Night Train from Manchuria

By J. Randolph Smith

SYNOPSIS OF BOOK FOR WEBSITE:

Night Train From Manchuria is a complex fictional story woven over little known compelling history of World War II in the Pacific. The story is plot driven and character driven.
Army Major John Anders, an agent of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services and Army G 2 intelligence, works at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. In the 1941 attack on the Philippines, Japanese soldiers raped and murdered Anders wife. His young son was either killed or lost in the jungle. His hatred for the Japanese is unbounded and threatens his sanity. Captured, he escapes from the Bataan Death March and flees to Manchuria with the Chinese resistance leader, Han Yu Chi; he fights with the resistance and eventually returns to the OSS in Washington where, as chief of the China/Japan Desk, he follows Japans progress in its war with China and biological warfare preparations.
The Japanese ability to wage biological and chemical warfare increased with their development of clay bombs to deliver live plague bacteria. A plague attack on the west coast of the U.S. using balloons on the Jet Stream from Northern Japan and mini submarines is imminent. (Factual) Major Anders begins manipulations to be assigned to a reconnaissance team and return to Manchuria to work with an old friend, who leads the resistance, to destroy the plague bacteria and clay bombs. The OSS assigns two Japanese/American officers to the team. Anders obsessive bias becomes a serious obstacle to his leadership and he is denied the mission command, but allowed to head the reconnaissance team.
The reconnaissance teams mission is to identify in which facility at Unit 731 the plague bacteria and bombs are stored and pass on the information to a larger special operations military team to follow. At the rendezvous in Manchuria, the OSS special operations team of paratroopers is thwarted by betrayal and has to return to base. Anders, his team and members of the resistance, including his old friend, Han Yu Chi, are captured and imprisoned at Unit 731. Major Anders begins immediately to plan their escape and the destruction of the plague bacteria and bombs which are on the same grounds where they are imprisoned.
At the prison Anders bonds with the Japanese/American officers and with Hans young daughter (also Japanese/English) He bonds as well with a victim of the Japanese experiments, a young boy two years older than Anders son when he was lost. Together the group makes plans to escape Unit 731 prison.
Night Train From Manchuria is filled with-little known compelling history of World War II in the Pacific, and with historical figures, including Hideki Tojo, Prime Minster of Japan, Dr. Shiro Ishii, Director of Japans biological warfare program, Manuel Quezon, President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, and Emperor Pu Yi, puppet of the Japanese as head of the Empire of Manchukuo, formerly Manchuria. Holding true to the known characters of the historical figures, history is dramatized and brought to life by the fictional story.
The story is rich in drama, action, suspense, intrigue, triumph over adversity, redemption, friendship, and sacrifice.
It moves from Manila to Tokyo, to Washington, D.C. and culminates in Manchuria.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462867691

J. Randolph Smith

Retired Air Force Major J. Randolph Smith served in the military for twenty-four years as a psychotherapist during the Korean War, the Viet Nam Conflict, and during the years of relative peace in Spain, Turkey, Colorado, Texas, and France where he met and married his wife of fifty-nine years. The couple resides in Austin, Texas, where their two grown children also live with their families. Major Smith published Night Train from Manchuria in 2012, a historical novel based on World War II in the Pacific. He is currently working on his third novel, a historical political thriller.

Book preview

NIGHT TRAIN

FROM

MANCHURIA

J. RANDOLPH SMITH

Copyright © 2011 by J. Randolph Smith.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011906914

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4628-6768-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4628-6767-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-6769-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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99135

Contents

Acknowledgements

BOOK I

I Blood on the Sun

II The Son of Heaven—

III War

IV A Nest of Spies

BOOK II

Prologue

I April 1942

II April 1942

III

IV

V

VI The Last Emperor

VII

VII The Empire of Manchuria

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

XIV

XV

XVI Kyuusai Ichiro

XVII

XVIII

XIX

XX

XXI

Epilogue

Author’s Closing Notes

For Jeanne, after all these years,

Still the love of my life,

my wife and my best friend.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I became obsessed with writing the story of Night Train From Manchuria on a winter morning in 2001. I had watched a history channel account of the Japanese atrocities in China the evening before; unable to sleep I stayed up much of the night. It was still dark outside when I settled down to begin to write Night Train From Manchuria. My wife was there from the moment of my surprising commitment; her contributions, support and encouragement have never wavered.

