Evening star., 1945-07-29
What We're Up Against in Asia
Charter Setting Up Machinery Peace Can Be Wrecked Lack Of
Cooperation Some Specific Act


and have access through them to what
is printed In our papers. Their leaders
are also able to listen to our domestic
radio broadcasts, just as we are able to
listen to theirs. From these sources
they do not read or hear Of much mercy
we intend to show them, and even If
they did it would not be rebroadcast to
the masses of the people. Only q few
men at the top would know of any such
attitude on our part. So, 1t may be
that they will do what they say, fight
on their beaches, in the ruins of their
cities and in the businesses Of their
mountains, as the British were pre-
pairing to do when threatened with in
vasion by the Germans In 1910. 1t may
be that many Of the Japs will have to
far more extensive than these on Saipan,
Two Jima and Okinawa.
In time of war the great majority OF
the people of nation hear but one side
OF the story The outrages and atrocities
committed by their own troops are told
neither by newspapers nor over radio,
while those committed by enemy forces
are amplified. There can be little doubt,
for example, that few Japanese know
anything about Bataan, but all know
of the unfortunate sinking of the Ava
Maru by an American submarine, and
regard 1t as evidence Of American per-
fidy The Japanese ship had been on
mission to the South Seas, by agreement
with our Government, delivering Red
Cross supplies at camps Of American
prisoners, and was returning to Japan
with Japanese refugees when sighted
and sunk, with heavy loss Of life. As the
japanese government, through Switzer-
land, openly charged us with treachery,
they must have used the case as evidence
to their people that the promises of our
Government cannot be trusted. There
have also been charges circulated among
the Japanese that we take no prisoners
or treat them cruelty If they surrender.
Conspicuous Capitulations.
On many occasions in the past their
fighting men, when hopelessly outnum-
bered. have not only committed hara-
kiri but also killed their women and
children or taken them to die in, final
last stands on battle fields. On the
other hand they have made some con-
spicuous capitulations The most notable
Of these was when they agreed, on the
demand of our Government, in 1854.
that they open their country to foreign
intercourse. Like many other Oriental
peoples, they had long refused to let
Occidentals land on their shores, and
some of the clans opposed the entry
even after the Shogunate, then the
central government. agreed. But after
only two or three of their cities were
bombed the whole nation fell in line,
permitting the nationals of Western
powers not only to enter the country but
to govern themselves under extraterri-
torial privileges. They submitted to su-
perior force.
At that time, however, the promises of
assistance, made particularly by Amer
icans and Britons, influenced them. Now
tho English-speaking nations, being
their principal assailants. are dreaded
and distrusted In the earlier case it
was only the few defiant seaports that
were bombarded; now it is all their
cities, and their desperation and re-
sentiment run much higher. While the
fault is dominantly with the Japanese
leaders, the alarm nevertheless exists
and has to be taken into account.
We have not yet engaged one of
their major armies. We have not yet
landed in China or Japan, where those
armies number several millions. The
largest force we have yet met in. any
one place has been In the Philippines,
where there were said to be in all
100000. Our troops have shown them
selves superior to the japanese, man for
number OF places the Jap casualties
have been 10 or more to our one. Even
at Okinawa, where they put up their
best defense, their losses were five to our
one. We can, therefore, expect their
casualties to be higher than ours when
the war is carried to their home islands
Losses viii Not Be Small.
But while the proportions will be in
our favor our losses will not be small.
The Japanese may be able to arm as
many as 100000 men, women and
boys, and if we succeed in killing or
wounding them at the rate Of 10 to l
our casualties viii still run high. We
are able and willing to pay this price If
they persist, but when we have beaten
them into submission we will not have
solved the problem of Asia. We will
have defeated only one Of the minor
Oriental countries. Though complete
victory is our aim, the least possible
loss of life among >our fighting men
is matter for grave consideration.
We have already attained our major
objective. We have beaten the Japa-
nese so thoroughly that they cannot
revive and become again an aggressor
power. To prevent this We are in
position to keep pressure on them in
definitely. We have destroyed their
navy and most Of their merchant
marine, and we have driven their air
force out OF the skies. They can barely
exist on their crowded islands with
out inportations Of food, and We are
in a position to prevent the entry
of much of this. With hardly enough
to eat to keep the population in health
and with no prospect Of obtaining the
essentials for re-equipment from abroad,
they will not be able to re-arm for
attack upon even China another time.
We can prevent them reconstructing
navy OF. the transports necessary to-