ARRIVAL OF SHIP MARINE SHARK DELAYED PD DOCKING SCHEDULED FOR THIRTY OCTOBER OR POSSIBLE LATER PORT ALSO CHANGED TO SEATTLE WASHINGTON=

KAQ87 GOVT DL PD=WUX WASHINGTON DC 30 504P

MRS MARY B DALEY= 1945 OCT 30 PM 5 47

=DUE TO ENGINE TROUBLE THE MARINE SHARK WILL NOT DOCK UNTIL ONE NOVEMBER PD PORT CHANGED FROM SEATTLE TO SAN FRANCISCO PD IF FURTHER CHANGES ARE NECESSARY YOU WILL BE INFORMED=

EDWARD F WITSELL ACTING THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE ARMY

From the Kansas City Star, May 23, 1945:

YANKS SURVIVING JAP PRISONS HAD

By Thomas R. Henry.

(Science Editor, North American Newspaper Alliance.)

WASHINGTON, May 23.—The human mind its tough—in tough persons.

This was never better exemplified than by some 4,000 American soldiers who survived the ordeal of beatings, starvation and occasional torture in Japanese prison camps.

They have been studied by army psychiatrists—teams of medical specialists assigned from the office of the surgeon-general—and a report has just been submitted by Lieut. Col. Norman Q . Brill.

The psychiatrists were interested chiefly in why these men survived when so many of their comrades, in about the same physical condition when captured, succumbed. The only common factor was a tremendous will to live. Otherwise, the psychiatrists differed among themselves in about every possible way.

"All the men," says Colonel Brill’s report, "lived only for the day (of their liberation). Indeed, when one of them....gave way to morbid thoughts concerning the seemingly hopeless situation, he was earmarked by his companions as quite likely to die shortly. A prisoner who would hoard his rice allowance for several meals in order to enjoy the sensation of one large meal was referred to as ‘rice happy.’ This, too, was generally an indication of deterioration and early demise.

When Those of lesser spiritual strength became ill, they were likely to give up, quit eating entirely, and frequently, would die in a few days. It seemed to some of the examiners that ‘courage’ was the best word to explain survival. It seemed that the only common factor among the survivors was that they had courage.

"They never stopped in their struggle for survival. They ate anything available, including cats, dogs, silkworms and other things normally repulsive to human beings."

When struck with dysentery and malaria, they would nevertheless attempt to carry on. This strength and courage had no connection with social background or education."

Camps Near War Centers.

Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Hakodate and others in spite of official protests by the American government.

The Japanese have reported some prisoners were killed in bombing raids, but the total number of casualties cannot be estimated."

The captive summary issued with headquarters approval, reported the largest number of Americans are in Japan proper, where an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 prisoners for war are scattered in more than a hundred camps.The greatest number of Allied nationals, however, was reported in Netherlands Indies camps.

One of Most Tragic.

One of the most tragic prisoner stories of the war has come form Thailand, where the Japanese had about 40,000 to 50,000 captives from the Malayan campaign who were building a railroad from Bangkok to Burma. Reports gleaned previously in reconquered areas such as Borneo have told of a tremendous death rate from hardships, malnutrition and lack of adequate medical care for men who became so weak they could barely drag themselves along.

The Red Cross summary said: "Conditions here probably were worst of all in the Far East. British authorities estimate about half of these prisoners died. Most of the survivors were transferred to Japan upon completion of the railroad. Probably only a few thousand still are in Thailand—mostly British and Dutch together with a few Americans captured in Java."