Evening star., 1949-07-03

which, being a completely Asiatie
nation, must remain in the orbit
of Asia.
Gen. Macarthur is reported tc
have emphasized the fact that the
consolidation of the Asiatic main
land under the tutelage of the
U. S. S. R. will mean eventually
after American troops nave beer
withdrawn from Japan, the en-
trance of that country into the
Red orbit, regardless of the wishes
of its people.
There are two ways by which
Moscow may achieve this final
objective in the Far East. One is
by direct action. the other is by
economic pressure.
Some Joined Chinese Reds
Up to now some 10000 Jap
anese prisoners of war, formerly
members of the KWantung Army
the toughest that Japan ever
had-have been sent home after
nearly three years captivity in
Siberia.
The exact number of troops
who surrendered to the Russians
in 1945 is not known, since the
Soviet high command never gave
an accounting of that phase of
the war. 1t is believed, however
that about 100000 men we're
made prisoners.
On the orders of their captors
about $4,000 joined the Chinese
Communists and have fought
against Chang Kai-shek in the
Red ranks. Others were sent tc
labor camps in Siberia. How
many are still alive is not known
but it is estimated that about
| 10000 have returned to theil
homeland.
| Those who now have returned
to Japan underwent very strict
indoctrination course conducted
by specially selected political COM
missars. They were picked by
their mentors as especially good
propaganda and subversive ma
| terial for the future.
! Advocates of Communism
/ American intelligence services in
Japan are fully aware that the
returning prisoners are imbued
not only with hatred for their
conqueror-the United States
but that they have also become
strong advocates of the Com
munist doctrine which they know
they have to propagate in their
own country by strong-arm meth
DDS.
Having been trained in the i'm
perialism of TOTO and the Black
Dragon Society they had no diff
Guilty embracing a doctrine so SIM
liar to that preached by the for
mer militarist rulers of Japan.
1t is impossible, however, to re-
fuse admittance to these bona
flde japanese now returning home
Although they are kept under
strict observation, the freedom of
speech guaranteed by American
authorities permits them to carry
on their activities in the districts
where they live.
The. way they talk to fellow vii
layers gives our authorities some
idea of the pattern of things to
come. And their words do not fall
on deaf ears. The Japanese popu-
lation, while outwardly submis-
sive to the occupation by aliens,
is anxious to get rid of the for
eigners who live in their land. The
people are keenly interested in
the picture painted for them by
returning prisoners of the bless
ings of life in Sovietland.
Five Divisions Keep Order
It is feared by some American
observers in Japan that whenever
convenient, Russia may use these
men as a spearhead for an armed
uprising against the relatively
weak American forces. We have
in Japan some five divisions which
have the job of keeping 65,000,-
900 natives in order.
In spite of Japan's limited ter
ritory. it is obvious that such a
small force. unless it uses ruth
less methods of suppression, could
not hold it's own for long against
a mass insurrection. And al
though the Navy and Coast Guard
carefully watch all ship move
ments, it is probable that through
many small harbors which dot
the coasts of the japanese islands,
Russian submarines can bring
arms and ammunition to would
be rebels.
Russia now controls the coast
from Vladivostok to some distance
south of Shanghai and is reported
to have some 100 small submarines
in that area. Some of them have
managed to land arms in various
parts of the Philippine Islands.
There is no reason to believe they
cannot do the same thing in
Japan, which lies only short dis
tance from Soviet controlled ports
on the Asiatic mainland.
Expansion Needs
The returning, indoctrinated
prisoners Of war thus form today
the spearhead for direct action
whenever Moscow decides that the
time has come to embarrass the
American armies of occupation.
But outside of this, there is a feel
ing. even among the more con-
servative elements of Japan. that
since Russia appears well in
trenched across the Yellow Sea
and the Sea of Japan. there is
nothing for the $4,000 900 Japs to
do but accept the eventual Rus
sian bid to join the Greater Asia
policies of Moscow.
The very same elements funda-