Left Behind

A marine in dress blues ushered five sober-looking Japanese into the crowded auditorium of Tokyo's Dai Ichi Building. Their dark, wrinkled civilian suits looked out of place among the sparkling Navy whites, the trim Army sun tans and Marine blues of the U.S. officers, and the summer furs of their ladies. As former staff officers of the Imperial Navy, the Japanese were official witnesses at the disposition of the remains of its fleet--92 vessels of destroyer size and under, which were to be divided among four victor nations. (Heavier ships and submarines have already been scrapped.)

On the klieg-lighted stage, Vice Admiral R. M. Griffin, commander of U.S. Naval Forces in the Far East, began the drawing. Behind him stood naval representatives of the other occupation powers, a British and a Chinese captain, a Russian rear admiral. "Lot number one," called Admiral Griffin in a crisp, clear voice. It fell to the British.

As the other lots were drawn, a lieutenant on the stage read off the names of the ships that each country would get. The five Japanese ex-officers rustled their papers. "Hatsuume" muttered former Captain Yasuji Watanabe when the lieutenant came to that 1,260-ton destroyer, "a very good ship."

In a few minutes the drawing was over. Chatting pleasantly, the guests began to leave. On the way out, Captain Watanabe was asked if he had done any sea duty during the war. "I served on the Musashi,'* he replied, almost with reverence. "I was a staff officer of the Combined Fleet."

"Were you on an accompanying flight when Admiral Yamamoto [commander in chief of the Combined Fleet] was shot down and killed?" (over Bougainville Island in the South Pacific).

The answer was held up as a newsreel cameraman shouted for everybody to "hold it for a minute." Then the laughing ladies and their officer escorts again started up the aisles. Captain Watanabe waited patiently for them to pass. "I was to accompany Admiral Yamamoto that day," he said, "but I was ordered to remain behind to adjust some tactical matters--unfortunately."

* Called the world's most powerful battleship, the Musashi displaced 72,809 tons fully loaded, sported nine 18-inch guns--the world's largest. U.S. Navy flyers sank it with six torpedoes and numerous bomb hits in the Battle for Leyte Gulf.

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