Detroit evening times., 1945-10-22

In REVIEW
BY Mai. General
~ D. P. Barrows


~ D. P. Barrows
THE island of Okinawa, which
is the main island of the
chain that connects Formosa
with Japan is in full possession
OF the American Navy and
Army.
II is under an American mill
tary government, which appears
to me to be acting intelligently,
effectively, and with a minimum
of expense.
This American occupation of
Okinawa and other islands of
its archipelago may not be well
come to American public opinion.
Sentimental pressure upon our
administration may force us to
withdraw. -
But to whom could we turn
over these islands?
Can the islands then be trans
ferred TO the Okinawa inhahi-
tants themselves, as a part of
our policy of recognizing the
right to independence of even
backward peoples!
MORE important at the pres
Ava ent time than the civil
status OF Okinawa is the ques-
ton of its strategic Importance.
The matter of adequate and
suitable military bases in the
Far East must await the re-
ports and tions of
our own military experts, but
whether we are TO have ade-
quate bases or whether we are
10 have none, is a matter that
is to be decided by the Ameri-
can public and by its represen-
tatives at Washington.
Our defeat of Japan raises
the prospect of new era in the
Far East in which all other ma
tions and peoples may be freed
from military danger, from
treSpass upon their soil and re-
sources and from interference
IN their progress. which has
long been interrupted.
This is an American interest
first of all. and it is of high
importance toEN1be American
people that thiSenew era get
under wayssaee endure
WITHQUT prejudicing the
w situation in advance of ex-
pert jddnpept, Okinawa would
seem to.Aa location of pri-
Draws circle with a radius
Of 500 miles around Okinawa
and note what is included
within it.
Southern Japan and the
Straits of Sbinonosaki; the
southern .end~of Korea; the
eastern coast of China, with the
great cosmopolitan city Of
Shanghai; northern Formosa.
Not on the entire coast OF
Asia wol]d there seem to be an
off-shone POSITION that can rival
the strategic Influence of Oki-
naws. ThiS<Wiu raise the ques-
tion whYHo we want point of
strategiS &rength in the Far
East? II? -
Why should we hesitate to
abandon this one?
The answer lies in what
would state is our true objec-
tive in this great war of the
Pacific which we have won.
This objective is freedom.
Freedom for ourselves from
any danger from a militant
Japan.
Freedom for all peoples whose
development was frustrated by
menace and aggression. and who
lost their freedom by enemy ex-
pansion
Freedom fouriSheS only in
peace, and peace only continues
where freedom prevails.
But freedom cannot be had
forethe asking.
Il has to be maintained by
power.
Asa result of this World War
the United States now has the
power 10 assure the existence Of
freedom and OF peace in the
western Pacific and eastern
Asia.
That freedom and peace will
be endangered and will have no
more than a doubtful chance of
life. if America refuses TO con-
tribute its own action 10 pre-
serve them.
TllE pattern of warfare and of
Il strategic power has altered.
Air power has come into its
own.
Bases for its employment no
longer need 10 be created within
countries whose intentions We
may regard a. doubtful and
which we may believe are still
not disposed to follow freedom
and peace.
Bases for, both of these great
obiectives preferably may be
located of the coast of Asia
rather than on continental soil.
Dranarationc for III. 6n.I