JAP REPATRIATE RUES HIS CHOICE

By DUANE HENNESSY
Associated Press Foreign Staff

URAGA, Japan--(AP)--In the stench-ridden halls of the filthy barracks in which Japanese civilians returning from the United States are housed, one of those who renounced his American citizenship hurried over and said:

"This place is terrible! Why can't the American Army disinfect these buildings? Why didn't they do it before we arrived?"

"It's tough, brother, but the American Army has nothing to do with this place. You are under the Japanese government now," I told him. "They are running this place. These are the buildings they picked for you."

He said his name was Robert Tsuida, that he was born in Hawaii, had been a cook in Chicago, and had worked in Santa Ana, Calif.

"We never thought we were coming back to anything as bad as this," he complained. "This is terrible!"

Jap 'Welcome'

The "welcome" in Japan for these repatriates who asked to be relieved of their American citizenship is indeed a harsh revelation.

Rotting and untended since the Japanese soldiers moved out, their buildings had not been cleaned for the months. Halls were littered with old tin cans, ashes dumped from charcoal burners, and cardboard boxes of refuse and junk.

There were no beds, just worn, woven straw sleeping mats. Each man was issued four dirty blankets, presumably salvaged from the Japanese army.

Longs For Meal

"At least, they could have cleaned the blankets," Tsuida said. "They even smell bad. Living here is miserable!"

"Not like Japanese relocation centers in the States?" he was asked.

"There's no comparison. I sure wish I had an American meal right now, but I guess it will be a long time before I get that kind of food again."