Evening star., 1947-08-10

Macarthur says the japanese, under
relatively light control, could absorb
the reforms he has outlined for
! them.
Most foreign diplomats and occu-
patton officials, however, think these
reforms have touched the people
only lightly and would wither quick
ly If thorough and extensive super
vision were removed. What the
people have received is a theareti-
cally excellent plan for a modern
constitutional state without the
training yet to make 1t work.
Main Task Begins .
In the training sense, the main
task of the occupation has just be-
gun: Its military phases are nearly
ended, as Gen. Macarthur has said.
Disciplinary problems now are
minute, but the Japanese need ex-
tensive re-education and guidance
under watchful Allied eyes. Gen.
Macarthur has said this supervision
must continue for generation, but
as yet he has not agreed with a
prevalent view that this means
maintenance of extensive occupation
machinery after the treaty is signed
The Japanese people have lost
none OF the customs which tie them
to the bloody, feudal past. The new
constitution contains formal rights
which they do rot fully recognize
and therefore do not cherish as
strongly as necessary In democ"
racy. Law books say women are
equal, but men still run the homes.
Equal opportunity is widely
preached, yet respect for age and
rank retains a repressive hold on
the country.
The power groups have not been
broken, with the possibly temporary
exception of the military clique.
Behind the scenes, oligarchs are
fighting as strongly as they dare to
retain the authority they once held
unchallenged.
Bureaucracy remains virtually in
tact. Purged industrial and political
leaders continue to give orders to
lieutenants who still hold them in
awe. Whatever restrains they are
under have been devised and applied
by occupation authorities, not Oy
any new voice of the people.
Old Ideas Return
Slowly, through constant pressure,
these authorities are forcing a
breakup of the landed estates and
restricting activities Of the big fam
lily business trusts.
The legalized fedgling labor
movement has won more than
100000 members, half Of them
covered by collective bargaining
agreements, and the people at
tempted to express an opinion at
the polls in April in a surprisingly
honest election.
Gen. Macarthur hailed the elec-
ton as Significant defeat" of the
Strident Communist movement, but
last month the Communists CONSOLE
dated their hold on the Committee
of Industrial Unions, the country's
10 rooct ord pooct q otivo JoI,or or.ror
ization; and politics remains con-
fused in a continuing battle between
Communism on one side and to-
talitarian conservatism on the other
Early in the occupation there
was general rush for Occidental
ideas. That has faded naturally
Now some city dwellers still 60 in
for such things as national safety
weeks and radio quiz programs, but
the countryside at large has not
moved at all from its ancient ways.
japanese officials at first accepted
every occupation order or suggestion
without question. Then they slowly
began to hedge.
Now, buoyed by hopes Of a for
NAL treaty, they have regained much
of their insular arrogance and their
sense Of racial superiority.
There is ample evidence that,
once Allied restraint were lifted, the
whole structure would snap back
toward the past like a gigantic rub
ber band.
Distributed by the Associated Press)