The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-11-09

war role in the national scheme.
To this end the japanese govern
ment will be required TO cease
all financial support. But Shin
to's eclipse may be achieved
without any Allied action. Shin
TO and its Great Shrines always
have been supported by the
state, not the people. Shinto as
the States comparatively recent
synthesis of primitive nature
worship and modern militarism,
imposed from above and used
TO regiment the people for the
purpose of the Imperialists and
Militarists. Observance of its
rites was a duty from which re-
lease will be welcomed by many
japanese. What will rush into
the vacuum left by Shinto' S
decline remains 10 be seen. 1t
could be Christianity or it could
be Communism.
fASI OU ARDS
Thus far MacArthur's head
quarters has taken no action to
implement policy to end Shinto' s
role in government, although an
order to prevent any incidents
il posted sentries at main
Shrines to exclude Allied mill
tary personnel. Otherwise it was
likely these national temples
would attract more curious GIS
than native worshippers. Mac
Arthur has been represented as
convinced that destruction of
militarism made any action
against Shintoism of secondary
importance.
Inevitably, Hirohito's hold Oh
the people would be most af-
fected by decline of the cult
which claims for him veneratiol
on the grounds he is the son OF
heaven and the current NANTES
tation of a Zine unbroken for
ages eternal" unquestionably
Hirohito's personal prestige and
that of the Imperial house suf-
fered from his visit last month
to Macarthur at the American
Embassy. That the son of heaven
should leave the Sacred Palace
to visit an Alien Mortal was a
tremendous shock TO millions Of
devout Japanese. The effect was
intensified when Japanese news
papers published a picture show
ing the handsome American con-
queror towering over the insign-
ificant, stopped figure Of his Wis
itor.
Divergent VIEWS
However, there are many ia
panese who assert that Hiro-
hitos firmness in ending the war
and carrying out the surrender
made him personally more popI-
lar with the masses than any
previous Mikado.
Macarthur has directed the
japanese government to revise
the constitution to give full play
to democratic processes and
provide insurance that never
again can sinister clique gain
power through manipulation Of
imperial prestige. The current
cabinet obviously is loath to
make any changes affecting the
Emperor's place. Foreign Mini
ster Yoshida argues that the
constitution itself is democratic
but was misused by militarists.
Premier Shidehara says the
clause which states that the En-
peror Is sacred and inviolate had
counterpart in the British
saying that 1.-The king can do no
wrong" Such men, rated as Glib
erals" in pre-war Japan but like
ly to find themselves over
whelmed in political tides loos-
ed by surrender, profess to be-
.lieve that the Emperor can re-
main in limited monarchy, pa
termed after the British mon
archy. This probably was the
utmost change they would ac-
cept. Some compromise may be
achieved out of the ferment CT
conflicting pressures now loos-
ed, but there seems little chance
that the God Emperor concept
can long survive the enfeeble-
ment of its chief support, Shinto.