Evening star., 1943-02-27
Far East War Reporter
Warns Against Hasty
Grabbing for Peace
Tells Board of Trade
Jops Are Toughest Foe
U. S. Has Ever Met

A front line reporter who fo,
eight years watched countries of the
Far East arm and knows first hand
the fighting potentialities of the
Japanese pleaded with America last
night to stay clear of the peace
psychosis" that came with the Arm
istice in the last war.
Speaking at "War Heroes Night
program of the Washington Board
of Trade at the Mayhower Hotel,
Richard Wilson, Far East COR
respondent for the United Press,
taken prisoner after the fall of
Hong Kong, warned that the job will
be only partly done" when Hitler
has been smashed.
Some of his friends who have just
come back, he said, feel that the
United States is going to spend SO
much time on the African campaign
that it will be ready for peace when
the German defeat comes and will
be inclined to call off everything so
iar as the Pacific is concerned. To
delay too long in conquering the
Japs, he added, will mean the lives
of many of the thousands of Amer
leans now in internment camps.
Japs Don't Give Up.
THE japanese are the toughest
people we've ever met on the battle
'front.'" he said. THE Germans are
enough like us to know when they're
defeated, but not Jap. The only
way we can lick them is to keep
smashing their heads into the floor
until they can't raise them again"
Mr.. Wilson has his fears about the
war in the Pacific. To begin with,
American troops have twice as far to
60 to get to the enemy as they do
IN the Atlantic. In addition, the
battle must be scattered over thou
sands of islands.
"Some armchair strategists think
the Japs will be pushover," he re-
called. "That will never be. know
how easily Japan smashed up all we
had to offer. Time runs on their
side. While we are fighting to re-
gain the Solomons, they are moving
their large manufacturing to the
Chinese mainland instead OF scat
tering it around where 1t could more
easily be broken up"
He said Japan's biggest and finest
ships so far have not entered the
war. This enemy concentrated on
hundreds of small ships before
the outbreak, he explained, and it
is this minor craft when sunk that
arngs from the Allies cheers more
.ightfully tuned to the sinking OF
q vessel in the class of huge liner.
A Barbaric Race.
He said the American people have
one big misconception in that they
think the japanese are educated and
sultured. Instead, he reported, they |
are essentially barbaric race.
Mr.. Wilson's talk came as the
nigh light of the meeting, attended
NY nearly 1900 Board of Trade men,
bers. Other guest speakers were 1t.
Gerald H. McAteer, United States
Navy, medical officer aboard the ILL
sated aircraft carrier Hornet; Sec
cnd It. Lindsey Cook, who lost a
leg while attached to an armored di-
7ision in North Africa, and Warrant
i:Iachinist James D. Fox, United
States Coast Guard, who was with
che first American force to land on
Guadalcanal.
The meeting, presided over by L.
Z. McLachlen, president, opened
With music by the band OF. the United
states Navy School of Music and
che "Star Spangled Banner" sung
by Miss Lynn Allison. Early on the
program A. G.. Neal, Red Gross drive
chairman, told of the impending
campaign which he said has goal
that will require contributions from
each donor three times as large as
their gifts last year.
In reviewing his months aboard |
she Hornet, 1t. McAteer said expert |
snce has shown that any japanese
plane that gets near enough to drop
bomb on an American ship is going
20 be shot down, recalling that 1856
planes were shot down in one day
N the battle of the Solomons. His
closing was an appeal to the public
TO give blood donations to the Red
Cross.
The meeting concluded with a
tuffet supper and a War bond rally
A contribution of several hundred
dollars was collected from members
~hile Mr.. Wilson was speaking to be
used In the purchase of War bonds
,r for some similar purpose by the
three service men who were guests
On the program.
q n q q