Evening star., 1945-08-13
Macarthur to Rule
japan, Says Writer
Surrender Will Be Signed on Bat.
tleship Missouri, He Adds
By David Laurence

surrender Will be Signed on Bat.
tleship Missouri, He Adds
By David Laurence
On the deck of the battleship Mis-
souri-named after the State which
happens to have given President Tru-
man to the Nation-the surrender terms
OF the Imperial Japanese government
are to be signed this week
In the presence OF Gen. Macarthur
and Admiral Nimitz-the two top COM
manders Of the Pacific war representing
the Army and the Navy-the Japanese
representatives are to be given the
detailed armistice arrangements outlin-
Ing exactly what they are to do in turn
ing over their armed forces to the
United States and its Allies.
The supreme commander of the Allies
who Is to give orders to the Emperor is
Gen. Macarthur. He had been already
chosen as the commander of the land
armies In the event of an invasion and
hence all plans converged naturally on
his selection for the big job ruling post
war Japan.
Delay Seen Inevitable.
Although the American people waited
lmpatiently over the week end for word
that Japan had acquiesced in the clari-
fcation OF the Potsdam declaration as
1t related to the status of the Emperor
the delay was considered by most off,
cials here to have been inevitable. A
certain 1anpth ~
internal arrangements to be made in
Japan to prepare the armed forces for
the cease fire" order which follows
always Immediately on the acceptance
OF surrender or the granting of an
armistice.
In this instance the orders to cease
fire" on both sides would precede the
signing of the actual armistice. Hence
the latter event on the deck of United
States Navy battleship might be delayed
two or three days after the formal ac-
ceptance of the last note from the Allies.
Long before Japan threw in the
sponge, the armed services had been
working on the armistice plan They
were ready to hand 1t to the japanese
any time this month that they indi-
Gated their willingness to surrender.
In fact, our armed forces have been on
the alert to change from an offensive
to an occupying status overnight.
1t Is natural that the heads of our
armed forces should be vigilant against
possible revolt inside Japan by those
Japanese militarists who wish to stand
out against the action Of the Emperor.
TO make assurance double sure, Ameri-
can armed forces will land in strength
possibly by air-borne operations of i'm
pressive size.
The wisdom of answering explicitly
the Japanese inquiry about the status
OF the Emperor has been confirmed by
the reports in the last "a hours that
the peace party in Japan might face
internal revolt and that only the orders
OF the Emperor would be obeyed.
Not Surprised Here.
Authentic information is available
here to the effect that the japanese
nave been trying to get out Of the war
for at least month This evidence
came through the Russian government
and other sources. When the surrender
broadcast was made last Friday morn
Ing, high Government officials were
not surprised, but went ahead imme-
diately to prepare for the armistice.
The President and his Cabinet and
the heads Of war agencies met for an
hour last Friday. There was no dissent
from the action proposed by Secretary
OF State Byrnes, whose note was laid
before the meeting. The brevity of it
won commentator as well as it's fore.
bearance. 1t was realized that tho
American Government would not wish
TO be placed in the position of pro-
longing the war by means of ambiguous
or equivocal statements. 1t was rea-
soned that once possession of Japan
was acquired by our armed forces, the
status of the Emperor would cease to
be OF any Importance except to provide
a conduit through which our orders
were to flow to the japanese people.
Over the week end, high officials
worked hard on the demobilization
problem. Certain numbers of troops and
Navy personnel will be needed to occupy
Japan and patrol its coasts and ports.
All the men cannot be released at once:
but it is safe prediction that within
nine months, nearly all now in the
Pacific who do not volunteer for fur
ther duty will either have been sent
nome on furloughs or discharged and
1t may be that this interval will be
cut down If conditions permit.
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