Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-08-18
The Surabaya Raid

THE Netherlands government information bureau in
/ Washington which still has reliable contacts IN the
Japancsc-oc-upled Dutch East Indies reports that the
shatteuns American air raid on Surabaya in July has
brought erem> rro.agarda TO an ABRUPT. PAUSE
cen Macarthur sent formidable air squadron to
Sural, a formerly great Dutch naval base and now
an even more important japanese naval and air base on
july -
The ph,s.,a. damage to the Japanese installations
was devastating
Eo. lis the Netherlands authorities say. the damage
do 10 Japanese prestige through disclosure of American
power and particularly through disclosure Of American
SKILL AND Will to use tina, power vastly more
devastating.
CUCH demonstration. say the Netherlands officials,
y athouch / was of but a few minutes duration
worth than year of radio broadcasts directed
towards people largely incapable of understanding them
and almost wholly incapable of even hearing them.
In other words yolen, ACTION by the United States
against Japan rather than violent talk is what needed
impress ae millions of people IN the occupied areas.
II IS Important TO realize thu enormous impact on the
.s Of these people by the Japanese conquest, not
merely regarding the japanese but regarding the Amor
and butch whom they had previously
garded inyncbc
In 90 days. the Japanese overran almost the whole
Of East Asia and the Western Pacific They swept the
Malaga, Burma and Singapore, the Dutch out of the
East Indies
This was the of force in manner the native
peoples could and understand.
The natives the Wanted Western might too
quickly overcome as the Netherlands commentators say
"and too completely under the bombardmen of
Japanese propaganda to be convinced by anything but
VIOLENT ALLIED ACTION"
THE Surabava raid was THAT KIND of action.
III o,J tbo Of Of
people to something that the Japanese had told them and
almost CONVINCED them did not exist
The Japanese propaganda had said the power OF the
Western nations to strike back was lost
And no amount of radio hroadcastng in denial of
that assertion if it could be heard could refue the
visual fact of Japanese conquest and occupation
But shatterng rain of aerial bombs refute it,
and DID refue it.
THE people of Java SAW the bombs fail on surabaya
the demolition of Japanese installations the
Generalization of the Japanese themselves.
We depend upon it that the news of what they
saw GOT AROUND.
That is the way to convince the natives of the occu-
pied lands that COMING BACK.
1t is the way to restore Western presuge-"face,'
as the Far East calls it.
Moreover it is the ONLY way to DEFEAT THE
JAPANESE
DUT of course one such demonstration is not enough
- 1t has only awakened DOUBT native minds of the
invncbty of the japanese and the veracty of their
propaganda.
1t has only ARRESTED what the Netherlands
thortie call the mental submission of physically helpless
natives to Japanese mastery"
The attacks must be repeated without letup, and
increased violence, and continued until the actual and
visual fact Of Japanese defeat is accomplished,
But of course Gen Macarthur must have adequate
planes and maerie for that purpose-far than
he has ever had has NOW.
1t is relentless purpose to defeat and crush Japan
We should make il relentless and immediate purpose
to undertake sufficient force and especially
In sufficient TIME.