The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 5

More Bafaan Cos3ngHfSCfmfS Monday, sept. 3, ms-Fani Survivors Tell Jap Tortures 1 1 Continoed from First Page maintain life, and rations often1: twere cm in nan as punisnment. The winters of Japan are freez-l Uv Hi 7 r- 1 i exposed constantly to American! air or submarine attacks. I Aboard ship they also were exposed to the Japanese-induced i viciousness of their comrades, who, maddened by thirst, killed eight in fights over drinking water on one 22-day journey. Sgt.

Schiffner said that leaving Manila he was among 600 prisoners jammed in the forward hold, which was about 40 feet square. They had just enough room to sit with their knees under their chins. Another 100 men were thrust in with them from an after hold, it flip: where they had been passing out from the engine room heat. BUSY MAN Comdr. J.

E. Bassett, "Times" man on leave, directed press arrangements at surrender. 315 Newsmen View Surrender ine water ration was one canteen daily per man, but none was issued on many days. Crazed men fought for even one drop. On that trip eight were killed.

Thirty others died from different -causes. Only the sickest were allowed to go on deck for a brief breath of air. The Formosan guards beat the prisoners continually, and at any outbreak of noise would haul the prisoners individually (Tokyo'on deck and make them kneel i U.S.3. MISSOURI tor nours on a steel caoie wnicn' bit into the flesh. 53 Pounds Dropped Schiffner said he weighed 147 pounds compared with 165 when he boarded the ship.

He endured beatings and starvation during long hours while working at Clark Field and other labor projects. During the jour-nejr, lasting from Jan. 10 to Nov. 1, he dropped to 112 pounds. Over that period, the prisoners were kept in the holds even during an 11 -day layover at Hong Kong.

They finally reached Takao, Formosa, and Bay) Sept. 2. (JP) The greatest I crowd of news correspondents, cameramen and radiocasters of I the entire war covered the mo-; mentous formal surrender sign-I ing aboard this mighty warship. Representing a dozen Allied na-r tions as well as Japan, more than I 315 in all perched on various vantage points of the huge su-i perstructure and deck to view the scene from all sides. The story was undoubtedly the most thoroughly covered of the war in all theaters.

Every Army and Navy accredited correspondent was permitted to attend the ceremony, for which there was ample space on the great fore-deck of one of the world's mightiest warships. 7: x.x 1 "'V if fevX; i. mmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmm ffv ii touched ground Nov. 8. But this was not as bad as reports he heard about another shipload, headed by a' Col.

Beecher. The story of its jour ney was famous among prison camps, he said, but had no verification. Schiffner said aboard "Beech-er's boat" the men reportedly were limited to one canteen cup Hundreds View Ceremony They were perched high in the conning tower, which is as high as a six-story building, on guns, bridges and even platforms suspended from the side at deck level. All had an unobstructed view, not only of the signing but cf the signatories arriving by the tarboard companionway as well. Covering the historic event i were 154 accredited newsmen of water for three men every two days.

Their thirst drove the shin into an uproar. Some i slashed their veins and drank the blood. Killings over water reached into the hundreds. It was generally believed only 500 of the 1500 aboard survived the journey. Bestial Attitude Told "Yes," said Sgt.

Sirois quietly, and 102 Navy, plus Australian and English, 18 Russians, 7 Chinese. 4 Japanese (two newsmen and two photographers, permitted by Gen. MacArthur to attend I and a few others. Arrangements for press cover 'they tried to make us into beasts." For these nine and doubtless ment continued. At Formosa j-Schiffner was among 150 Amer icans, including 18 remaining! age were under Comdr.

James Bassett Jrt of Ios Angeles and Capt. Fitzhugh Lee of New York City. 'Times' Writer Directed Press Arrangements One of the busiest men aboard the U.S.S. Missouri for the surrender probably was Comdr. James E.

Bassett aviation editor of The Times on military leave. As Adm. Halsey information officer aboard the flagship, Comdr. Bassett handled arrangements for the press coverage of the historic event. On leave from The Times cince 1341, Comdr.

