Evening star., 1943-12-02
Jupun's Death Sentence

y
passed death sentence on the
japanese Empire-an empire which
has claimed the lives of untold mil
lions during the past fifty years.
This is the only meaning that can
be read into the statement by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Prime Minister
Churchill and Generalissimo Chang
Kai shek, who have met and
reached agreement on the conduct
OF the Pacific phase of the war.
When the fighting ends Japan is
to be stripped of her conquests and
reduced to the status of a minor
Island power. That is a harsh
penalty, but a necessary one, for it
Is the only way to be sure that a
race which has been taught to live
and die-by the sword will not seize
the first opportunity to renew the
assault on mankind which was
begun with the war on China in
1894 A Japan which cannot fight
will not fight. And that is the way
1t Is to be.
There is not a great deal that is
new in the statement. 1t is en-
phasized that the several military
missions have agreed upon future
military operations against Japan.
That is heartening, for it apparently
means that the Generalissimo is
satisfied with the plan of battle and,
Is reconciled to the impossibility Of
giving more direct assistance to the
Chinese armies that have endured
so much for so long 1t also is
specified that the three powers are
f1ghting to restrain and punish
Japan. Coveting no territory for
themselves, they nevertheless pro-
pose to restore to China all of the
areas stolen from her. The people
OF Korea are promised freedom, and
Japan is to be stripped of all of the
islands in the Pacific, which she has
seized or occupied since 1914.
Finally, in one all-inclusive SEN
tence, the japanese are to be ex-
PEELED from all other territories
which they have taken by violence
and greed"-which virtually would
reduce Japan to the geographical
status in which Perry found it in
1853.
Thus the Japanese are slated to
lose the Marshalls, Pelews, Carolines
and the Mariannes - the island
groups which they seized from Ger
many in the First World War and
had inundated to them in the peace
that followed. Although only some
1000 square miles in land area, this
scattered territory, including the
powerful base at Truk, is of such
enormous strategic Importance that
the japanese will be tremendously
weakened in the Pacific once they
are forced to give up. Similarly, they
will be tremendously weakened when
they are forced to give up Formosa
and the Pescadores off the south
east coast of CHINA key island
territory, about 1880 square miles
in area, which the Chinese ceded to
them after the war of 1894-5. And
when Korea is liberated Gin due
course - they will lose a militarily
and economically significant region
of more than $4,000 square miles,
flanking their home country directly
to the west on the Asiatic mainland.
AS for Manchuria, which they
grabbed in 1881, it's restoration to
China will be body blow likely to
affect them for generations
equivalent to the loss of at least
100000 square miles of land rich
in such things as coal, iron ore,
wheat, rice, cotton and lumber All
told, these territories constitute an
area more than three times the size
of Japan's four main home islands
G47,000 square miles and now
house probably not less than a third
of the total Japanese Empire popu-
lation of sO,OOO,OOO.
This dismemberment of Japan
follows generally what was promised
by the President in his September
II message to Congress. To some
extent it clarifies and enlarges our
objectiveS in the Pacific but the es-
sential goal remains the same-the
total defeat of Japan and her per-
manent destruction as a military
power. 1t should be emphasized
that this is only the goal-its at
tainment is not close at hand. AS
the President said in September:
"We face, in the Orient, a long and
difficult fight We must be prepared
for heavy losses in winning that
fight. The power of Japan will not
collapse until it has been literally
pounded into the dust. 1t would be
the utmost folly for us to try to
pretend otherwise" These words
remain as true today as on Sep
tember II.
For the moment that turns the
page on the Far East, but the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Churchill are far from
through. 1t is reliably reported
that, upon concluding their meeting
with Chang Kai-shek, they left for
Iran to meet with Premier Stain.
Presumably this meeting has been,
or is being, held. There has been
no hint as to the nature Of their dis