January 19, 1942 – Radio Tokyo – News broadcasts from The English Service – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
January 19, 1942 – Word from Tokyo this day as a contrast between news as it was delivered in America with news as it was delivered to the Japanese people (with the Allies surely listening in, hence a newscast in English).
The news as it looked from Tokyo – The Japanese government appointed a new Governor General of the Occupied colony of Hong Kong. A Tripartite agreement was signed in Berlin between Japan, Germany and Italy. Japan continued its aerial assault on Singapore as well as continuing its advance in Malaya and were within reach of Singapore with some 1,000 prisoners taken. Air Raids were also conducted over Rangoon. The assault on Bataan was continuing and advancing.
It was also announced that Radio Tokyo would broadcast a series of interviews and messages from American prisoners of war taken at Wake Island and being held in Japan the following day (January 20th) and it was urged that any Americans listening would forward on those messages.
Radio Tokyo also reported on the return of Winston Churchill to London, and how surprised everyone was that his plane wasn’t shot down. The report also went on to state that a major shakeup of the British government was on the horizon and that reports from Stockholm were said to have confirmed that.
News for this day as seen by Radio Tokyo – not that far off from news reported in the U.S. – the only difference being the losses and casualty figures – and Japan making special mention of advances and victories in the field.
And so went the war of words and deeds, this January 19th 1942 as reported by Radio Tokyo’s English Language Service.
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