FOR MARCH ON TOKIO

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 236, 4 September 1945, Page 5

FOR MARCH ON TOKIO

ALLIED FORCES MASSING

GEN. MACARTHUR’S CAUTION

LONDON, Sept. 3. With Allied troops and equipment still pouring ashore into the Tokio Bay area, General MacArthur is concentrating on building up his forces rather than expanding his direct grip on Japan. He is massing his forces in preparation for the Victory march on Tokio, which is likely to take place within the next few days. But, because of the possible danger of a fanatical Japanese move, he wants to be quite sure of sufficient strength to deal swiftlv with anv trouble.

NO THIN ALLIED OCCUPATION. The American authorities are still reluctant to spread the troops too thinly even though Japan has formally surrendered and thousands of Japanese soldiers are demobilising, says a Press Association message. American troops, now occupy approximately 700 square miles of Japan. The Domei News Agency reported that Hirohito today personally informed his Imperial ancestors of the Japanese defeat. The Emperor, clad in ceremonial robes, worshipped at three sanctuaries in the Palace, attended by the Empress, the Dowager'Empress’s representative, and Princes Mikasa, Takamatsu and Higashi-Kuni, General Umezu, and other high officials. In New York the former American Ambassador® to Tokio (Mr Joseph Grew) declared that Re was “exceedingly happy” that the Allied leaders had heeded his plea to safeguard Hirohito. Mr Grew added that only through the Emperor could the command to lay down their arms have been given and followed, through quick obedience by the Japanese war leaders, by the saving of thousands of American lives. Lieut.-General James Doolittle flew over Japan for the first time since the famed initial raid of. April 18, 1942, when American bombers flew from, a carrier to attack Tokio and Yokohama before flying on to bases in China.

BAD" "WEATHER. “Although General MacArthur’s pledge to keep his troops out of Tokio expired with the signing of the formal surrender, our modest beudilieud in Honshu has not expanded,” says the New York Herald Tribune correspondent at Yokohama. “Continued bad weather has slowed down the arri\ al of forces by air. Only 35 transport planes reached Atsuki yesterday. \ye are at present spread too thinly to occupy additional ground. ~ “Furthermore, General MacArthur shares the Japanese Government s apprehension that the entry of troops into Tokio might provoke an incident which would inflame the now stunned populace. For that reason, we are not likely to cross the lama Rn or until we are strong enough to suppress trouble quickly. . “General MacArthur has issued Ins first general . order governing Japanesc actions under the surrender terms. The main task now is to get in troops at as many strategic points as possible in order to demilitarise the Japanese forces and industries. Ihe general orders jvliicli will follow are expected to take up questions dealing with demilitarisation, hut more and more emphasis will be placed on civil Eovermnent. . „ . ~ , . “At present the civil functions arc still almost entirely under the Imperial Government’s discretionary authority, hut soon General MacArthur will issue orders placing these under his general supervision. ABSOLUTE CONTROL. “Previously our dealings with the Japanese were conducted in something of a vacuum in which our authority was tacitly recognised by the Japanese, hut was still subject to bargaining and exchanges of requests. The Japanese defeat is now down in black and white. There can he no question about who is giving and who is taking orders. “With Japan’s formal sxirrender an accomplished fact, the Allied occupation proceeded yesterday at a quickened'tempo, said the New Aork Times correspondent in Yokohama. Tanks and heavy equipment rolled through the streets of Yokohama, and oln iously impressed the onlooking Japanese civilians, and American troops streamed down the gangways to the MacArthur has issued a general order to the Japanese stating that all factories, research institutions. technical data, patents, plans and inventions designed to facilitate war production must be held intact pending further instructions. Any disobedience to the surrender orders will be met by drastic summary punNippon Times, in an editorial, said: “The world upheaval whose fundamental cause was the Allied failure in handling the defeated nation after the First World War has again ended in victory for the Allies, ihe world is again ready to move forward on the road of peace, but whether or not this peace will be permanent depends on the manner m which the Allies deal with their defeated enemies. If they choose to recognise the defeated nations’ right to existence and do not close the road to legitimate development, a feeling of vengeance will not arrive in the defeated nations’ breasts. If, however, the victors should be carried away by their advantage of power, and force harsh terms, the peace so established would be constantly threatened by a feeling of revenge on the part of the defeated peoples.” The newspaper cited the RussianJa pan esc Peace Treaty of 1905 as a model, claiming that as a result of the wise Japanese policy Russia held do hatred for Japan. SEVERE WINTER FEARED. Brigadier-General G. Rice, an American Eighth Army surgeon, said that army doctors feared a severe winter in Japan with a strong clanger of a higher,' disease rate as a result of cold and malnutrition, reports the Associated Press, gmee this not affects the Japanese civilian population, but several. hundred thousand Americans who will he stationed m the Tokio metropolitan area hv this time General Rice said he believed the United States would furnish relief to civilians if malnutrition became and dysentery have .increased in recent months. C ' lv ‘ ll: ' still receive only one-fifth of the la tions allowed tho Japanese soldier. Agricultural production lias been greatly reduced as a result of uai IJ The eS army medical administration has already asked for 70 to 80 held hospitals on Honshu for civilian paAnother American Eighth Army staff officer said that plans had been made for Mmitea re] seemed able to provide for then troops, and lienco could take care civilians.