Imperial Valley press., 1943-03-17

puZZllng pattern DeHinu Jap
ancSe war strategy has just re-
turned from a 22,GG0-milc tour of
the Southwest Pacific. He was
under fire with American and
Australian troops in New Guinea,
talked with Allied military
leaders at every important base
i'm the area and saw sOme of the
few japanese who have allowed
themselves to be taken alivc.)
- BY FRANK BARTHOLOMEW
Vice President of the United Press
NEW YORK, March 17.7-UP)-
The more you study at first hand
the battle psychology of the Jap
anesc soldier, the more you are
= lriven to the conclusion that you
know nothing about it.
Military leaders in the Pacific,
YOU conclude, have just about given
up trying to figure out what the
Jap will do in any given set of cir
cumstanceS. Sometimes he will
keep fighting when hopelessly cor
ncred; other times he will sudden
ly quit where there is no appar-
ent reason.
For example
I'VE had \ Jap force SOlidly con-
tanned between our two lines over
in the Buna area Gen. f. f.. Her
ring, the Australian commanding
the Allied ground forces in New
Guinea, told me on my recent trip.
I'VE had him cut off from his sup
l. To
had more automatic fire power than
we had figured on and the job of
Wiping him out was progressively
slow.
ORDERED MOVE
- Finally, ! was ordered to move
in and wipe him out, because he
was impeding the general advance.
SO | ordered our lines TO come to-
.aGether and get him at o'clock the
VblloWing morning But just before
6 o'clock the Jap began taking
down his shelters and packing his
field kits, including cooking uten-
Sils. Just before we started to
move in, he started to move out.
Not to fight his way out, mind
you, but simply to try to march
through out lines with a staggering
load of field equipment and cook
ing pots on each mans back. APP
parently he expected us to step
aside and onen pathway for him.
He didn't offer to surrender, SO VIC
killed every Jap there
Many things you have heard
oh To-, -nIx III
borne out by first-hand ObScrVa-
ton in New Guinea. You have
heard. for instance, that their packs
are light. On the contrary, their
equipment Is much heavier than
that of the Americans or Austria
lianS. 1t is awkward and cumber-
some, but the Jap carries it with
him wherever he goes.
OAKEs UP SPACE
Madeleine takes up much of the
space in The pack, but it. is not
first-aid equipment II is mcdi-
cine designed tn keep the soldier
Aealthy- vitamin pills. 3alt tablets
Nuinine. Such Things as gau2c,
5ulfa drugs. and diSintectantS are
missing. The reason for this is
that japanese officers lose inter
est in q man once he is wounded or
becomes too i'll to fight. He then is
regarded as d liability and is cross
ed off the list and forgotten.
l asked Herring about the men
tai and physical makeup of the
individual japanese soldier, and he
replied
Gle is a strong, stupid little
beast. He has no imagination and
does exactly what he is told.
All his military schooling is along
the positive side-What he should dO
to advance under this sci of condi-
tionS, what under this other. How
he should keep we'll and prevent
injury.
"But nobody has told him what
to do when he finds he cannot ad-
vance, when he is faced with a
choice of death or surrender.
"Thc Japanese command takes
Vhe very simple position that an
officer or soldier should never get
into such situation. 1t involves
dislOyalty to the emperor by de-
DrlVl0B tlllfl Ol dll elleCJlVC llBllJ-
( he man. 1t involves loss of face
and is simply not to be thought of.
SURPRISING RESULTS
consequently we have a variety
of surprising results. For one thing,
japanese field commanders sent
nothing but optimistic reports to
Tokyo. If he were in dangerous
position and sent in a realistic re-
port in order to get help and ex-
tricate his men, he would be told
he had failed his emperor and to do
away with himself to make room
Cor a more competent successor
New of the commanders seem will
ing to accept that disgrace so they
fight on stubbornly in completely
hopeless situations and, unit by
init, we wipe them out
An Australian, Lieut.. Col. L. L
Shave, told me this story illustrat-
ing the fatalistic attitude of the
Japanese.