JAPAN’S ARMY

Grey River Argus, 21 September 1945, Page 5

JAPAN’S ARMY

DEMOBILISES AT HOME

Million and Three-quarters so Far

(Rec. 11.40). TOKIO, September 20. General MacArthur has anounced that three-fourths of the Japanese Army who were under arms in their homeland in the middle of August have been already demobilised. There were two million 253 thousand .'Japanese under_ arms in the homeland on August 15. General MacArthur ordered the “Nippon Times” to withhold Thursday morning’s edition, because it was published with an editorial which had not been submitted to the American censors. General MacArthur is allowing the statement about the occupation torce of 200,000 to stand, without comment, adding that the statement was quite clear and explanatory. Well-informed Japanese report that a Cabinet struggle is occurring between the reactionaries and those supporting Higashi Kuni’s desire ior democratic reforms, says the Associated Press correspondent., 1 hey predict the resignations of Konoye, Lieut.-General Toshishiro • Obata, and Taketore Ogata, all Ministers with Portfolio, and all associated with the war-minded sections since 1931. The correspondent says that Ogata is on MacArthur’s list of Black Dragon members, but it is understood the Americans have not taken action against him, to give the Government time to prove the contention he is not a member. A Chinese Government spokesman announced that th’e United States intends to send troops to shanghai, Nanking, Pekin and Tientsin to help disarm the Japanese. An invitation •was sent on the understanding it was purely a temporary measure.

MacARTHUR’S METHODS.

ARE THEY SUPERIOR TO EUROPEAN OCCU'FATION ?

(Rec. 11.50). NEW YORK, Sept. 20. A correspondent of the New York “Times” at Wiesbaden, in Germany, said: General MacArthur’s statement that two hundred thousand troons would occupy Japan had a bad effect here upon both American troops and German people. The latter saw it as a hint that ‘the American occupation of Germany might not be as long and as rigorous as expected. The Germans feel, rightly or wrongly, _ that the American attitude to Japan is a pretty good barometer of the American attitude to Germany. The statement has been another blow at the morale of American troops in the European theatre Here evervbodv hopes to go home. The general attitude is that if the United States can manage Japan with two hundred thousand men, then something must be vrong with the plans for Germany, or Japan. The Americans are busily trying to convince the Japanese people they should welcome home the Japanese war prisoners. The people have been told that capture was a disgrace beyond redemption, and also that no Japanese were taken prisoner because lhev preferred death. Lieut.-Coione. Greene of the Allied information dis- • semination section, said: “We are tiyin(T to convince the Japanese there is no’difference between a prisoner and any other Japanese, because all surrendered. Several parents interviewed as a test appeared overjoyed at the news that their sons were, alive. The Japanese press has so far ignored the subiect.” WASHINGTON. September 19 Smouldering Congressional dissatisfaction with the neace terms imposed on Japan was flamed with the demand by Senator Russell (Democrat, Georgia) for Emperor Hirohito s arrest as a .war criminal. Mr. Russell told the Senate that if the present soft peace policies continued, they were headed for complete failure and another war in the Client By treating Hirohito differentially, the Allies were failing to impress on the Japanese the tact that they had lost the war. This treatment was laying the foundation for the myth the Japanese were undefeated.' Hirohito was head and heart of Japanese imperialism. He was one of the greatest aggressors in history. He was God and Emperor, in the direction of whose palace, millions of Japanese prostrated themselves in the dust in abject apology for their failure to kill enough Americans to win the war. The trial of Hirohito would strip him of false divinity. The Japanese would see how they were duped by a power-seeking tyrant posing as a god. Hirohito never halted any militarists’ orders to plunder and kill. When the Japanese stuck their bayonets into wounded Marines, they shouted “Blood for the Emperor.” The Associated Press says: Senator Russell is the first publicity to air complaints about the Japanese peace terms. The Acting-Secretary of State (Mr Acheson) told a press conference that the United States Government, and not General MacArthur, was formulating the American policy for the pacification and control of Japan. Departing from the usual State Department procedure, and authorising a direct quotation, he said- “I have no comment to make on th° military aspects o f what General MacArthur said. That is purelv a military matter, with which the State Department is not properly concerned. The important thing is that the policy regarding Japan is the same policy which has alwavs been held, and. at. present, is held by this Government. Th carrying out that policy the occupation forces are the instruments of the policy, not the determinants of the policy. Japan will be put in a position where she cannot renew aggressive warfare.” The Associated Press correspondent at Washington describes Mr Acheson’s statement as more pugnacious than diplomatic, and indicating a social and economic revolution in Japan, regardless of what General MacArthur thinks. Mr Acheson is behoved to ha v ° spoken with the support of the War and State Departments, but at present jt is not known whether th« imnUed criticisms of General MacArthur were made with Mr Truman’s full backing.