The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-08-15

The second great world war OF
the century has ended with the ut
ter defeat OF Japan, last OF the
Axis powers which conspired to
divide the world into three vast
spheres OF cruelty and barbarism.
Peace has come after IA years OF
almost continuous war In Man
churia, Ethiopia, China, Europe.
Africa. Asia and the islands OF the
Pacific.
The chief instigators of this en-
ormous conflict In which close to
$4,000 900 were killed or wounded
in combat-not counting the mil
lions killed by starvation, air raids
and other causes-have been COM
pletely undone.
Smash Clique
The atomic bomb, the revolution
airy weapon which released the
forces OF the universe, and the
atomic bombshell Of giant Russia's
entry into the war against her
grudge enemy, smashed Japan's
military clique who had boasted
they would lead their country to
national suicide after the new wea-
pons of global warfare forged In
America had swept to the very
doorstep OF the island empire.
The end was foreshadowed with
dramatic audiences on Aug. 10
. when the japanese offered to sur
render with the sole condition that
their emperor. whose legend OF
divinity is the cornerstone OF her
unique culture. be allowed to re-
main.
Thus the japanese militarists ad-
mitted defeat-Japan's first major
defeat in her 2.605 years Of re-
, corded or mythical history,
The boast OF Admiral Osoroku
Yamamoto that he would dictate
terms In the White House, the
greater East Asia co-prosperity
sphere, the Reich OF a thousand
years and the new order, Musso-
linis 100000 bayonets and the
new Roman empire, stand today as
! empty vainglories.
Zenith in 1912
The chain of aggression, begin.
ming In Manchuria, Sept. Is, 1881,
reached its zenith In i942, when
Japan's realm reached 5000 miles
either way, from the Aleutians to
Java, from Manchuria and Burma
to mid-Pacific. and embraced an
, enslaved population OF nearly
500. 000. 600.
Japan's militarists, dreaming OF
conquests more fantastic than
Genghis Khan's, stood on the TIRES
hold OF dominion over 1000, 000, 900
people.
Date Of Infamy
Pearl Harbor, "the date that will
= live in infamy." wrecked that
dream.
On that day. Dec. 7, 1871. there
was cast into the scales the vast
flood from the arsenal OF America,
the high courage OF her soldiers,
sailors, marines and airmen.
Small but elite air forces, sub
marine men, soldiers, a crippled
{ navy-the expendables - arrested
Japan's progress. Then the might
lest fleet the world had ever known
the earth's greatest air force and
one of its most powerful armies
the armed power OF an aroused
American democracy-beat theil
way across the widest ocean to the
. homeland OF the Mikado. Allies
from Britain and the British do
minions, from China and others oil
the United Nations shared in the
mighty enterprise.
Overwhelmed
Japan was overwhelmed by new
weapons and methods OF global
strategy-the moving strategic air
force of hundred aircraft carriers.
The super-bomber, the incredible
armadas OF supply ships, floating
docks and maintenance vessels
known as the fleet train" the
more than 60 types OF landing craft
and crawling monsters, the stupen'
dous array OF equipment and talent
of the more than so amphibious
y. "island hopping" operations. the
Seabee and the bulldozer that
turned tiny islands into formidab BILE
bases, the jellied gasoline bomb
that turned Japan into q land oil
burned out cities.
The United States was tested by
the most humiliating defeats OF her
history, but she also won some OF
her greatest victories.
Fighting two great wars stimuli
taneously, she won them both, and
now emerges upon new stage OF
world power, her armies OF occu'
patton spanning two oceans.
Cost Huge
But the cost Is IN huge American
cemeteries that dot the world map
news names-Bataan, Faid Pass,
Corregidor, Salerno. Guadalcanal
Anzio, Coral Sea, Casino, Midway,
Tarawa st. Lo Saipan, Aachen
Two Jima, the Rhine, Okinawa, the
Ardennes and many others have
been burned into American mem
DRY forever.
Pearl Harbor was foreshadowed
by the tri-partite pact OF Germany,
Italy and Japan on Sept. ~, 1870
but Americans we're astounded In
the midst OF a quiet Sunday after
noon by the White House an
nouncement that Japanese planes
were attacking that proud strong
hold in mid-Pacific.
Even as Japanese bombers were
roaring over Diamond Head. To
kyo's two ENJOYS called at the
state Department in their peace
negotiations"
Never we're treacherous negotia'
tons carried TO such farcical ex'
IRENE.
Senator Burton K. Wheeler, a
leader of the isolationists, fervent-