The first to read the original of many rewrites and offer encouragement was our good friends and neighbors, Tim and Cindy Martin. Others encouraged me including my daughter Annelise and my three grandchildren Jessica, Kendall and Allie. My good friend Mary Jane Berry never failed to get frequent updates, offer good advice and cheer me on.

My son Mark read the manuscript at least twice, provided good advice and became the second fan of the book. Robert Underwood, a noteworthy writer and good friend of many years, read an early manuscript of Night Train, gave valuable advice, edited and involved a friend, Cindy Smith, who provided world class editing and solid advice resulting in a much more readable manuscript.

In the last year my good friends Mary Coe and Linda Fendenrich became the fourth and fifth fans of the story and enthusiastically passed the manuscript around.

Strange and mysterious, the characters of my own creation who represented the real victims of Unit 731 troubled my psyche and their memory kept me at the task.

To all of these I offer heart felt thanks.

J. Randolph Smith

BOOK I

I

Blood on the Sun

December 1, 1941

Lord Ernest Bateman, the British ambassador to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Imperial Japan, sat in a wooden swing, one of a dozen planted on poles in Fushimi Park directly across from the stately British Embassy in the diplomatic district of Tokyo near the Imperial Palace.

Wearing a brilliant white shirt open at the neck, and black trousers held up by suspenders, the lanky Englishman, nearly six feet, three inches, perched quietly on the swing. He might have escaped notice, hunched down and motionless as he was between the ropes supporting the swing, except for the four security guards dressed in black suits with identical dark red ties. They were posted within forty feet of the ambassador on all sides. He was accustomed to two security personnel in his entourage. Today, the detail was quadrupled. Four were stationed in plain sight. Four, less obvious, moved about in the park within a half block of the embassy. He thought it a probable waste of manpower, but on the other hand, there had been several political assassinations in the last few months. The Japanese military was, to put it mildly, unhappy with British/American interventions in the affairs of the countries of south East Asia, especially Japan’s.

In June 1937 Prince Fumimaro Konoe had been appointed Prime Minister. His antagonism to the Western powers and his open call for Japan to boldly copy the Nazi and Italian governments’ aggressive expansionist policies formed a wedge between America/Britain and Japan. By 1941 the strain between Japan and the Western democracies had grown to insurmountable proportions as Japan’s intention of ruling Asia became evident.

The ambassador had come to the park to take a break from pressures mounting around him. Every day there was a new crisis. Today, an urgent directive from number 10 Downing Street arrived by courier. President Roosevelt, under considerable political pressures from a national anti-war movement, had rejected Japan’s request for a high level meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister. The meeting was to discuss the mounting crisis over Japan’s invasion of Manchuria and the continuation of the war in China. Japan’s movement across Asia threatened colonial interests of several of the western powers.

Because of lack of public and political support at home, Roosevelt had little bargaining power. He ruled out further diplomatic efforts of the American ambassador. Even so, Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister wanted Lord Bateman to quietly make one last effort to appeal directly to the Emperor to relinquish Japan’s gains in China. The embargo depriving Japan of a variety of industrial materials was, in fact, dangerous. However, no western power wanted further conflict with Japan.

Bateman’s exceptionally good relationship with the emperor, though formal, had given him some hope. Over the last two years he had settled into an unusual relationship built on their mutual love of the sciences. On several occasions the emperor had offered private audiences that involved serious discussions of the emperor’s hobby, biology. This, the emperor had never done for anyone, especially not for a foreigner.

