Rabanl Mes, Rabaul, July 25, 1958
ACCENT
Captain Matsubara's Snglish was at times quite fluent, dut his accent
had us defeated.
"How did you know the ship had received a radio-active dose7" the captain
and his officers were asked,
"We mew because our instruments told us," was the reply.
"Bat why were you using these instruments?" was the next question.
"We always check them regularly because they are part of our regular
equipment on this sort of ship," Captain Matsubara said.
OPINION
Captain Matsubara's statement later gave rise to a freely expressed
opinion that the Japanese had "gone looking for a bit of radiation to sail
through."
But the captain and his officers denied this. They stuck to their story
that they had accepted the American dictation of a safe course, and had been
follewing that course when the wind brought contamination to their ship.
Later we learnt that the visit to Pabsu) was not Captain Matsubara’ s
first,
HIS SECOND VISIT TO RaBAUL
Ashore the next day he smiled and said: "This Rabaul is a pleasant place
nOWe
"It is all peace today,
Pleasant lace,
I remember it differently when it was not a
"In the war I wae in the Japaese Air Force.
"I was stationed at Vunakanau,*
AIRSTRIP
Vunakanau is a big airstrip about 14 miles from Rabaul which was put dow
befere the war and later enlarged and used by the Japanese in their assaults
through the Seuth Pacifie,
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