Evening star., 1945-07-08

net OF Premier Suzuki. But 1t is also
evident to most informed Americans
that the crushing Of Japan, in the
same manner as Germany has been
destroyed, will take far more American
lives than we spent in Europe.
Aerial attrition has its limitations. 1t
is a powerful instrument in destroying
the enemy's factories and homes. But in
order to achieve our present avowed aim
the unconditional surrender of Japan
it is essential that American troops
take over Japan's home islands.
This, according to present estimates,
will be costly affair even if the Russian
government decides to declare war on
Japan. 1t is believed Russia's operations
would be by necessity restricted to fight
ing in MarSchuria and Korea. The air
would have been most welcome auxil-
iaries 18 months ago are of secondary
Importance today. The air bases we
have established on Two Jima and Oki-
nawa are much closer to our objectives
than any of the Siberian bases. We now
have all the bases we need for the
enormous Allied fleets which are pre-
pared to pound the Japanese mainland
in preparation for an invasion.
Japan's land forces are estimated at
about 100000 men. About 2,000,0 900 reg
ulars backed by the newly created home
guards, more properly described as sui
eide squads. are defending Japan proper
while the rest are strewn from the
Siberian borders through China to Ma
laya. Singapore and the Netherlands
Indies.
Thorough Preparations Vital.
Until the Allied armies have completed
thorough preparation there will be
only sporadic-though costly-opera-
tions against the japanese outposts in
Japan and China and a good deal of air
bombardment which will result in the
destruction of the remainder of the
enemy's industry.
1t. Gen. Martin, the military corre-
spondent of the London Daily Tele-
graph, gives a graphic picture of what
Gen. Macarthur and Admiral Nimitz
must gather in the Philippines prior to
their final assault on Japan.
Gen. Martin says: THE Americans
reckon to employ an Army of mil
lions and have given figure of six tons
Of equipment per man plus $1,000 600
measurement tons of dry cargo to be
shipped to the Philippine Islands" Spec
ulatively, we may need 2,ooo, 900 men
and in that case we will have to gather
at least 10000 900 tons of war material
In addition to this. we will have to
provide the Canadian forces with theil
supplies. Canada has just announced
that she intends to take an active pari
in the fight against the Japs by sending
the 9Th Division to serve as part of the
American forces
Sure of Victory.
The question of transporting the men
and supplies to the Pacific area is. how
ever, considered to be of minor impor-
tance. The American general staff has
had tougher problems to solve in the
past and has done the job superbly The
necessary shipping already has been
mobilized and men and supplies are on
the way to their battle stations.
The high-ranking officers responsible
for the success of the big attack are
sure of victory. But they are equally
certain that the price we will have to
pay for VI day will be far higher than
the price ,aid for We day. The will to
die in defense of their country had
disappeared from the men in the Ger
man Army after the attempt on Hitler's
life in July, 1914. The generals appar-
emily had lost faith in Hitler, and the
rank and file of the German Army was
more interested in fighting for the gen.
erals than for Hitler and his hench-
men.
No such situation is expected to de-
velop in Japan. where Emperor Hirohito
still remains the king bee of his pecu-
liar hive. The military clique is all
powerful in Japan only so long as it is
permitted by the Emperor to be so. The
people follow 1t like sheep only because
it is known to have the stamp of ap-
proval Of the Son of Heaven.
Toughest Battle.
1t is for the defense of the Emperor
that all the japanese. regardless of age
and sex, are willing to die, and, when
cornered by the enemy; prefer to COM
NIT suicide rather than surrender. The
fact that at Okinawa several thousand
Of them preferred to surrender is inter-
esting but not sufficiently indicative to
justify the conclusion that the morale
of the japanese fighting forces has
reached low ebb and is about ready
to disintegrate.
Our war planners realize that the
battle for Japan will be the toughest
ever fought by any American Army. Al
though we have complete mastery in the
air and sea and the American planes
and naval ships will pound Japan to
smithereens before the first invasion
waves are launched against the main
Japanese islands, we must be prepared
to suffer much higher casualties than
we encountered in Europe. This, de-
spite Gen. MacArthur's well-known
technique of being most mindful of
human lives.
In the Philippines, Gen. Macarthur
was able to do superb job with mini
mum of loss, thanks to the able assist
ance of the Filipino guerrillas. In the
Japanese islands every man, woman and
child will defend his or her country and
will be glad to die for the Emperor
There is neither an underground nor a
fifth column to help us when we reach
the shores of the Japanese islands.
Leaders Have No Hope.
The Japanese leaders are aware that