Evening star., 1945-09-04

in a statement Lowell Meiiea.
issued in Washington. And, he said
"This is in some respects more
difficult task than that of effecting
physical disarmament. Attitudes of
mind cannot be changed at the
points of bayonets or merely by the
issuance of edictS."
But he proposes nevertheless that
we shall attempt to do 1t with just
those instruments.
ITO bring about the spiritual dis
armament of the Japanese we in
tend to have removed all obstacles,
such as oppressive laws and prac-
tices, which in the past have closed
the doors to truth and have stifled
the free development of democracy
in Japan"
At Bayonet Point
How, except at the points of bay
onets or by the issuance of edicts?
I'VE shall take such steps as may
be necessary to encourage demo-
cratic reforms among the submerged
classes, the peasants and industrial
workers, SO that they may have a
voice in their government"
How, except at the points of bay
onets or by the issuance of edicts?
The Secretary of State definitely
does mean with bayonets and edicts.
He cannot mean anything else. Not
that he would have MacArthur's
men patrol the streets of Japanese
cities and towns and the little coun-
try lanes, sticking bayonets in the
tunnmies of individual citizens, tell
ing them to believe in democracy
or else. Not that he would merely
paste up posters all over the land,
telling them the same. No, the Sec
retary doesn't mean anything quite
that simple or obviously futile. For
one thing it would require too many
million men and too many years.
I'VE shall eliminate the ultra
nationalistic and totalitarian teach
ings m the schools and among the
people, which in the past have made
the people accept the militaristic
philosophy of their war lords"
AS easy as that. But is it? A
population of 100000 or 10000, 900
people requires thousands of schools
and tens of thousands of teachers.
Japan has both the schools and the
teachers. Presumably we will only
tell them what to teach and furnish
them with the text books. But how
will we make sure that they teach
what we tell them to? WeI-why,
to be sure, We'll issue edicts and
bring out the bayonets!
Eventually we expect to see
emerge in Japan government
broadly based on all elements in the
population, which will be peacefully
inclined and which will respect the
rights of other nations"
People Are Like That.
Eventually what will actually
emerge is more likely to be a fester-
ing sore on the face Of the earth, a
nation OF people feeding on their
own poison and prepared to infect
the rest Of the world If the oppor-
tunity ever comes. People unfor-
tunately are like that. Bayonets
will make them behave, but bayo-
nets will not produce spiritual dis
armament"
THE physical disarmament of
Japan is now proceeding" the Sec
retary had said earlier in his state
ment, "and we shall in the course
of time completely destroy her ca
pacity to wage war by the elimina-
ton Of her land, sea and air forces.
by the destruction of war material
and installations and by the re-
moval or destruction of her war in
duStrieS.'
If he had added that 1t is our
purpose to keep the Japanese people
mllltarlly impotent, as is SO easily
possible, while they are working out
their own regeneration-or whether
they ever do or not-he would have
said about all that can be or needs
IN hp sold of fhig