Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-01
TOTALITARIAN RULE,
OR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT?


can people the plain facts of the torture
and Staying of American soldiers by the
Japs after the surrender at Bataan and
Corregidor was made and carried out
by the war and navy departments, and
thus, the responsibility for that policy
goes straight to the White House.
When the nation was told of these
-atrocities five months after officers and
-1nen who escaped the march OF death
had returned to this country and pro-
svided documented facts, there was hur-
aried effort to pass the buck at Wash
sington Said the OWL: I'VE wanted to
sbreak the news but were prevented by
higher authority" Then shortly the owl
srevamped this announcement by declar
eing that the report was held up for fear
its release would jeopardize further eN-
.change of civilian internees between the
sUnited States and Japan" and this sec
sond pronouncement ended with efforts
sto arrange third exchange apparently
shaVe broken down." Between the two
sOWI statements it is quite plain higher
sups" had talked to whoever in that bu
sreau issued the original word
; Even up to this point, as the truth be-
sgan to ooze out of Washington, the
spublic could be fooled. But now, and
sfl,is comes direct from the men who told
their stories of the atrocities, comes the
last straw. Under direct and all-out
rorders from Washington, these men were
snot permitted to give the public single
.Nord and what reason was given by the
-higher-ups? Here it is
: THE PEOPLE NEVER WILL BE-
sLIEVE YOU"
: We ask you, Mr. President, who has
zgiven you authority to decide what the
speople will believe?
: When was authority delegated to you
~or to any officer or bureau to control
sthe minds and thoughts and reactions
~Of 135,000,000 people?
. Are you sincere when you criticize
what you are pleased to call the lack
of concern over the WARP" while you tell
What you please and withhold what you
splease Of what is going on? Is it your
belief the fathers and mothers of these
smen brutally slain are capable of with
standing the shock of the truth?
q Millions of people are waiting for your
Sanswer.
We would like to pose these same ques-
..tions to Mr.. Stimson and Mr.. Knox and
aothers to whom the people look for real
leadership in this war But they would
Snot reply simnly because they would
dare not give their own answer
= We would like to ask what few are
left Of that valiant fighting band under
--MacArthur and wainwright this question:
-Do you believe you are unable to think
Tor yourselves? And to all those who
vowed to hold the Philippines against
sthe murderous Japs when they heard
&the echo of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
@were you thinking for yourselves then?
sAnd General MacArthur,-doesi it help
jn your one ambition,-to return to Bat
saan and wreak vengeance on these mur-
sIderers, for the people back home to be
sheld as mental towards and incompet-
ents?
We find ourselves hoping not to see in
this news withholding, the specter of
propaganda. But guided by the record
of bureaus and agencies set up in Wash
ington ostensibly to aid in war efforts,
we must put that query too. The long
delayed announcement comes too close
to at least two major activities in which
the public must respond wholly and liber-
ally in means and cooperation. If we arc
on the right line of thought in this, then
all we can say, FOR SlIAME,'
Except for negligible minorities here
and there, mostly of the crack-pot var
iety. every man, woman and child in the
United States is backing the war and the
war leaders to the limit. No one should
know that better than the president and
his aides. But we ask again how in the