Evening star., 1942-10-16
BY GEORGE WELLER.
War Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

Chicago Daily News.
SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA,
Oct. 16.-Now, in the second stage
OF their peace and prosperity pro-
gram IN Java, the Japs confine
Dutchmen, who are no longer USE
ful and retain in power plants and
water works, only a few indispensa-
Die engineers until replacements are
found.
The Japanese exploitation tech
nlque is faithful copy of the Ger
mans in non-Slavic countries. The
troops are kept we'll disciplined: no
cases OF Dutch women being molea-
ed have occurred in Java. Looting
is not by force, but by pumping out
OF the printing press Jap "guilders. !"
which preserves the illusion of gold
backed currency and enables the
Jap soldiers to buy anything regard
less Of price.
The object Is to leave native or
Dutch owners with their hands full
OF paper and the Japs with their
hands full Of manufactured goods.
A rise in prices make no difference
because the Jap printing presses
simply run faster and print more
money.
Some Shopkeepers Flee.
Like the Germans the Japs have
difficulty keeping the shops open
because the natives prefer to shut
the doors, take what articles that
remain and flee to the hills making
caches there rather than to be con-
tlnually cheated by this non-v violent
looting. The Japs have decreed that
all shops must remain open and
that no articles be concealed.
The shopkeepers, getting poorer
with every Jap purchase, tried to
cut down hours of business. jap
army commanders retaliated with
an order obliging all to remain open
until 10 o'clock at night-four hours
beyond the usual closing time.
The Dutch officer described how
yawning proprietors, barely able to
stay awake behind their counters,
are obliged to keep themselves avail
able for Jap purchasers during all
but their actual hours in bed
AS the phoney Nipponese guilders
are pumped out into circulation,
Javanese who are intelligent enough
inquire what is their backing, since
Dutch gold is safely in the United
States.
Backed by Bayonets.
They are told that they are backed
by Jap bayonets. The depressed ven
Is never mentioned. Once in Java
rese hands the false guilders are
legal tender and the Javanese are
in a position to plunder each other
exactly like the Balkan peoples
vainly are trying to swallow huge
quantities of reichskreditkassen
scheme, or occupational marks.
90, Such as the first monetary phase
pf the Japs imperial policy, The
best that can be said of it is that
looting shops prevents looting homes.
The Japs simply skim the pay gold
first from the surface of the in
f1ationary stratum and leave the
valueless residue to the person of
the body economic.
The second stage of plundering bv
manipulation now is opening in
which merchants are offered
chance to exchange their valueless
"guilders" for yen which they need
In order to make purchases of whole
sale Jap goods to replenish their
shelves. BY comparison with the
Jap guilder the Jap yen is solid gold.
prosperity" Displays.
With the second stage of the ex-
ploitation under way, a host of
carpetbagger Japs are beginning to
arrive offering to fill the empty
shelves with their gimcrack products.
Since there is no competition, the
merchant has the choice of buying
Jap or closing up his business and
starving. The Jap administration,
when 1t gets back its own "guilders,"
simply pays them out again in SAL
aries and the whole paper chase
recommences.
The Dutch officer, whose hard
ships have not cost him his sense of
humor. could not help smiling as he
described how the Japs, while pill
laging shops, forced merchants in
true totalitarian fashion to install
prosperity displays in their win
dows while being plundered.
The Japs held competition, Fifth
avenue style. for the most attractive
shop window. Many smart shops,
which once catered to Dutch coloni-
ais, grown wealthy through oil, rub
ber and quinine, but whose most
valuable merchandise is now in Jap
barracks and lockers, were ordered
to compete.
The Jap army commander selected
them. 1t was the same for all win
dows whether frock shops or hard