Detroit evening times., 1945-11-03
WORLD
In REVIEW
BY Maj. Gen.
BarroWs

battle of Okinawa, and the pos
sible strategic Importance of
the island to us. if We are TO
preserve our influence in the
Far East.
Okinawa is not a tropical is
land. II lies a little north of
the Tropic of Cancer and in
the temperate zone.
Irregular in form, il is with
out high mountains, but has
plenty of low hills, and a great
amount of low-lying and pro-
ductive valley and swale.
The characteristic tree is a
species of small pine which
covers every knoll and hillside.
There is a low-growing Spe-
cieS of palm, only a few feet
high, which suggests its close
ness TO the tropics.
THE people appear at one
Il time TO have had king,
whose palace and gardens are
at Shiuri in the southern part
of the island. a few miles in
land from the port of Naha.
But this capital and its palace
lay directly behind the front of
the American assault and were
entirely destroyed.
There were also local chief
tains, sometimes spoken of AS
"feudal baronS," VINO had
castles" here and there
throughout the island.
The great mass of the people
lived in humble villages. each
group of huts being enclosed
by wall like compound.
The entire island is covered
by cap OF coral stone that is
easily quarried and that is used
for the walls and upright door
posts Of the houses.
This coral rock is excellent
for road making and has en-
abled our engineers 10 build
hundreds Of miles Of broad. sur
faced highways all over the
island.
TIE native villages have
L been almost entirely de-
stroyed. Elsewhere ! have at
tempted TO describe "IShikawa
one OF the 30 temporary settle
mentS where these native retu-
gees have been located and are
working for themselves.
The racial character Of the
OkinaWa people is a matter OF
doubt. though we need 10 know
them better as We need 20 know
what they merit AT our hands.
Japan. during her period OF
sovereignty, was jealous of for
elgn knowledge of them.
! met two trained anthropolo-
gists among the officers admin
Istering military government on
Okinawa who were not ready 10
answer questions which Will re-
quire much scientific lnvestiga-
tlon before che answers are
known. but il seems quite clear
that these people are not typI-
cal Japanese.
If they have reSemblanceS 10
the japanese, 1t may be that
this resemblance is due 10 a
basic element in both peoples
thai derives from that human
stock which We call Malayan.
Japan governed this people
- for perhaps 80 years but eS-
tabliShed few Coiouists among
them
The port of Naha alone re-
scmbleS japanese town. and
except for the survivors Of the
japanese army. there are few
japanese here at the present
time. and little that reUnds
one of the more developed civil
llzation of Japan.
There is much in the culture
Of the OkinawanS that resem-
blcs that of the primitive Ma
layan race to the south. such as
the natives of the Batancs is
lands or of the mountains of the
Philippines.
All these primitive MalayanS
have religious beliefs associated
with the spirits Of the dead.
THEY all practice elaborate
L modes of burial. usually in
caves or artificial sepulcherS.
This cult of burial on Okinawa
has been developed into an elab-
crate system.
The whole island seems like a
prodigiouS cemetery OF formai-
lzed stone tombs which line
every slope and hillside.
They all are fashioned alike;
all have sloplng, stone roofs, SUR
rounded by a graceful cornice
shaped like a horseshoe
The tomb is entered by low
door closed by a stone, and in
front of each tomb IS A walled
entrance enclosure
Within the tomb is an ascend
ing series of platforms on which
stand the burial jars.
THE people seem laboriouS,
Il docile. and. in spite of their
severe losses and suferings. con-
tented, at least for the present,
with their American collabora-
tors.
One day I attempted to talk
with a little group of laborers
who had come to army head
quarters TO perform some task
for which they would be fed and
paid
The conversation was not very
successful but one OF them. who
eoonnpd IN hc tho "chO" or