The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1937-08-28
JAPANESE ARE
DAM N ED IF
THEY DON'T
(By william PIckens for AMP


Somebody better take those war
planes away from those Chinese
before they hurt each other with
them. They aimed at Japanese
battleships in the river and hit
the heart Of their own city, kill
ing Americans. Frenchmen and
Englishmen. The Japanese war
ships are in the Whangpoo and
the great Yangtse II seems that
II the Chinese missed the ships,
they might al least have hit the
river and not the International
Settlement or the hotels fat inland.
But what is more interesting. is
the further evidence Of the bias Of
American newspapers. and their
anti-Japanese feeling, as shown in
their blaming Japan because AM
orleans were killed by Chinese
bombs which were badly aimed at
the Japanese The papers reason
thus that Il is the fault Of the
Japanese. because they had no
business being the target OF the
Chinese. that since the shots were
meant for japanese, Japan is TO
be blamed that those shots hit
foreign white people Presumably,
IL the shots had only hit the Jap
anese. everything would have been
all right in our wspapers.
and they would be praising the
Chinese for their courage and
good aim II the Chinese aim had
been good, all the credit would
have gone 10 China. undoubtedly
but since their aim was bad,
all the blame goes to Japan How
logical
The only logic we know so far
10 match it. comes out OF Arkan-
sas some years ago in the riots
in Elaine County in that state, the
white mob was chasing Negroes.
and some Of the Negroes ran and
hid in a swamp When the mob
surrounded the swamp and began
shooting. a member OF the mob
shot another member dead by
mistake There, when the six
Negroes. wet. and wounded. were
pulled out OF the swamp. they
were charged with first degree
murder because this white man
had been killed by bullets meant
for them They were convicted
and all headed for the electric
chair. II took a five year fight.
the greatest fighbS8t It's kind be-
fore the Scottsborc %,sses, to get
a reversal OF the sentence. The
mob evidently reasoned this way:
II II had not been for those Ne
groes. the white mobster would
not have got killed by accident by
his own fellow-mobsters there
fore. the Negroes were TO blame
ergo, guilty.--See: II the Chinese
had not been trying to kill Japa.
nese, they would not have killed
Americans by mistake therefore
the Japanese caused the killing
and therefore the Japanese rather
than the Chinese are guilty of the
slaughter.
Really. In these days logic Is
just what one wants It 10 be-
Just like history. anthropology and
pseudo-science. Wilful rational.
ization is substituted for reason.
ing. and the mob stirred To test
the thing out, you just let the
Japanese aim some bombs nj
Chinese and hit a hotel full Of
Americans instead can you i'm.
agine that you will hear anybod,
blaming the lucky Chinese for es
Gaping the missiles? No. but yol
can imagine our jingoes calling fol
war with Japan, for being so sinfu
as to hit Americans evey by mis-
take Verify, in this world do oul
passions lead rs pace while oul
intellect leads us an inch W.
have built up an anti-Japanes'
complex: therefore. those Japanese
damned II they do. and damned
II they don't.