The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-26
Fair. Morninp
By ERWIN D. CANAAN

aneSe to surrender have. as Winston Church
ill said, apparently saved many lives. Whether
the technique of surrender has also contribut-
ed to the real defeat of Japan and lasting
peace in the Pacific remains to be seen.
For most of the 10 days since the Japanese
indicated that they wished to surrender,
Americans have sensed that something was
wrong. The japanese attitude was warning
Two things seem to be clear: that the Japa-
nese do not genuinely admit defeat, Just as
the Germans did not admit defeat in 1918
and that the Japanese are laying the ground
work for revenge and re-conquest, just as the
Germans did.
Fortunately, we are waking up to this sit
uation very promptly. We did not wake up
for many, many years after 1918 in the case
of Germany And there is still plenty of time
to convert the present anomalous and danger
Gus situation into a real surrender. General
Macarthur seems just the man for the job.
Whatever criticisms may have been leveled
at General Macarthur in the years of his
Pacific command few will deny him the most
appropriate qualities as conqueror, negotiator,
administrator, and dranatist.
The Japanese must soon have a rude
awakening. They apparently lack completely
an appreciation of their situation. The envoy
who stepped from the plane at Manila anxious
to tip its American military personnel-per-
haps it would have been a salutary expert
ence If he had tried, because the reaction can
be lmagined-has a lot to learn of the et
quette of defeat
We are now experiencing a kind of Japa-
nese nalvete in bucketsful Within half an
hour, the first Japanese ENJOYS learned Cd
their tips were not welcome; (2) their prof
ferred handclasp was spurned; 60 the flowers
they had brought from Tokyo were not want
ed. In short, so sorry" and dental display
Will cut no ice at all. This was not just a
tennis match, and we are not ready to shake
hands and let bygones be bygones.
The issues of future war and peace may
hover in the balance during the next few
weeks, unless we set the right tones and over
tones in our dealings with the Japanese There
must be no muffling of the meaning of de-
feat. The japanese are desperately trying to
save face. They may deem themselves sue
cessful, IN their curious and inverted way, if
they are able to 60 on with these delaying
withholding, and quibbling tactics.
In any event, they are still asserting that
they were not really beaten. The keynote was
set on August II by Yomiuri Hochi, a Tokyo
newspaper, which pointed out an ancient war
between the States of WI and Yueh Yueh,
although suffering humiliating defeat, lived a
life of hardship and deprivation for 20 years
and came back to win the victory. Yomiuri
Hochi added: 'Confucius said that it is the
maintaining Of victory and not the winning
of it which is difficult
Then one Kusuo Oya, chief of overseas
broadcasting, said: 1--WE have bowed to the
enemy's material and scientific power. How
ever, in spiritual power we have not lost
yet" He added: I'VE are still fighting for the
independence of East Asia
Asahi, Tokyo's leading paper, said on Au-
gust II: The light of the ideal for the racial
emancipation enkindled by the war of Great
er East Asia will keep burning despite the
tragic finale of the conflict"
Well, Americans cannot say they have not
been warned. We have ample indication that
Japan is keeping its imperial ambitions
warm, heating them at the fires of bitterness
and defeat. If this is the situation in the
week of surrender, what will it be months
and years hence when the zeal and emotion
on cur side will have subsidized?
We must proceed in the most explicit and
complete manner to carry out the Potsdam
terms. These include, of course, the destruc-
ton of Japans war-makng power in every
way. They include punishment of war crimi-
nails. Every member of the present Cabinet,
even the Emperor, and many others in ranks
high and low, should be processed as war
principles so well drafted by Mr.. Justice Jack
son, which do not exempt heads of states,
should be applied to Japan.
We have no commitment nor obligation to
the Japanese Government with which we are
now negotiating. We have an obligation to
future peace. Naturally, punishment and dis
armament will not of themselves produce
peace. We shall only have a kind of armi-
stice until such time as Japan genuinely finds
repentance and regeneration. But the most
roundabout possible road to regeneration is
that based on the fiction-now being spread
by the Japanese-that they have won spir-
itual victory.-Christian Science Monitor