Evening star., 1945-10-14

rendered, then 100, and the others fed.
Complementing such tactical warfare
was the long-range strategic mental
bombardment of the Japanese. Start
ing last March, radio programs were
beamed at the Japanese home islands.
A typical nightly program started of
with review of the news straight from
the shoulder. In the rare cases where
the japanese had victory, mostly in
local and limited engagements in China,
full credit was given. But most Of the
news was on the other side. The sur
render of Germany, the taking of Oki-
nawa, all the other milestones on the
path of victory were first told to Tokyo
by radio Manila.
After the news came 10 minutes of
music. which might have been senti-
mental music of the nostalgia type that
had been banned as inconsistent with
the war effort. On some nights we
used American sheet music or swing or
symphony music. The Japanese people
are fond of all three. The music was
followed by commentator.
Used japanese Comics.
The radio broadcasts and leaflets were
supplemented by newspaper, the Rak-
kasan News parachute News, printed
on just one sheet Cboth Sides. It gave
news. pictures and even short comics
Often the comics were taken from old
Iay t,xv+
of fate were funnier on reprinting than
when originally published. One sample
strip from the famous japanese cartoon,
"Fuku Chan" of the Tokyo Asahi, shows
a playmate asking Chan how they can
protect their ships from enemy tor
pedoes. That is easy, is the reply, put
them on stills.
There is evidence that the Rakkasan
News was given complete credibility by
the japanese soldiers. Captured sailors
indicated that the navy accepted the
news as gospel, for all too often they
saw at first hand the truth of the state
ments.
Results, in the form of prisoners of
war and other reports from intelligence
sources, indicated that the leaflet was a
great weapon, too. AS soon as this was
learned production was stepped up. Up
to 1945 total of little more than Io0,-
600 leaflets had been dropped by the
American forces. In July, 1945, alone,
the total approached 25,0000
Bombing Notice Effective.
When Russia entered the war, the
PWB was ready. At the old printing
establishment on Azcarraga street in
Manila were millions of leaflets an
nouncing 'The Red Army Strikes at
Japan" These leaflets had been printed
months in advance and placed under
lock and key, and 24-hour officer guard.
On the same day that Russia declared
war, Gen. Kennys Far East Air Force
spread the leaflets far and wide through
out Japan.
Another literary bombshell of leaflet
dropping was the policy adopted in the
last month OF the war of dropping leaf
lets on cities 72 hours in advance of
raids. Nothing could have more star
tlingly revealed to the japanese people
the truth of our statement that their
own military were impotent to stop us
that we could roam their skies and
bomb at will.
From the lowliest of Japanese privates
to the generals of the army have come
expressions of admiration for our leaf
lets. A POW, orderly for 1t. Gen. Hojo,
commanding general on Jolo Island, re-
lated that the general told his staff Of
fcer, "They are good leaflets. wouldn't
be bit surprised if some of our soldiers
surrendered. Premier Suzuki himself,
on June is made a speech admitting
that, in view of our propaganda, they
could not take contemplated step of
invoking emergency powers. 'The dras-
tic step of resorting to the outright in
vocation for emergency power might in
volve the danger of playing into the
hands Of enemy propagandists."
In the army the remarkable order was
given in June that "all Allied leaflets
must Immediately be taken from the
men as the news that they broadcast
caused definite unrest" Captured enemy
documents contain such statements as
Have every propaganda leafiet brought
In when it Is picked up by the men. - :
When leaflets are repeatedly dropped.
they will be effective"
It will be up to the historians to prop
erly evaluate the contribution Of psychic
logical warfare to victory.
We know that victory In the Pacific
was the result of teamwork the
Army and Navy and the branches Of
them. OF weapons we surely had some
great ones. We can point to the fiame-
thrower, the a mortar, napalm, the
atomic bomb and, yes, psychological
warfare. What can be said at this point
is that not the least Of our weapons was
psychological warfare.
tDistributfd By the Associated Prsss.)