Evening star., 1945-09-02
Preserve in Peace
What We Won in War,
Commander Advises
By the Associated Press.

OSS MISSOURI, TOKYO Bay,
Sept. 2 (Sunddy).-Tert OF the
concluding address OF Gen. Mac
Arthur, supreme Allied COM
fnander. tolloaoing formal Japd-
7aese surrender:
My fellow-countrymen:
Today the guns are silent. A
great tragedy has ended. A great
victory has been won. The skies ns
longer rain death-the seas bear
only commerce-men everywhere
walk upright in the sunlight. The
entire world is quietly at peace. The
holy mission has been completed,
and In reporting this to you, the
people, I speak for the thousands of
silent lips, forever stilled, among the
jungles and the beaches and in
the deep waters of the Pacific which
marked the way. speak for the un-
named brave millions, homeward-
bound to take up the challenge Of
that future which they did so much
to salvage from the brink of disas-
ter.
AS 7 look back on the long, tor
tuous trail from those grim days of
Bataan and Corregidor, when an en-
tire world lived in fear, when democ-
racy was on the defensive every
where, when modern civilization
trembled in the balance, I thank a
merciful God that He has given us
the faith, the courage and the power
from which to mold victory.
No Turning Back.
We have known the bitterness of
defeat and the exultation of tri-
umph. and from both we have
learned there can be no turning
back. We must go forward to pre-
serve In peace what we won in war.
A new era is upon us. Even the
lesson of victory itself brings with
it profound concern, both for our
future security and the survival of
civilization. The destructiveness of
the war potential, through progress
sive advances in scientific discov-
cry, has in fact now reached a point
which reviseS the traditional con-
cept of war.
Men since the beginning of time
have sought peace. Various methods
through the ages have attempted to
devise an international process to
prevent or settle disputes between
nations. From the very start, work.
able methods were found in SO far
as individual citizens were con-
cerned but the mechanics of an
instrumentality of larger interna-
tional scope have never been sue
cessful. Military alliance, balances
of power, Leagues of Nations all
in turn failed, leaving the only path
to be by way of the crucible of war
The utter destructiveness of war now
blots out this alternative. We have
had our last chance. If we do not
now devise some greater and more
equitable system, Armageddon will
be at our door. The problem bas-
ically is theological and involves q
spiritual recrudescence and i'm
provement of human character thai
will synchronize with our almost
matchless advance in science, art
literature and all material anc
cultural developments of the past
1000 years.. 1t must be of the spirit
If we are to save the flesh.
Perry's Purpose Recalled.
We stand in Tokyo today rem
iniscent of our countryman, Com
modore Perry, 90 years ago. His
purpose was to bring to Japan an
era of enlightenment and progress
by lifting the veil of isolation to the
friendship, trade and commerce OF
the world. But alas the knowledge
thereby gained of Western science
was forged into an instrument OF
oppression and human enslavement
Freedom of expression, freedom OF
action, even freedom of thought
were denied through suppression OF
liberal education, through appeal to
superstition and through the appli-
cation of force. We are committed
by the Potsdam Declaration of Prin-
ciples to see that the Japanese
people are liberated from this con-
dition of slavery. 1t is my purpose
to implement this commitment just
as rapidly as the armed forces are
demobilized and other essentia.
steps taken to neutralize the wal
potential. The energy of the Jap.
anese race, if properly directed, will
enable expansion vertically rather
than horizontally. If the talents
of the race are turned into construc.
tive channels the country can lift
itself from its present deplorablt
state isato position of dignity.
Philippines Model
To the Pacific basin has come
the svista of a new emancipatee
world. Today, freedom is on tht
offensive, democracy is on the
march. Today, in Asia as well a.
in Europe, unshackled peoples art
tasting the full sweetness of liberty
the relief from fear.
In the Philippines, America ha.
evolved model for this new free
world of Asia. In the Philippines
America has demonstrated tha
peoples of the east and peoples o.
the west may walk side by side ir
mutual respect and with mutua
benefit. The history of our SOW
ereignty there has now the full
confidence of the east.
And so, my fellow countrymen
today I report to you that your SON.
and daughters have served you vel
ppd Faithfully with the calm de1ih,
crate, determined fighting spirit o
the American soldier and sailo
based upon a tradition of historica
trait, as against the fanaticism o
an enemy supported only by myth
illogical fiction. Their spiritua
strength and power has brought u
through to victory. They are home
ward bound-take care of them.