Page:Military Occupation and Military Relations of the Allied Forces, Dossier 1, November 1945.pdf/20

 You have known many of the statements you published were untrue. All matter going to the Japanese people will be more strictly censored from now on. One hundred per cent censorship of press and radio will continue to be enforced. Nor more false statements, no misleading statements will be permitted; no destructive criticism of the Allied Powers. The government will take steps immediately to assure that this policy is carried out. If it does not do so, Supreme Headquarters will.

Domei News Agency may return to the status of a national Japanese news service as of 1200 hours today. This service is limited to Japan only, utilizing telephone, radio and telegraph for internal distribution subject to 100% censorship by U.S. Army representatives stationed in Domei. The ban on overseas broadcasts will continue, and news from overseas bureaus of Domei will not be used until such time as relaxation of this prohibition may be made.

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES, PACIFIC Public Relations Office

Jose P. Laurel, puppet president of the Philippines, was remanded into custody of the Eight Army today (15 Sept) at Yokohama.

Laurel, with two members of his staff---Jose Laurel III and Benigno S. Aquino---were taken to the resort city of Nara, near Osaka, late last night by officers and men of the Eight Army.

The actual detention of Laurel was made by Staff Sergeant Van Millari, a Filipino-American of Los Angeles, Calif., who notified each prisoner individually that he was now in United States hands.

Laurel, with members of his family and staff, were living in the Nara Hotel. Following United States liberation of the Philippines, Laurel fled to Formosa and came later to Japan.

His son, Jose P. Laurel III, was commander of the Presidential Guard during Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Aquino was speaker of the puppet assembly.

Laurel was quiet and outwardly cheerful as he placed himself in the hands of the arresting party. He refused to comment on his detention or on the future.

Other members of Laurel's family, including two more of his sons, Jose Jr., and Mariano, remained in Nara under American orders.

Lt.Col. Chapman P. Turner of Kansas City, Mo., head the C.I.C. unit which made the arrests.

GENERAL RELEASE

Imperial General Headquarters has furnished us with the following information on the status of their Naval and merchant craft:


 * SUICIDE CRAFT---In defense of the home land there were 273 midget subs, 203 human torpedoes, 1499 suicide boats. They also had suicide boats as follows: Chichi Jima and Haha Jima 91, Chu Shantao Is. 100, Formosa 300, and Miyako Is., 200.


 * NAVAL VESSELS---Five aircraft carriers, 3 destroyers, 15 escorts, and 77 other vessels were under construction; work on the carriers was discontinued by 1 Apr 45 while on the others it continued until as late as 27 Aug 45.