THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, January 4, 1946. THE BRIGADE FOR JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26042, 4 January 1946, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, January 4, 1946. THE BRIGADE FOR JAPAN

It is from overseas that the latest advice concerning the brigade of New Zealand troops that is to be engaged in garrison duty in Japan reached this country. It has generally been from overseas that, surprisingly enough, the people of the Dominion have been told the little that they know about this force. It is not to the credit of the Government that this is so. It was over three months ago that we learnt that a brigade composed of members of the 2nd Expeditionary Force was to be despatched to Japan to fbrm part of a composite British contingent that is to be employed in the occupation of that defeated country. In the interval since an announcement was made to this effect the public has been kept virtually in the dark by its own Government about this development in the war service of the Dominion troops, though it might reasonably have been expected that it would be fully informed respecting it. The decision to direct a brigade to Japan was made on the request of the British Prime Minister, Mr Attlee, and it was originally intimated that the force would probably reach Japan by November last. What little has been said by the Government on the subject has mostly taken the form of explanations that the difficulty of securing shipping has delayed the departure of the brigade. No doubt the explanations were legitimate enough, but the public was entitled to suppose that they would be accompanied by a statement concerning the effect of these delays and the plans, if any, that were in view in consequence of them. There has been no such statement. From the United States has come, with the beginning of the New Year, a communication showing that a Japanese correspondent of a New York paper is the authority for the declaration that the New Zealand brigade, together with • Australian and Indian troops, will occupy Hiroshima, a “ ghost city ” since it was devastated by the first use of the atomic bomb in warfare, and that it will be during this month or early in February that it will arrive there. If this information is authentic, why, it may be asked, should we have to obtain it from Japan via the United States? The fact is that the Government of the Dominion has been far too reticent about the whole matter. It is probable that it was forced against its will into the decision it has taken —one which, it must know, is disliked by the troops who are affected by it. And it must realise that a breach of faith, for which it will not.be entirely to blame, though it must accept the responsibility for it, is certain to be laid to its account. The Prime Minister justified in part the decision of the Government to participate in the occupation of Japan by the plea that, owing to the shipping difficulty, the return of the troops would not in any event be delayed for more than two or three months. Since, however, they are not likely to reach Japan before some time in this or next month, it seems quite possible that it will be five or six or even seven months before they return, unless some radical change of their programme is made. For it was to be at the end of six months, from September or October, that these men were to be replaced. It is a far from promising prospect that is opened up before them. But there is another consideration of great moment. When the brigade for the occupation of Japan is released, it is to be relieved by volunteers recruited in New Zealand. What is being done to train this volunteer force? It is admitted that a volunteer force cannot be recruited and trained in less than about six months’ time. Yet, as far as the public is aware, no steps have been taken so far to prepare the relief force. It would really seem that the Government is guilty of a grave dereliction of duty in its neglect to make provision for the adequate replacement of the brigade.