SINISTER OUTLOOK

Evening Star, Issue 25567, 21 August 1945, Page 5

SINISTER OUTLOOK

IMPLICATIONS IN HIROHITO’S BROADCAST

FOUNDATION FOR " UNDEFEATED " MYTH

LONDON, August 20.

A correspondent of ‘ The Times,’ discussing the future of the Emperor Hirohito, says that hopes for a settlement in Japan cannot be realised without the retention of sortie self-respect by the Japanese. This is sufficiently preserved at present by the Allied recognition of the Emperor as the supreme Japanese authority. The Emperor’s first broadcast, however, perpetuated a lie—a most sinister outlook for the future.

By reiterating that war had been declared on America and Great Britain to ensure Japan’s self-preservation and stabilise East Asia, he impugned the' moral foundation of the whole Allied war effort. The future - course of Japanese.history—unless the thrertt to universal peace, implicit in this kind of propaganda, is recognised and righted—will be founded on a lie and our position during the occupation will appear purely as military aggressiveness to the Japanese people. Instead of their willingly accepting retribution and turning to a better way of life, the Japanese will endeavour to prepare themselves for what will seem to them a righteous revenge. ‘ The Times.’ in an editorial, says it is imperative that through the ruler’s authority a sense of guilt should' be brought to rulers and ruled alike. The imperial person should become a safeguard, under Allied direction, against a return to the lust for aggression which was responsible for the Japanese downfall

‘ The Times ’ says the arrival of the Japanese envoys at Manila brings nearer to an end a situation which icaused increasing doubt and irritation in Allied countries It adds: “ There is evidence enough that the decision to surrender has thrown the mass of the Japanese people into profound bewilderment. is even more evidence that the surrender has so far been represented to the Japanese people in such a way as • to add appreciably ,to the difficulties of the Allies’ task now that the fighting .is over. From Tokio has come no -word of contrition, no recognition of the wrong done to others, no admission of guilt. Not one of the broadcasts from the Emperor downwards has been one of regret and remorse, but that Japan has this time been unlucky.” SUSPICIOUS TRICKERY.

The ‘ Daily Mail ’ says there must be full and immediate compliance with General MacArthur’s orders. “ Failing this it may be necessary to remind Japan again in a practical fashion that she is a beaten nation.” Saying that General McArthur’s previous orders ns to the time and manner of the despatch of the envoys have been flouted, the, ‘ Daily Mail ’ goes on: “It is not surprising that in this country, and even more in the United States, people are becoming highly suspicious of Japan’s real intentions. Trickery so early is a very bad sign, and no time must be lost in showing those who resort to it that it does not pay.” The article draws a parallel with the situation in Germany in 1918. There is now the same sort of stalk—Germany was then able to establish the myth that she had never been beaten, and this is compared with the recent Japanese broadcast pronouncements. As Germany did then, Japan how ends the war with a great reserve of power. “ The Japanese must be made to realise that their fighters were everywhere thrashed by better m'en, even before the atomic bomb appeared.”

BAD IMPRESSION CREATED. The ‘ News Chronicle ’ also refers to the bad impression created by Japan’s reluctance to complete the capitulation formalities, and says: “In the minds of the Japanese rulers there are sinister reservations." The writer insists that-in the surrender terms them must be no room for a recrudescence of military or expansionist ambitions, imd_ points out that the Allies’ problem is similar to the kind of problem that confronts them in Germany, but it is rendered a-good deal more difficult bv the remoteness of Japan, by the fact that at the time of her surrender no invading army had landed on Japanese soil, by the inability of more than a few westerners to speak the language or fathom the Japanese mind. “ It may be a long time before we are satisfied they are fit for a share in the world government. Until then their urge to dominate their neigh hours to the disruption of world peace must be ruthlessly suppressed.”