CHANGE OF FACE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 219, 28 June 1947, Page 5

CHANGE OF FACE

JAPAN NOW SEEKS PEACE TREND TO DEMOCRACY (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.),' (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) TOKIO, June 27. The belief that Japan, has put militarism behind her and will one day become a co-operative member of the family of nations was expressed by the American ambassador and chairman of the Allied Council, Mr George Atcheson, who obviously expresses the views of General MacArthur, when addressing students at the first exercises at Tokio's American school. Declaring that the occupation had been most beneficent, Mr Atcheson said, in addition (o disarmament and demilitarisation, the task had been to guide a disillusioned people into the practices of democracy. The Japanese people had been given fundamental human rights including freedom of speech, assembly and religion. The organisation of labour unions had been encouraged and the development of the Labour movement had become one of the greatest forces of democratisation. Basic reforms had been instituted and a liberal agrarian land law had laid the basis for farmer-tenant ownership of the land. A new democratic constitution, providing for the renunciation of Avar, had been adopted, and women had been enfranchised. Mr Atcheson declared that the farreaching policy adopted by General MacArthur, “as the virtual ruler of Japan,” Avas to refrain, except in cases of necessity, from interference with the normal gOA r ernmental processes. “The Japanese have now acquired the essential framework for democracy,” he said. “We have laid the foundations for its erection and it will be the task of the Japanese to complete and improve the structure and to keep it in repair. The United States .will continue to exert its beneficent influence. Japan will need financial and economic assistance to become self-supporting. I am optimistic as to the future.”