In the early morning hours Bateman’s hope vanished with word from the Imperial Palace; the emperor would not see the ambassador. A meeting had been arranged instead for the afternoon with Prince Chichibu, the emperor’s brother. Chichibu had been instrumental in convincing the emperor to sign a treaty with Germany and Italy. The emperor’s use of Prince Chichibu, who Bateman knew to be extremely anti-western and not particularly close to the emperor, was ominous. Bateman was hurt by the emperor’s decision; the quickly arranged meeting intrigued him. They wanted something.

The security guard to his right coughed. The ambassador smiled as he pulled himself up and off the swing.

I was lost in thought. But, thanks for the heads up. I wonder, could you have them send my eleven o’clock over . . . I think the American Red Cross representative is waiting. I feel like taking a walk, clearing the cobwebs.

Of course, Sir. It would help us if you’d stick just to the park and only just this block.

You really think there’s danger?

I’m afraid so, Sir.

The ambassador slipped back onto the swing. He kept an eye on the embassy’s front door, but his mind was on his young daughter, a nurse serving British troops in Singapore. The British High Command in Singapore didn’t seem to be worried, but Bateman was beginning to think they should be. Sadly, he thought, the crisis would continue to escalate, war seemed inevitable and he knew it would include Singapore early on. He made a mental note to call his daughter.

A tall figure, a young man, came out of the embassy, looked up, then over into the park. Seeing the ambassador, he clutched a file tightly in his left hand, waved with his right as he rapidly crossed the street.

Thinking the British were going to have an audience with the emperor, the Red Cross representative in Tokyo had been sent to the British Ambassador by the American Ambassador at the urging of the State Department, U.S. Army Intelligence and British MI 5. The Red Cross representative was, in fact, the chief of U.S. Army Intelligence for Asia. His mission was far more crucial than it appeared on the surface; it was a mission that would set into motion a joint American and British intelligence plot to destroy Japan’s secret biological and chemical warfare program. He was here to make certain the ambassador was well informed about Japan’s intentions.

Bateman accepted the Red Cross report and asked the young man to walk along with him on the path by the park. Quickly reviewing the report, he looked over to see the young man appeared subdued, somber even. At the last line of the report, he stopped reading and looked up.

Your name again?

Kaufman, Sir. Ian Kaufman.

"Ian, I’m seeing the emperor’s brother today. I’m told he has enormous influence with the emperor. I can’t promise it will do any good. In truth, I think the emperor and his brother are not that close. I very much doubt it will help. But, he’ll hear every detail . . . every single detail in your report. I’m really astonished . . . I’d no idea of the horror they’re up to in Manchuria."

The ambassador knew far more than he was letting on. He thought to cheer the young man by exaggerating the usefulness of his information. The ambassador looked down at the file’s last entry.

The incident in November. When exactly was that?

The 27th, Sir, five days ago. They’re still counting the dead in Changte Province.

Have you been with the Red Cross long? You’re very young to be . . .

Ian interrupted.

I’ve been in China since 1937. What you see in that report is nothing compared to what I’ve witnessed. The Japanese have pillaged, raped young and old, murdered children in the arms of their mothers. They’ve killed thousands, not just defenders but also the helpless. The Japanese army has experimented in Manchuria with biological and chemical weapons for over a decade. Their expertise in biological and chemical warfare will pose a major threat to the allies when war comes, and war surely will come. Because of this advantage, which grows by the day, the Japanese government will almost certainly do nothing to control the army. Our government and yours seem to think its imperative we make the effort. I suppose you can’t argue with that.

Bateman, suddenly alert, thought there was more to Kaufman than was apparent.

He rolled up the report, folded his arms, crushing the report; he leaned back and stood tall.

I’m thinking this information was not all that easy to come by; I get the feeling you represent more than the Red Cross, Mr. Kaufman.

Kaufman had not expected to find the ambassador so perceptive; accustomed to treading carefully to hide his cover his response flowed easily. We sometimes pick up information from the American Army intelligence people, and your own MI 5. I can’t be more specific about our sources, but clearly the Japanese have prepared contingency plans for chemical and biological warfare. I believe the attacks in China are essentially test runs. The Japanese army will not cease these experiments for any reason. Whatever is happening diplomatically, the Japanese Imperial Army is preparing for war. Eventually that war will include biological weapons.

