Evening star., 1945-08-30
'Poyoff Here After
Long, Hard Road,
General Declares
BY w. H. SHIPPEN. Jr.,

ATSUGI A1RDROME, Japan,
Aug 30.-Gravely smoking his
large corncob pipe, Gen. Mac
Arthur stepped from his airplane
here this afternoon-at the end
of the bitter road from Mel
bourne to Tokyo.
1T has been long, hard road
but this looks like the payof," the
supreme Allied commander said
after greeting 1t. Gen. Robert c.
Eichelberger, commander of the 9th
Army, with a Hello, Bob"
A minute earlier the generals
plane had TAXED up between rows
ing the weapons that had seen them
through many rugged campaign.
They were troops of the 18th Air
borne Division, themselves newly
arrived without shot to take
charge Of land that not so many
weeks ago they expected to take
through bloody invasion.
Drives to Yokohoma.
For many seconds after he landed,
Gen. Macarthur stood silent, gaz-
ing at the seized and busy air
drome and the rolling green hills
about it.
Around the concrete apron on
which the generals C-54 transport
"Bataan" landed were hangers,
riddled and unroofed by Yank
bombers and strafers.
The general quickly left by auto
mobile for his headquarters in the
unchanged new Grand Hotel IN
Yokohama.
The scene was one of triumph
with the 11th's band playing martial
airs, the first American band to
play in conquered Japan.
Jap General Rebuffed.
Just as Gen. MacArthurs plane
came into sight, 1t. Gen. Arisue of
the japanese Army, four members of
his staff and an interpreter, marched
| off the field.
They had come to formally greet
the general, but instead met with
cool rebuff from Gen. Eichelberger,
who told them to present themselves
later at the commander in chiefs
hotel.
| Head of the liaison committee for
the surrender, Gen. Arisue had ar
rived in highly polished knee length
boots and SpotleSS uniform, expect
ing to drive to Yokohama with Gen.
Macarthur.
Gen. Macarthur was in gay hu-
NOR.
To one general he said, Hello, you
old rascallion."
When japanese news pho
tographer stepped out in front OF
other photographers and they called
out he was in their way, Gen. Mac
Arthur drawled, You'll have to
make him capitulate."
Gen. Macarthur was flanked by
Gems. George c. Kenney and Carl
A. Spaatz, 1t. Gems. Ennis P. White
head, Richard K. Sutherland and
Barney Giles; Maj. Gen. Paul B.
Wurtsmith, Brig. Gen. Thomas D.
White and Air Vice Marshal Will
liam D. Bostock of the RAAF.
Russians Represented.
The Russians were represented by
Commodore Anatoli Rodionov and
Maj. Alexis KosizSin.
The men who accompanied Gen.
Macarthur here included Gen.
Sutherland, Brig. Gems. Bowner
Fellers and Courtney Whitney and
Col. Roger Egberg.
I landed at AtSugi airdrome near
Tokyo at about am. (Tokyo time)
today with Gen. MacArthur's head
quarters staff and correspondents.
The momentous landing immedi-
ately ahead of our great armada of
transports and fighters seems a bit
like dropping in on strange planet.
Perhaps no nation of modern his
tory has been SO completely severed
for SO many years from the under
standing of the civilized world
Even those who have seen Japan
frequently in recent months from no
greater distance than strafing or
bombing range have come away
with vague impressions of what
went on below them.
Thinking Revolutionized.
In addition to the fire, death, de-
struction and confusion, what the
Japanese equivalent of Joe Doaks
may be thinking about is as deep a
mystery as if he had been living
on Mars. Nothing but lying propa-
ganda and few prejudiced or linn
tied personal reports have emanated
from Japan since she began to con-
fuse visitors and spy on capable OBJ
servers as far back as the $50 sorry ),
please" sinking of the United States
Gunboat Panay.
The last time I saw Tokyo was
from the nose of a B-29 Juggling
seven tons of cluster magnesiums
against arms plants in the north
west section. The doomed capital
then was burning on her funeral
pyre, wrapped in a black shroud
of smoke rolling higher than famed
Mount Fuji.
But this fire raid, big back in mid
April, was only token compared
to the "atomizer" earthquakes to
come. Dual devastation dealt by
naval guns as well as Army bombers
undoubtedly has revolutionized the
thinking of people convinced they
had been invincible for 1000 years.
From Manila to Okinawa and
then on north we speculated on
whether some underground suicidal
fanatics will break the peace with
an incident that could react strong
ly against the Japanese people as
whole. On the surface, however, all
seems 70 be quiet and secure.
AS we began to let down for the
landing on Atsugi airfield ! was GER
tain I would not trade my seat at
(See SHIPPEN, Page A-I9.) 4