Evening star., 1944-02-02
Letters to The Star
Relates Vengeance on Japs
To Cause of World Justice
the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
This is indeed time to become in
censed over the treatment our valiant
heroes Of Bataan have received at the
hands OF the Japanese. They were our
fellow countrymen, our brothers, hus-
bands, sons. They we're our soldiers
who went out to fight, not because they
loved to lie in fox holes, to bleed and
die in an unequal contest, finally to
surrender when the odds were over
whelmingly unequal. They are our men,
only some Of whom may survive living
death.
But as our anger and hatred rise be-
cause of arocities against those whose
only offense lay in their courage and
devotion to the cause Of freedom, for
which they fought and suffered, let us
not forget our own guilt in this and
other barbarities of the enemy.
A chapter fully as gruesome as this
most recent one was written long be-
fore Pearl Harbor, but then 10000 900
OF us never raised an eyebrow in pro-
test. In fact, some of us encouraged 1t
in order to pad our own pockets. Then
We were told that we had an over
supply of gasoline, SO we had to ship
millions of gallons Of aviation gasoline
to Japan. We had to ship boatloads
Of machine tools to what even we then
knew was our greatest potential enemy
yes, and we sent American skilled
workmen to teach the japanese how to
build war machines against U.s.
And 1t wasn't as though we didn't
know what the japanese were doing.
We knew only too well that even at
that time they were making their at
tacks on innocent Chinese, but we
didn't care then. All we could think
OF was our own purses-and that was
short five, four and three years ago.
Briefly I quote from The Battle for
ASIA" by Edgar Snow, who was an eye
witness on the scene: The sordid story
OF the Marking massacres is now pretty
familiar to the world. According to an
estimate given to me by members of
the Marking International Relief Com
mittee, the Japanese murdered no less
than $4,000 people in Nanking alone,
a large percentage of them women and
children. 1t Is estimated that 100000
civilians were murdered by the Japanese
in their march between Shanghai and
Marking.
Anything female between the ages
OF 10 and 10 was raped. Discards were
often bayoneted by drunken soldiers.
Frequently mothers had to watch their
babies beheaded. and then submit to
raping. Some $4,000 troops in the city
were let loose for over a month in an
orgy OF rape, murder. looting and gen.
eral debauchery which has nowhere
been equaled in modern times. . = But
Americans continued selling Japan. at
a good profit, all the war-making ma
terials she needed"
The same author makes the state
ment that had Britain and America
hrmly opposed it, Japan never would
have invaded either Manchuria or China
and consequently would not have been
powerful enough to make the success
ful attack on Pearl Harbor in 1e41. But
again we preferred utterly to disregard
the plight of the victim, Just because
he was only Chinese Now for a wear
or two our young men must suffer and
die, and it's up to you and me here at
nome to see that they shall not have
suffered and died in vain And that
will not be merely to work our vengeance
on the enemy, but rather it will be to
night for the cause of justice everywhere.
0. T. BACKLUND.