Detroit evening times., 1945-09-05
THE ROAD
To TOKYO
BY James R.
Younq

L parliament under the new
military regime of Premier
Prince HigaShi-kuni, scheduled
for today and tomorrow in which
six dormant political parties will
participate, can be dangerous
because of the double-talk which
the japanese Will use. They may
try to hoodwink us through
false cooperation.
] know the premier as a mill
tant figure, concelted rabble
rouSer who is tough, and am
bilious imperialist who will not
fail to maintain the country'S
peculiar type of constitutional
government.
I CANNOT believe the cheer
L ful reports from one of Gen.
MacArthur'S SpokeSmen that
I'VE are convinced the Jap en-
voys are sincere and honest"
The present cabinet is the
strongest military regime in
Japan in four years.
The finance minister is no.
torious international manipu-
lator who had special CONNER
Cial espionage agents financing
subverSive activities in the
United States up TO a week be-
fore the war broke.
TIE foreign minister whom
l. British and American diplo-
mats claim is a liberal, is the
chairman of the TWenty-Year
War Society which some weeks
ago held a mass meeting 10
cond@nn the Allied nations and
TO pledge to continue the war
another. two score of years.
Prince Higashi-Kuni can be
quick on decisions. He is an eX-
pert at regimenting thought.
He is a professional soldier.
having commanded the Second
Division at Sendai, in northeast
Japan. and the Fourth Division
at Osaka. He commanded tie
notorious Third Division at
Navoya, his home city where
he lived in a big rambling house
in the YoShinocho district.
DETURNING, he told the en-
IL peror of the Marking afro
cities which cousin, Prince
Asaka, a notorious carpetbag-
ger, later assigned 10 the Death
March in the Philippines, had
helped engineer. The emperor
therefore knew of his soldiers
brutalities but never once ever
halted them.
/ first saw the prince at a
Jap Rotary convention. He was
honorary chairman.
1 saw him again has he spoke
TO $4,000 bowing subjects
dressed in morning coats and
striped trousers at the Nagoya
Pan-Pacific peace exposition.
Mrs. Young and I were show
ing the j.. p. McEvoys the
sights. We thought they'd en-
Joy the sight of a droopy faced
prince, his chin thrust out,
Stomping his feet with Prussian
military precision, the nearest
approach the Japs had TO a
Mussolini. All he lacked was q
balcony.
ON HIS visits to Tokyo the
" prince favored the Dowa
Geisha house three blocks from
my office. / have seen him
there with japanese students
from oxford, Princeton, Colum-
bia. Wisconsin. His favorite
geisha, Kiharu, spoke English
He played a Jap chess game,
Go. He gambled with drinks
instead of money. When he lost
ne took two slugS of whisky.
Millions of Japanese who
have had military service must
surrender their rifles and
swords but we have not changed
their views.
Their present leader. Premier
Prince HigaShi-Kuni, still heads
an undefeated army. His Euro
pean training taught him that
our diplomats have their emo
tional blind spots.
Whether he remains in office
or resigns this week TO make
way for a puppet government
in American hands. he and his
associates will attempt a tac-
teal move to lull suspicious
against Japan.
DURING the time they must
~ wait for the opportunity Ia
rebuild the empires shaken
foundations. the japanese will
turn on the traditional smile ano
provide many occasions for ban
quetS, congratulatory speeches
They will use every trick in the
propaganda file TO mislead the
occupying forces, then make A
new psychological thrust at the
United Nations.
Mentally the Japanese are
experts at tightrope diplomatic
Juggling. They will misuse their
newsreels. wspape and
radio.
They will turn on A direct
appeal 10 their missionary
friends in America and 10 their
former business and school
teacher associates. Their dou.
decreasing takers will again
practice their subtle Ryobu.
shinto which is half Christian
and half Shinto.
They are people with DR..
1ekyll and Mr.. HYDE tempeTa-