hospitals, providing grim
evidence of the slaughter of their
own wounded before evacuating
the area in the face of the
They had been killed by swords,
bayonets, grenades and shooting.
The spokesman said the official
Japanese view of the wounded was
proved by extracts from Japanese
documents captured from prison-
ers of war and interrogation.
One document, an order from
the commanding officer of the
Seventh Tank Regiment, read:
"Concerning those wounded, only
men slightly wounded are to take
part in the battle. When wounded
but unfit to take part unit lead-
ers will see that they end their
Another document was an order
from the commanding general of
the 58th mixed brigade. It read:
"You are hereby ordered to exe-
cute all sick and wounded when
your company headquarters is
about to be penetrated by the
A Japanese naval air lieutenant
interrogated at Bataan said he
was told by Commander Sato that
the situation was hopeless and was
ordered to tell all patients to pre-
One prisoner of war said he had
killed 2 patients with a sword.
Patients able and wanting to die
were given hand grenades and
The spokesman said there were
about 82,000 enemy wounded in
the Philippines campaign.
The spokesman concluded: "His-
tory has rarely recorded such cal-
lousness in atrocities."
Warwick Daily News (Qld. : 1919 -1954)(36)
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