Dear Yuichi:

I received your card of August 10th. yesterday. Evidently you had not yet received my letter of Aug. 3rd.

Monday (17th) I drove to Arlington ( Texas ) and checked into the small hotel where the London people had made reservations. Dominic Ozanne ( London ) arrived later in the afternoon. We had a brief visit before he had to rush off to Dallas. Later we had a quick supper. At 8:30 the next morning James Sansom came to the motel and led us to his house where he was to be interviewed first. Dominic wanted to interview me somewhere 's else, but no other arrangements had been made. So I was interviewed there. Joe Alexander was not present. I do not know anything about Sanson, except that he was an enlisted man at Sugamo Prison. I did not see or hear his 45minutes interview because I stayed in another room. Then it was my turn. It was a very tiring three hours as I had to sit on a hard wooden chair with a straight back and with the lights, microphone and camera all within 3-6 feet from me. I felt that it was more like an interrogation. It was very uncomfortable and this made it difficult to think clearly. I was not satisfied with the interview. Since my rememberance of Tojo's visit was limited, I tried to tell about the other accounts I heard and read about the visit. Dominic did not want me to talk about them.

I had wanted tomention Lewis Bush's account ( in his book ) about the 1943 visit and how Tojo visited with the men in the barracks. Also about Major Frankcom's visit ( 5-10 minute ) with Tojo in the camp office as he told it to me. Also about Tojo's entering Barrack's No.2 (1944) as described in James Bertram's book to see the men; Tom Wade's account ( as given in his book ) telling about men going from the bath-house ( I do not recall this ) and of several accounts told to me. One man told of the sonfusion in the camp office by the unexpected visit. Another said he came around the corner of the kitchen and saw Tojo in front of him. He just stood there and looked. I also tried to tell what Joe has said about being on the ground. Dominic wanted me to omit these regerences which I thought were important because they heped give a broader picture of the visits and showed how differently some of the POWs saw the visits.

Why did Tojo visit the camp? I answered this question by saying that Tojo was the only person who could answe it. I thought that his two visits with the POWs showed that he had some compassion for the POWs. Otherwise, why would a leader of a nation visit a POW camp? Your account of his visiting your office and saying the POWs should not be mistreated seems to verify this belief.

I am not very satisfied with the interview. The uncomfortable seating ( I was only able to stand up twice briefly during three hours and how I may have answered the questions causes me to have some concern about how they may be used in the final film. It was a very tiring three hours. Then I had to make the 3 1/2 hour drive home late in the afternoon. Yesterday, I was exhausted and my bottom ( seat ) still sore from sitting so long in a hard chair and in the car. I guess I am getting old.

I will send you copies of some of the pictures I took as soon as I can have them made.

I have gone back through my books, documents and post-war interrogation reports and I have not found any other accounts about Tojo's visits which are the same or similar to Joe's experience. I cannot say nor will I suggest that he is incorrect. I do not know what he experienced. The few references I have found of the visits are brief. I will write some of the other X-POWs and ask them if they remember anything about the visits. I would like to have more information so that I can have a better and more coplete understanding about the visits.

This quick reply to your card has become longer than intended and I must end in how if I am to get it in the mail this morinig before going to the dentist to have a crown replaced.

Sincerely
Bob
Robert R. Martindale