Bassett en -Third, we dedicate ourselves to our own part in this brave new postwar world. Robin-sons' forms its own particular link in the huge chain of the distribution system which brings the "manufactured goods of our nation and the world to the buying public Our responsibilities then extend far beyond our own doors. Because our store is distinctive, our task is distinctive. And wre do not. lightly accept the challenge thus thrust upon us.

On this day of peace, we look forward hopefully and confidently to the future which now begins. from Wainwright's staff and 400 British at the notorious Haito camp. At the Haito camp, about 20 miles north of Takao, beatings were frequent and rations were limited to one handful of rice and two cups of watery soup daily. Frequent punishment resulted in the food being halved. The Japanese drove the cooks from the kitchens during American air raids and the food subsequently was serve'd cold and soggy.

The prisoners worked in a On this day, we believe it fitting that we should dedicate ourselves to the meaning of the peace that has been won. First, we dedicate ourselves to the memory of those who gave their lives that this day might be. Their courage and devotion to the cause of humanity must never be forgotten if humanity itself is to survive. To them the debt can never be repaid To their comrades in arms, the debt is likewise owed, 'Secondj we dedicate ourselves to the future. America is standing today on the thresh-old of -its greatest era.

Certainly it stands oniric threshold of'onejaf its greatest tasks. But America has faced insuperable obstacles before. And somehow it has always surmounted them. We are confident that it will' do so again- tered the Navy as a lieutenant Two weeks ago, he was promot- near-by sugar mill, averaging lo ed to his present rank from that! daiIy in gruelling labor cf lieutenant commander. While under constant vigilance of the in thp Vaw Comdr.

Bassett has guards, ine oniy sugar mey could obtain was that stolen by Fer'ed as a public relations of Fran ficer at San Pedro. San men working on the mill floor. "We kept alive only through what we could steal," Schiffner said. Cisco, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal and Guam. Commander Changed LONDON, Sept.

2. JP) Gen. Sir William J. Slim, commander of the British 14th army, has been named commander of Allied land forces in Southeast Asia, the War Office said tori ieht. He succeeds Lt.

Gen. Sir Oliver W. H. Leese. Nazi Victims Exhumed PRAGUE, Sept.

2. Exhumations begun today of mass graves at the Terezin concentration camp uncovered 161 bodies of victims reportedly killed by the Germans last spring. President Jap Phone Tempts Writer; Hirohito, Tojo 'Not at Home' other story. The exchange has been pegged at 15 yen for one dollar, but the town bank hasn't heard about it. They offer 4.5 j'en for one American dollar, the prewar rate.

Those fellows must not know there's been a war, but they'll be told tomorrow. When told to call the Emperor, the telephone clerk's eyes popped out, but a scowl made him try it. Back comes word that no calls are taken for his imperial majesty. On the try for Tojo, the clerk was told that the former Premier was in the provinces. The same information was given for Kurusu.

No one knew where Koiso was at the moment. An effort to get Marquis Kido, Minister of the Imperial House BY m'AXB HENXESSY YOKOSUKA (Japan.) Sept. 2. (P) There is something about a Japanese telephone that makes you want to call someone, even if you dont know anyone in the count ry so why not try Emperor Hirohito or ex-rremiers Tojo, Kurusu and Koiso? The exchange for this town cf 150,000 people is a booth in the corner of the postoffice. The telephone is an old" wooden affair with a crank.

The receiver hook has a spread as though somebody has been using it for a bottle opener, and the receiver keeps dropping through. There are no coin slots, but a guy with thick-lens glasses peers through a grill adjoining the telephone and demands right at the start: "You got Japanese money?" The telephone book looks like a lottery ticket, so the Japanese puts throuch the calls and does all the talking for your correspondent. That Japanese money i3 an- Pll Illllll SnfXttJ STfU.i A.i AVI NX Ml diV hold, for a chat received the I reply that he was out of the room after teaming tnat an American correspondent was calling. It's funny how publicity shy those guys have become in the last few weeks..