Bateman was stunned. He had no such intelligence, but it gave credence to the British High Command’s belief that the Japanese Imperial Army in China was out of control, acting on its own.

To give himself time to think, Bateman stopped along the Park’s path and took a seat on a bench; he motioned for Kaufman to sit down beside him. Bateman leaned over, speaking as much to himself as to Kaufman, he asked:

Is it possible, do you think? Does American army intelligence have evidence of preparation for chemical and biological warfare? Would Japan dare?

Ian Kaufman, thinking of the unbelievable atrocities against his own people in Europe, shrugged his shoulders. Sadness flashed across his face and settled in his eyes. He looked away from Bateman, rested his hands on his legs and noticed his fingers trembling. He quickly folded his hands together to contain the shaking, coughed to clear his throat and waited for his heart to slow its pounding.

Kaufman had worked for the United States Army intelligence for over a decade. Granted U.S. citizenship at twenty-six, he had kept dual Danish citizenship. Most of his assignments were in Europe including Denmark. By the time Kaufman had left Denmark for assignment in Paris, all of his family, his father, three younger brothers and a sister had been transported by train into the heart of Germany. He had not seen any of them since. By then he had no doubts about the Nazi’s intention to annihilate the Jewish Race.

The atrocities committed by the Japanese in Manchuria, would, he was certain, be perpetrated throughout Asia. It was clear. The Japanese would gobble up South East Asia and there was no one to stop them.

Kaufman turned back toward Bateman, who sat quite still, waiting attentively; he knew he had touched a nerve. Kaufman spoke softly.

They have, of course, already used biological and chemical warfare in China. I doubt this is news to you. What you’re really asking . . . will they use these weapons against the Allies. In London, in California and Washington. Why wouldn’t they, Lord Bateman? The Japanese have no more regard for westerners than they do for the Chinese. The Japanese believe they are the children of a living God, the emperor. This is incomprehensible to westerners, but never the less, a fact. They admire what the Third Reich has accomplished in Europe. They can do with Asia whatever they wish.

The Japanese Army has been burying their Chinese victims of plague in mass graves for over a decade. The League of Nations has condemned them for their invasion of China and the world has stood by in horror at their barbaric treatment of the Chinese. But, no one has stopped them.

Kaufman found himself choking back overwhelming emotion as he added: Just as no one has stopped the Nazis.

Bateman sat for a long time. He too was thinking of Europe and realized Kaufman’s view of Japan’s behavior in China had to be colored by what was happening to the Jews all over Europe. He wanted to comfort the young man but could not think of what to say. Without thinking, he offered Kaufman a chance to act directly. He knew it was a hopeless gesture but he wanted to do something to lift the young man’s spirits.

Aside from the report, what would you like me to say to Prince Chichibu? Keep in mind the emperor may be sheltered from what’s happening, though I have my doubts.

Kaufman smiled to himself, leaned over and spoke with authority.

The emperor consented to the creation of the biological warfare units in Manchuria. We know for certain he has consented to nearly three hundred separate uses of poison gas on Chinese troops since 1937. I don’t think there is much hope of getting him to close down the experiments, but we have to make the effort. I would remind the emperor that he is the only one who can stop the Imperial Army.

Touched by Kaufman’s simplistic, heartfelt gesture, Bateman reached out to touch Ian on the shoulder. He patted his shoulder then pulled the report from under his arm; carefully, he smoothed it out.

You can be sure I’ll do the best I can with this. And he meant it.

Late in the afternoon, the embassy limousine, flying the British flag off the front fenders, was preceded and followed by security vehicles. The sleek black limousine entered a side gate of the Imperial Palace. The ambassador stepped onto a covered portico hidden from public view by immaculately trimmed foliage and hedges sculptured into perfect squares. He stopped for a moment to view, off to his right, the Imperial Palace gardens that stretched out around the palace over thirty acres.

