JAPANESE HOME FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 22893, 26 February 1938, Page 19

JAPANESE HOME FRONT

EFFECT OF WAR IN CHINA THE.PE9PLE LOYAL BUT BEWILDERED There exists no freedom of expression anywhere in Japan to-day. Any Japanese (and any foreigner too for that matter) must exercise the greatest caution in expressing his attitude upon the war (writes a recent visitor). To utter the hope for peace which is not peace with complete victory for Japan is a major offence. I was told of an instance where a man who was called to the colours was so carried away by emotion when bidding his family good-bye that he Wept. For this “ crime ’’ he was immediately shot. I might add that anyone else who repeats this story as I am repeating it, if known to the authorities, is liable to imprisonment for five years. Another man, whose wife had died, leaving him two children with no one to care for them, when called to the colours, killed his two children and then shouldered his knapsack and joined his , trooip. Had he even hinted that he had 'no one to look after his children during his absence from home he would have been in grave danger. It is in such an atmosphere that Japan is today carrying on this undeclared war against China. Every city and village and town, as well as all the factories and banks and department stores and many of the small shops and private homes, display banners or scrolls with the slogan “ Long live the army,” " Pray for the Emperor and the army that they may be victorious.”- These slogans are nearly all alike. They have been standardised, and I was told that one had to get the approval of the army before they could be used. It is not surprising, therefore, that to an Occidental a great deal of the patriotic demonstration appears to be mechanical rather than spontaneous, and from the heart. Occasionally at railway stations one sees.a genuinely demonstrative send-off, such as one would meet with in Great Britain or America under similar circumstances, but generally the waving of flags and the shouting of “ Banzais ” seems to lack spontaneity. At the beginning of the-Sino-Japan-ese hostilities the principal of a certain middle school addressed his students in this wise: “In this conflict between our . country and China you do not know the actual facts. Do not ask me, because I do not know the actual facts; nor does your father know, nor your brothers. We only know what pur Government wants us to know and wants us to believe.” Very few would dare to. be so candid. This statement is as true to-day as. at the beginning of the war. ; The war news is distorted to the degree of absurdity. In reading the daily papers one would never suppose that the Chinese met with any successes at all, or that Japanese troops had any reverses. Furthermore, the communiques from the front are usually most extravagant and exaggerated in their claims. For instance, an air raid upon one of the more important aerodromes of China was reported to have' resulted_ in the complete destruction of the air field, together with all the aeroplanes. No one seemed to note any discrepancy in a communique on the following day to the effect that the same aerodrome had again been raided, and again been completely demolished and all the aeroplanes destroyed. ABSURD REPORTS. During the three weeks I was in Japan General Chiang Kai-shek was reported to have resigned, to be leaving for America, to have gone into retirement to Nanchang, to have been displaced in his command by the Military Council. The Chinese troops (it was said) were entirely demoralised. The only way they could get the Chinese to fight was by chaining them to their guns. The Chinese in North China welcomed the Japanese troops with open arms and asked them to help them to establish a Government of their own—and so on ad nauseam. This reckless propaganda, of course, is likely to be a boomerang. The Japanese people are wondering why the Chinese do not sue for peace since they have been so thoroughly and consistently defeated on all sides. In fact, it seems to bewilder the Japanese why the Chinese are so stupid as to continue the fight against the valiant and undefeatable Japanese armies. It is not surprising that the exaggerated valour and skill of Japanese airmen have created the widespread opinion that there are no airmen in the world the equal of the Japanese and that no military fortifications can withstand their bombing. An editorial appeared in one of the Japanese dailies affirming that the British fortifications of Hongkong and Singapore were now “ useless,” since they would be unable to withstand an aerial attack by the, Japanese “ eagles.” JAPANESE TERMS. Since the Japanese armies, according to the Japanese newspapers, have been so completely victorious, it is natural for newspapers to discuss peace terms. One of the more influential papers affirmed that the peace terms must include the following: An indemnity of at least 4,500,000,000 yen, or £262,500,000 (if the war is prolonged this amount, of course, would be greatly increased), which is to cover the actual war expenses of the Government, plus a pension for the families of slain soldiers and ah indemnity for Japanese property destroyed. Furthermore, a certain amount of Chinese territory must be surrendered to Japan as a constant warning to China of the consequences of refusing to accept Japanese co-operation and not to be insincere again. “ Sincerity ” was defined by a Japanese high school boy as being ‘ humble and obedient.” There is no doubt, however, that, with the exception of one small group, the whole nation is thoroughly behind the Government, the army, and the navy in the present conflict. I found that tho main agency, whereby the Government has been able to mobilise the nation-wide support is fear—the fear of Communism. The Government has been able to convince the people that China is Communist and has a secret understanding with Russia—that, in fact, Russia is even now rendering material help to China in the form of providing aeroplanes and munitions. 1 am sure that this conviction is sincere on the part of the masses. The Government has certainly'been successful in building up the justice of her case in the mind of the masses—the more so since we know that the foundations for this fear are groundless. FEAR OF RUSSIA. Many people in Japan at present look upon Russia, instead of China, as the major enemy. They are certain that war with Russia is unavoidable. Japan has at the present time 100,000 troops at the northernmost point or the main island in readiness. It is currently believed that Japan has sent her best troops into Manchuria and is holding

in readiness her most effective reserves'® the men whose age is in the twenties and early thirties have not been called to the colours. Some_ of my Japanese friends expressed their amazement at this. One university professor, about 40'years of age, said to me: “ I cannot understand it. AH my old friends oij approximately my age are being xnobi* Used, while the younger men remain in civilian employ. We are convinced that our Government is holding these younger reserves for fighting Russia when that inevitable occasion arises.” It is difficult for one who has not thoroughly acquainted himself with Japanese backgrounds to realise how potent is this fear of Communism which has gripped the Japanese nation. Historically speaking, it is impossible to separate the Japan as a nation from His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. Without an Emperor there simply could bo no Japan—at least not Japan as she has existed in the past and as she is to-day—and yet Communism and an Emperor are mutually exclusive. Japan has not yet fully recovered from tho attempted “ coup d’etat ” in February, 1936. That such an uprising was at all possible has itself been sufficient to convince the most thoughtful Japanese that a revolution against; the existing Government is not an idle fancy. What almost succeeded in. February, 1936, might be entirely success* fill in 1938 or 1939, though the next time it might be a revolution of tho &eft. I discussed with a number of people the possibilities of a revolution in Japan as a result of the prolonged military activities in China, which would be sure to create economic distress in Japan. Few, however, held out to me any hopes of such an event. Personally, I must confess that they failed to convince me in this matter.