Evening star., 1943-04-20
Use of Hirohito
AS y. S. Puppet
Held Possible
Democrat Women Told
Emperor Is Tool of
Military Leaders

That Emperor Hirohito could be q
useful "puppet" to the United States
in postwar days was the opinion ex-
pressed yesterday by Wilfrid Fleish-
er, newspaperman, radio commen-
tator and author, before members OF
the Woman's National Democratic
Club at luncheon meeting.
Using as the subject of his talk
the title of his latest book, "Our
Enemy Japan" Mr.. Fleisher, who
was editor of the Japan Advertiser
in Toxic for IL years preceding the
attack on Pearl Harbor, declared
that the Japanese Emperor was but
a "puppet" without real power and
had been used by the military lead
ers of Japan to further their ag-
gressive program.
THE Emperor is a symbol of ma
tional unity to the japanese people, -
the speaker explained, land while
it is true that every japanese would
lay down his life for the Emperor,
in reality he has no power but is a
puppet of the military leaders"
Mr.. Fleisher explained the Japa-
nese Constitution makes it possible
for the war and navy ministers to
hold the balance of power in the
cabinet and how the chiefs of staff
are permitted access to the En-
peror whenever they wish.
ut has never been known that
the Emperor refused to put his seal
on orders of the military leaders, .
the speaker continued There are
some who contend that when we
have won the war we should wipe
the slate clean and that every one
should be wiped out from the En-
peror down." he asserted 1T would
be an impossibility so far as the
Emperor is concerned as he is a
symbol handed down to the Japa-
nese for $500 years. I believe he
could be just as well our puppet as
that of the military leaders and
he would be more useful to us as a
puppet," he added.
Agreement with the japanese
military powers in postwar days will
be impossible, Mr.. Fleisher declared,
as their aims and objectives are
based upon superiority complex
which is impossible for us to un-
derstand" The only possibility of
establishing permanent peace in the
Pacific is to change the Japanese
constitution, making it impossible
for the military to hold in the fu-
ture the power they now possess, he
added.
The speaker expressed the belief
that the japanese people themselves
will in all probability strip the war
lords of power following a defeat
by the Allies.
Sees Popular Revolt.
The people themselves will prob
ably throw out their war lords when
faced with defeat" he commented.
"The underground force of revolu-
ton which all foreign newspaper
men felt in Japan previous to the
war will probably manifest itself
on the war lords when Japan is
defeated. Every patriot in Japan will
go out to avenge this shame he
concluded.
Preceding the program, an appeal
was made by Mrs. st. George l..
Sioussat. chairman of the War Ac-
tivities Committee, for 10000 coat
hangers and as many ash trays as
could be sent by members for the
use of servicemen in the WASH
sngton area. Donations will be ac-
cepted at a benefit lecture to be
given at II am, Friday at the Sui
grave Club. Proceeds from the
affair, which will be a review of
Marie Kimball's "Jefferson-the
Road to Glory" by Mrs o. w.
McNeeSe, will be used to equip day
rooms for soldiers serving near
Washington.
Mrs. Curtis Shears, president of
the club. presided at the luncheon.
The speaker was introduced by
Mrs. Nellie Tayloe Ross, director
of the Mint and a member of the
board of the Woman's National
Democratic Club.