Imperial Valley press., 1944-01-30
JAP ATROCITIES
AND u. S. POLICY

A m oun ting wave of ury IS
sweeping the country as military author
tiles after all these months, concluded
to take the American people into their
confidence and release the horrible facts
of Jap slaughter of American fighters
who surrendered at Bataan and Corregl-
dor.
The predominant reaction to the belat-
ed news takes form in demanding that
those in command at Washington quit
their strategy of island-hopping and get
down to the immediate business OF going
straight to Tokyo. Naturally, there Is
a call for revenge and this has no small
part in the reaction. The kin of the 700
men tortured to death would be senseless
to all decency if they did not demand
full and sweeping reprisals.
Then there comes the pertinent ques-
ton of why the Washington authorities
veiled all the terrible facts behind
: strictly enforced censorship. Of course
: thousands knew directly that the Japs
had ignored all rules of warfare and
started mistreating captives from the
start More directly other thousands
knew the story simply because no word
ever came from those now known to have
been slain ruthlessly.
Out of this terrible report the people
will map the program for Congress and
military authorities to follow henceforth
in all policies affecting Japan in this
war
AS a people we are resolved:
Not to forget these atrocities at the
peace table.
Not to forget the criminal negligence
of those in authority for permitting Jap
To pic tn 70
the world and for failing to make pos
sible line of safe withdrawal of the
brave men fighting to the last to hold
the Philippines.
Not to take revenge upon Japs in the
United States, either as whole or in
separate areas, but to take complete
revenge some time.
To see that in the future there will be
no lenient, wishy-washy dealing with
the murderOus race.
See to it that no Japs, alien or other
wise, return to any coastal area because
it has been learned in costly lessons that
we can't trust Japs, even those who may
display patriotic tendencies.
The lifting of the censor at this late
day on the wars most horrible incident
brings to head long smouldering re-
sentiment of the American people against
the arbitrary and dictatorial rules of
censorship the government has main
tained.
Those in authority from the president
down must answer this nationwide in
quiry, why so long in revealing the
facts" Has it been just another form of
all this sickening propaganda? Does the
government think the people unable to
take the facts as they come, or that the
public is not to be trusted, or is there
clique at Washington determined to run
rough shod over the people? Or is the
announcement, after all, admission of
colossal blunder?
Not to be passed by lightly is the out
spoken criticism of Palmer Hoyt, Port
land, Oregon editor who served a few
! months as divisional chief in the Office
of War Information. Mr.. Hoyt not only
: should know what he is talking about, but
, he does know. 1t is beside the question
now to point out the inefficient perform
ance of this bureau. 1t is run by a stub
born, opinionated sycophant of the ad-
iministration and from the start has not
only failed to give proof Of its need,
but its policy has been extensively die
'tatorial.
Hoyt comes to the nub of the censor
iuuestion when he declares the whole
theory Of hiding facts is wrong from
strategic point, not to say anything Of
being an insult to the intelligence and
patriotism of the American public. He
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