JAPAN’S HOME FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25802, 24 March 1945, Page 7

JAPAN’S HOME FRONT

NIGHTMARE OF BOMBING DESOLATION AND DISRUPTION (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Mar. 22. Japarr. under American bombings, is becoming a nightmare of regimentation, shortages, black markets, desolation. and general disruption, says the New York Times correspondent at Guam. The Japanese radio broadcasts of air raids are good—full of action and drama, and always with a happy ending, in which the villainous Americans are forced to flee. Such broadcasts usually end thus: “ There are no more enemy planes. Please exert the fullest strength to prevent the spreac of fires.” Much broadcast time after a raid is occupied with advice to fire fighters and civilians under army direction. Citizens are cautioned to watch vacant homes and warehouses in addition to their own. Water for dousing fires is a primary concern, and citizens are continually warned to conserve and replenish their supplies. The Japanese radio significantly announced that there were numerous reemployment offices for persons whose factories were burned down. Evacuees have become so numerous that the Government has temporarily called off all former regulations for the issue of air raid victim certificates. . Relief stations are now ordered, in effect, to assist anyone looking like a refugee.

The Nagoya authorities broadcast that it Was impossible to issue certificates for all victims in that city. The radio regretted that black markets were rampant. With the general disruption of communicatioris the postal system was dislocated as promises are being made that mail will be moving soon. Newspapers are so affected that central publications are barred from areas where local papers are published. Big newspapers are required to lend mechanical facilities to the country press. The general trend of the broadcasts, however, indicates that home front morale has been strengthened by the bombing. General Koiso announced that the Government was organising an area by area defence against the expected American invasion in order to permit efficient resistance if some parts of the country become isolated. The Vice-minister of War, Lieutenantgeneral Shinayama. told a Parliamentary Committee that the recentlyformed civilian special attack corps would be constituted so that every citizen could be assigned a duty in the event of emergency. Special arms were being produced for civilian use. Admitting that the United States was gaining the upper hand in the Pacific war because of abundant material resources, Tokio radio asserted that soon the wonderful capacity of Japanese technology would enable Japanese science to smash this material strength. Japan had ceased imitating British and American military science and had begun to develop her own war instruments. Japanese rocket artillery used in the Philippines and on Iwo Jima was only a preview of what would appear in future.