Detroit evening times., 1945-08-29
THE ROAD
To TOKYO
BY James R.
Young

I WAS one of FIVE foreign
i newspaper correspondents to
attend the colorful coronation
of Emperor Hirohito in 1928 in
the palace grounds of the an
cient capital at Kyoto.
A Japanese emperor is en-
throned with the name of new
era.
Hirohito's regime carries the
title of Showa which translates
peace and Enlightenment"
Master Of ceremonies for the
enthronement was the late
Premier Gen. Baron Giichi
Tanaka. framer OF a document
outlining a Japanese totalitarian
sphere TO encompass all milf
tary. economic. political and
diplomatic affairs Of one-half
the worlds population and one
fourth the worlds surface. from
Siberia to Australia. the Philip
pines. the Dutch East Indies,
India, Malaga and China.
TT WAS this conquest which
i brands the emperor's message
Aug. IA as an outright lie. sEe
told his subjects in the imperial
rescrIpt radio address that it
was far from our thought TO
infringe upon the sovereignty Of
other nations or 10 embark upon
territorial aggrandizement."
II has been claimed by sena-
tors. educators, clergymen md
diplomats that the emperor has
not been responsible for Japa-
neSe aggression, that the en-
peror in good faith can sign a
treaty which his army and navy
would honor
Actually the emperor has
been a part OF every plot. In
consultation with his advisers
he has signed treaties and he
has declared wars. All policy
planning has been discussed
and approved in his presence
and signed with the very seal
which We now demand he use
10 confirm acceptance OF the
PotSdam declaration.
nor generations japanese pro-
L feSSorS and propagandlsts.
many Of whom were educated
in the United States. have cre-
a,ed falschoods 60 successfully
mat certain sincere minded
Americans have become simple
minded IN accepting specific
Nlpponese untruths as hlstori.
cal facts
At home the Japanese fabri-
Gated a cult Of divine worship
which teaches that the center
Of the universe is Tokyo. that
over the world is an eight
Cornered canopy called Hskko
Ichiu. These same japanese
succeeded IN fostering in some
American minds the belief that
the emperor is immune because
Of his religious position.
WHILE | vas being held In
w solitary confinement IN a
japanese prison year before
the war, our ambassador 10
Japan, Joseph &. Grew, and
Senator Taft, worked vigorously
10 secure my release.
But on the emperor issue l
am IN disagreement with Mr..
Grew and Senator Taft. Sena-
tor Taft believes that-in allow
ing the emperor 10 remain on
the throne would speed Stahih-
7atlon with A lot OF the rnOder.
ateS in Japan with whom We
can do business -
There are no moderateS In
Japan Senator Taft. and ! hope
we never do business with the
Jajs again.
WE SHOULD have demolished
w the spiritual significance OF
the emperor system with an
atomic bomb on the palace and
block busters on the 220 Shinto
military shrines.
Americans cannot conceivo
President Truman going 10 the
Washington monument. boWing
and then reading his message 10
Congress before he appears IN
the Senate and House, but that
is the manner in which the
emperor on Aug "a prepared
his radio address II was manda-
tory for MIN 20 read his rescript
in the Shlnio shrine room Of the
palace IN order that he could
report 10 the ancestors on his
imperial decision.
BY our acceptance Of Japa-
neSe terms for the emperor 70
retain his prerogatives. all their
futile hypocrisy remains with
the privileges and trappings OF
deceitful japanese royalty,
WE HAVE told the japanese
w they may in future select
their own form Of government.
In this We VIII prepare them
for an eventual renewal Of an
economic and diplomatic strug-
gle for II Is the thought of
every japanese that his empire
is destined TO rule the world.
Millions of Japs who have
survived the war are filled with
vengeance and vindictiveness.