The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-09-13

be starting today in Japan. Sept 10,
anniversary OF the historic hara-
kiri by General Nogi. hero OF the
Russo-Japanes war, who attacked
Port Arthur and forced Czarist
| General Stoessel To surrender.
Thirty.three years ago this week
the funeral procession OF the late
Emperor Meijl was moving from
the palace 10 the imperial mausol-
cum. Before the royal hearse had
reached the tombs, General Nogi
Joined the deceased emperor In the
ancestral headquarters.
The Nogi shrine at Nagazaki To
kyo, a few blocks from the Ameri-
can Embassy, Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur's headquarters has been the
scene OF Japanese worshiping TO the
war hero for his honorable deed in
accompanying his emperor along
the death trail.
AS more Japanese IN the country
districts see the American flag
raised by "evil foreign barbarians"
who have landed In their country,
entire families may be decapitated
by the senior son or the father to
atone for failure to keep Americans
from their sacred soil. Such acts
would apply particularly to Sam.
urai families or heads OF groups
who are military heroes OF this and
other wars.
The suicide rate In Russian oceu-
pied areas of Korea and Manchuria
will be much higher than In Japan.
Our policy Of frlendllness for the
Japanese will save many Of them
from hara-kiri but the Russians
will not discourage the III Jap ben
erals In their possession. Humllla-
tlon will hasten hara-klrI acts.
Around the 220 Shinto military
shrines our occupation forces may
observe the japanese tossing coins
and clapping their hands to say
prayers in a perfunctory manner
TO war gods and other deities. They
may overhear japanese uttering an
ancient proverb TODAI MOTTO
KURASHI which translates 'just
below the candlestick is the dark
est OF ALL"
The sight OF an American flag.
jeeps. tommy guns and sentries
will increase the country suicide
rate. Rural hara-kiri deaths Will
surpass those in the cities, for IN
the country districts one encount-
ers deeper legendary devotion and
fanaticism to ancient warrior sacri-
6ces.
Many. OF our 10000 marines and
sailors in the vicinity OF the Yo-
kosuka navy base will pass the
Hachiman Shinto shrine at the
seaside resort of Kamakura. Hachi-
man is a menacing figure represent
| ing war. The Japanese believe
that one of their emperors was an
| incarnation OF Hachifan. Near the
shrine Is a famous human cave on
! the small island OF Enoshima. The
entrance is FIVE yards wide. Inside
Is popular suicide spot.
1t is possible that the inflexible
Jap military code may compel
signatori~- TO the surrender docu-
ment to atone for the humiliation
which the have brought upon the
divine being in the palace. The
signing OF almost any treaty In the
past 80 years has been followed by
| suicides, assassinations and cabi-
net designations.
After Commodore Perry had ar
ranged a treaty with the Japs IN
1858 to open some OF their ports
for trade, the imperial representa-
tives VIII signed the document
we're assassinated by the Mito ronm
gang. TIL, emissary had failed to
kill himself out OF shame for haN-
ing made the deal. After the Versa
lilies treaty an elder statesman
Kimmochi Saionji was the object
Of repeated attempts at assassina-
ton. A machine gun gang got
| after him in 1895. Following the
London Navy Conference prime
minister was assassinated for hav-
ing agreed to the terms on behalf
OF the emperor.
BY Japanese Interpretation, when
the man who negotlates or signs
the treaty Is dead, the contents OF
the agreement are no longer bind
ing.
No imperial family member sign
ed the surrender document on the
U.S.S. Missouri, Sept. l. True to
protocol, the Japs used two gov
eminent representatives, one
general who is an old fox at trick
treaties, specifically the Ho-Umezu
Chinese-Japanese treaty which ne
put over at Picking some years ago.
The civilian representative was
simply a stooge for imperial head
quarters. Either one or both OF