Evening star., 1942-04-19


That so large military force could be
modified out of the Japanese residents
IN the foothold which they had held and
developed for 35 years indicates their
pre-invasion strength in the Philippines
OF the approximately $4,000 japanese
that the Philippine census enumerators
were able to keep tabs on in 1899, there
were concentrated in Davao alone 18, 1888
The census authorities admitted, how
ever, that as many Japanese probably
were not included in the counting.
Able bodied men mostly were the Jap
anese immigrants to Davao. They
walked and talked as men who had had
considerable military or naval training.
These immigrants will undoubtedly be
greatly instrumental in the conquest of
Mindanao, an immensely rich island of
36,906 square miles, the greater portion
of which still is virgin territory.
Foothold of Immense Value.
They aided Japanese troops in land
ing in Davao. This foothold later turned
out to be of immense strategical value
The invaders made Davao Gulf a base
for their submarines and turned recrea-
ton grounds into airfields From Davao
they made thrusts at the Sulu Archi-
pe.ago, Borneo, Celebes and other islands
farther south.
HlndSl2ht makes observers wonder Why
the Japanese ever were allowed to build
up such a strong, strategicai foothold
during peacetime. The autonomous
Philippine Commonwealth, esta tablished in
1885, was often blamed for it. Fact Is. by
1885 that part of the Philippines already
was jokingly referred to in Manila as
"Davaokuo," and prospective visitors of
Davao were urged by Manila friends to
go to the japanese consulate for visa.
Wholesale japanese immigration to
the Philippines was first encouraged by
the American authorities. During the
construction of the Tagging road
leading to Baguio, the now beautiful
mountain resort in Northern Luzon. the
american builders, needing competent
workers, imported some 1000 japanese.
Following the completion of the huge
construction job some of the Japanese
remained in Baguio to build find houses
create marvellous gardens, raise tenn
perate-zone vegetables and fruits. and.
OF course, engage in commercial pho
Biography. Most of the japanese workers
were taken to Mindanao to work for
American, Spanish and Filipino coconut
and hemp planters.
The japanese workers prospered. Be-
fore long the Japanese in Davao were
richer than their one-time EMPLOYERS
and had imported many more of their
countrymen. BY 1909 this writer's father.
a United States Army soldier engaged
in pacifying the warlike Moros. saw the
future japanese menace and wrote home
that some of US will live to see the dav
when the japanese in Davao are strong
enough to fight u.s."
Rich in Natural Resources,
Davao Province is probably the richest
section OF country extraordinarily rich
In natural resources. Free from destruc-
tive tropical baguios and endowed with
aH-year springlike weather, Davao be-
came the center of the strategic manila
hemp industry, a Philippine monopoly.
The japanese grew the best quality of
manila hemp in Davao. The worlds
navies, including that of the United
States specified that their ropes be made
OF hemp grown in Davao.
Kyozabura Ohta. one-time foreman
at the construction work at Baguio.
founded the Ohta Plantation Co. which
grew up to control As 900 highly -produc-
tive acres of abaca, the banana looking
plant from which manila hemp is ex-
tracted. Another large hemp producer
Is the Furukawa Plantation Co. founded
by comparatively latecomer named
Yoshizo Furukawa, who first visited
Davao in 1914 after his graduation from
q Toxic university.
Favorably impressed by Mindanao's
possibilities, young Furukawa returned
to Davao with large capital furnished
by his wife's family, owners of Daido
Boeki Kaisha, one OF Japans largest i'm
porting and exporting houses. This we'll
educated japanese soon became the
leader of the rapidly -burgeoning Jap
In his plantation house on a hill he
lavishly entertained important visitors.
He filled inquisitive newspapermen with
BIB beer made by the Japanese in
Manila and allowed them to roam
around his plantations.
Merely Laughed at Rumors.
Visitors found Furukawa one Japanese
difficult to excite or discommode. Un-
abashedly he would expound on Japan's
humanitarian aims in establishing the
Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere"
drink more BIB.
Frukawa would laugh loudly at
rumors that the farm machines he TN