Evening star., 1945-09-14
Our japanese Policy

tOO-nOt a Few individuals and or
ganizations have been quick to find
serious fault with General MacAr-
thurs approach to the enormously
complex problems of occupation.
They have detected a certain soft
ness" in his dealings with Japan in
general, and more particularly they
have raised an indignant chorus
over the great blunder" of letting
Japanese civilian administrators
temporarily retain their posts in
Korea.
If there were some reasonable
basis for it. this critical attitude
would be understandable, but there
is no such basis, and hence the
thing can be explained only in terms
of the impatience of perfectionists
who are nothing daunted by the fact
that they are thousands of miles
from the situation and in no posi-
tion-at this early date-to evaluate
it soundly. Actually. two full weeks
have not yet passed since the formal
surrender in Tokyo Bay, and the
landings of our occupying forces are
still far from being completed. In
the circumstances common sense
would seem to preclude conclusion
jumping, at least until enough time
has elapsed for the pattern of Mac
Arthur's policies to take more def
mite shape.
AS a matter of fact, that pattern.
as it has been unfolded so far, seems
reassuring. BY September 4, three
days after the surrender, approx
mately 100000 Of our troops had
been landed in Japan, where mil
lions of enemy soldiers were then
still under arms. MacArthur's orders
at that point were for the occupying
forces to requisition anything they
needed. Next, on September 10, two
days after entering Tokyo, he
clamped down censorship on the
Japanese radio and press, and de-
creed that the imperial general
headquarters - the militarists' key
organization be abolished, which
has since been done. After that he
announced his preliminary list of
war criminals, including the entire
TOTO Pearl Harbor cabinet" and
seven leaders Of the terroristic Black
Dragon Society. Meanwhile, through
General Hodge, he proclaimed that
the japanese civil administrators
would stay on the job in Korea but
do exactly what we told them. This
was done to avoid confusion in a
country where the people themselves
are politically divided and where
there has been no self-government
for decades. The measure, moreover,
was accompanied by the unqualified
assurance that the Koreans would
take over as soon as possible-an as
surance which has been backed up
forcefully by President Truman.
In addition, the President has
made clear that he is completely
satisfied with the way the overall
situation has been handled up to
now, and he has specifically stated
that in due time everybody will
realize that there is nothing soft"
in our policy. The same point
is made by General Sir Thomas
Blamey, Australian commander in
chief. II tell you," he says, there
will be no ladylike handling of the
japanese by the United States COM
mand. The position today is that
General Macarthur, with a COM
parative small force, is trying to
bring order among 1oo,00o,000 per-
sons. Looking at it in that light you
will begin to understand the diff
culties. He therefore is wisely using
the existing organization within
Japan. In this way, believe re-
bellion and other troubles will be
avoided"
General Macarthur, in brief, ar
rived in Tokyo less than a week ago
and has hardly had time to put his
desk In order. AS the President
suggests, people far away from the
scene accordingly ought not be too
hasty with their charges of "blun-
dering softness." A little patience is
called for. The supreme Allied COM
mander has had no chance as yet