The trees, hedges and flowers were surreal in their perfection; not a leaf was out of place. What a shame they’re seen by so few. He thought briefly of Kaufman and of how impossible it was for the Western mind to conceive of an entire nation believing in the deepest sense that their emperor is Devine. On the other hand, how is that so different in the way the Germanic mind perceives itself as a member of the super race? Hitler is no less a God. How insane the world has become.

Leaving his security detail on the portico, Lord Bateman stepped into a narrow hallway. The walls were devoid of decoration, the narrow space unfurnished except for a mat covering the floor. The Palace Chamberlain, in formal black coat and gray pin-stripped trousers, led him through the dark passage with abrupt turns at odd intervals. They arrived at a single door opening into a huge, low ceilinged room roughly six hundred square feet. Even with the low ceiling, Prince Chichibu appeared tiny in the massive room; he came from around a simple but elegantly carved desk, smiling; he took Bateman’s hand and shook it gently.

It was good of you to come on short notice. I wanted to see you before I leave this evening for Kyoto. His Majesty is expecting me for a family gathering.

British intelligence reports, which Bateman read each morning, indicated the emperor was in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. He was surprised at the lie and wondered about its intended purpose.

I am happy for the opportunity to visit on behalf of the British government as well as the President of the United States.

Prince Chichibu’s smile vanished. With a studied and easy grace, he pushed an armchair closer to a small couch, motioning Bateman to sit across from him as he took a seat on the couch. A servant immediately brought in a tea service.

For twenty minutes, the two, according to custom, relaxed and comfortably discussed the weather, their travels and offered polite comments and inquires about their families; both were masters at steering carefully away from affairs of state.

Finishing his tea and making sure the ambassador had finished as well, Prince Chichibu rose, went around to sit behind the desk, signaling the end to the pleasantries. Ambassador Bateman moved to a chair across from the Prince, sat up straight, crossed his legs, dropped a leather pad onto his lap and began.

President Roosevelt and the British government are most desirous of finding a solution to the current crisis.

Prince Chichibu, without expression, waited. When the ambassador let his opening statement stand, Chichibu nodded.

You understand I speak only for the emperor, tentatively, at best; not at all for the government.

Understood. Bateman smiled and nodded; he knew Chichibu would speak for both the emperor and the government.

Prince Chichibu leaned back, glanced down at a single sheet of paper on the desk and leaned forward as if reading from the paper.

On July 25th the United States established an oil and steel embargo and froze Japan’s funds in American banks. The British and Dutch followed within days. Japan’s industry has been badly damaged, the economy is suffering.

Prince Chichibu lifted the paper, held it for a moment, and then let it fall back to the desktop. He slowly withdrew a small cigar from a wooden box, lit it carefully, rolling the cigar slowly to light it from all sides, giving time for his accusatory statements to register. The Prince leaned back as the smoke curled and lingered in the air between them; he lowered his voice to a whisper.

Presumably the crisis will be resolved if the Kwantung Army withdraws from China.

Ambassador Bateman had no need, but pretended to look at the pad of notes he held on his knee.

That is the first condition. The Kwantung Army occupied French Indochina on 2 July. They must withdraw. Free reign in Asia for Japan is unacceptable.

Prince Chichibu smiled, lifted both hands above the desk in a gesture of helplessness and spoke quieter still.

These are matters you must take to the government. His Majesty is the spiritual leader of the Japanese people. You must advise President Roosevelt he would do well to reconsider his refusal to enter negotiations with the Prime Minister.

It was all Bateman could do to keep a straight face. Chichibu, of all the emperor’s relatives, was the throne’s primary constant anti-western advisor. He knew full well Hirohito was the most powerful individual wielding control over the military.

The ambassador sighed, giving notice to Chichibu his patience had limits. He continued.

"President Roosevelt and His Majesty’s government are aware the Meiji Constitution places the military directly under command of the emperor. The Japanese government has no powers over the military and the government has made no effort to exercise such powers, especially as regards the Kwantung Army in China. One voice alone will