Evening star., 1942-08-26
laps Order in Asia
Is Not Working Out,
A.P. Writer Declares
NORM, Back on GripshoIm.
Reports Acute Food
Problem in Nippon
B. the Associated Press.

Problem in Nippon
B. the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Aug. 26.-The jap
anese scheme for greater cooper
ative East ASIA" their version of. the
Nazi new order, is not working out,
either politically or economically, |
Relman NORM, Associated Press cor
respondent, said today.
Mr.. NORM, who was interned and
questioned by the Japanese at
Saigon, French Indo- China, at the
start Of the Pacific war, returned
yesterday on the exchange liner
Gripsholm. Before going to Saigon,
Mr.. NORM had been Associated Press
chief of bureau in Toxic, 1937-1940,
and then began rowing assignment
which took him to Malaga and the
Netherlands East Indies.
The scheme was never anything
but propaganda lure In any case"
Mr.. NORM said. TN some areas tax
en- by the Japanese Army during the
last nine months-in former white
colonies or territories-the native
populations are cooperating almost
100 per cent with their new rulers
In others, orientals not only fought
to keep out the Japanese, but even
today are resisting in their own quiet
ways"
Food Problem Acute.
Chaotic conditions developed
swiftly following the Japanese con-
quest of Southeastern Asia, Mr.
NORM said he had learned in talks
with various American observers,
doctors and economists, and the
food problem was weekly growing
more acute in Japan herself.
Vaughn Meisling, former Associat-
ed Press correspondent at Hong
Kong, said the so-called Japanese
co-prosperity hit the once rich
British crown colony like a desert
wind" Hunger, looting and disease
prevailed.
Mr.. NORM, outlining the results
Of the japanese attempt to win over
the oriental peoples. put it this way:
Chinese-probably $1,000 Chinese
followers of the Wang Ching wei
puppet regime served Japanese in
terests in and around Hong Kong
before the war and acted as spies
and fifth columnists. The remainder
OF the city's 1,650,000 Chinese Co
operated" by fleeing to the interior
| of China.
Few Filipinos Pro-Japanese.
Filipinos-There were probably
fewer than 500 Japanese-owned
Filipinos in all the islands before
the war and the bulk of the nation
gave an unqualified answer to Japan
throughout the desperate campaign
which ended at Bataan and Corregi-
dor, Filipino cooperation with Japan
today centers around aged Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo and probably en-
braces no more than one-tenth of
one per cent of the total population.
Thai-Thailand is thoroughly en-
meshed in the greater East Asia
plan, partly by choice, mainly by
force of circumstances.
Burmese Uniformed Burmese
troops turned against their British
officers during the quick campaign
last spring. The powerful Burmese
priesthood apparently was Japan S
means OF winning over the peasants
Today, Burma is as solidly fixed as
Thailand in the japanese lineup.
Malays - Malay traitors were
chiefly responsible for guiding Jap
anese troops through the jungles
after they had landed on the coasts
Japan has since decorated at least
one powerful Malay sultan, and all
Malays are considered willing aides
to the Japanese today.
Indonesians Cool to Japs.
Indonesians - the independence
movement among the Indonesians
in the Netherlands East Indies was
organized and we'll developed long
before the outbreak of the war
Japanese agents had tried hard tt
link the Japanese Asia for the
Asiatics" movement with the aspira-
tions of the Indonesians. But there
was an almost total lack Of success
Not even the most determined In.
donesian leaders would countenance
any assistance to the Japanese. Th'
, Netherlands East Indies Army wal
composed about equally of Dutch
. and native troops, and there wer.
no important evidences of detection
among the natives during the fight
ing. Cooperation today Is small
; and, in the main, the result of force
Indo-C -Chinese-the japanese hav'
been in French Indo-C China longe,
: than in any other European colony
They came in force, in August, 1941
l under the French-Japanese agree
ment. At first the main natives
E Annamites, Tonkinese, Cambodian
! were inclined to welcome them
l After a years experience with tn
}. Japanese they turned in the othe
: direction. In Indo-C China toda
there is no unity whatever betweel
the Japanese and their Orienta
cousins. Japanese money has bough
a few spies and undercover mer
e But, In the main, when any Of thes
. natives work for Japan, 1t Is unde
= duress.