DEMOCRACY IN JAPAN

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26524, 12 September 1951, Page 5

DEMOCRACY IN JAPAN

PROGRESS SAID TO BE “MARVELLOUS ”

OPINION OF AMERICAN EDUCATIONIST

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. September 11. “Japan has made marvellous progress in the last six years in establishing the forms and substance of democracy, but whether or not this will be permanent is too early to know,” said Dr. Walter C. Eells, a former adviser on higher education at Allied Supreme Headquarters in Tokyo. Dr. Eells said he considered Japan’s progress in democracy would be permanent if the country had the continued support and friendship of the democratic nations. Dr. Eells. who retired in March, is visiting Asian and Pacific countries to meet educational leaders and study Communist influences in education. He said Japan’s closeness to Communist Asia and a strong Communist element in the country were a danger. If the democracies did not show friendship. Japan might be forced into the Communist camp. “The great majority of Japanese are enthusiastic about democracy, their former military leaders are thoroughly discredited, and the people generally are anti-Communist.” Dr. Eells said. “I am very hopeful for the future, but by no means absolutely certain.’’ He said he welcomed the peace treaty, and was glad it provided for the maintenance of American bases and military-forces in and near Japan. That would give protection against a serious internal uprising or external aggression while Japan was without military forces herself. Describing Japanese progress in education. Dr. Eells said Japan had raised the period of compulsory education progressively from six to nine years. More than 3000 school buildings had been destroyed in the war. but these were being replaced, and the goal was education for 15,000,000 pupils! Universities had multiplied to a total of 70. compared with seven before the war, he added. A major job in his last year of work in Japan had been fighting Communism in the universities. Dr. Eells’s tour is "purely private.” He will not report to any organisation nor to the United States Government. but expects to write for educational magazines. His wife has written four books on home economics. Dr. Eells was for 10 years professor of education at Stanford University, California.