Evening star., 1951-04-17
Japan Under Macarthur

Japan Under Macarthur
1t is not surprising that hundreds Of thou
sands Of Japanese got up early in the morning
and ,jammed Tokyo's streets to say heartfelt
good-by to General Macarthur. In paying him
this tribute-the most impressive of its kind
ever accorded foreigner in that highly cere-
monious land-they undoubtedly reflected the
feelings of the overwhelming majority of their
countrymen. At the same time, in thus display
ing their affectionate and almost reverential
regard for him as person, they gave the world
"a striking measure of his great success in run
ming the occupation as Supreme Commander for
the Allied Powers.
!, That success has been obvious for some time
past. Unlike Germany, Japan, after its defeat,
was not partitioned into four parts and occupied
by as many Powers. Instead it remained unity,
with American policy dominant, and General
Macarthur - through his soap organization -
brilliantly capitalized on that fact. With a per-
Sonality perfectly tailored to the task with ad-
ministrative ability of the highest order, and
with his extraordinary knowledge of the prob
lens and psychology OF Asia as whole, he
quickly shifted from the role of conqueror to the
role OF reconstructor setting in rapid motion a
japanese military, social, political economic and
spiritual revolution of the most far-reaching'
kind. .-~ =
One Of General MacArthurs first big sue
ceSses was the program under which soap swiftly
disarmed demobilized and returned to peaceful
pursuits more than 100000 japanese troops.
Similarly through rigid controls and other
means, he cut down the country's industrial po-
tential for war. Beyond that, in move without
precedent in modern history, he saw to it that
Japan adopted constitution in which it bound
itself never again to maintain an Army, Navy or
Air Force. Indeed, if anything, he did almost too
good job in carrying out his denlilitarization
directives, for the constitutional ban the mill
tary has always seemed unrealiStic in the teeth
of the Soviet threat-a fact which he himself
has implicitly acknowledged in his recent recon-
mendations for limited rearmament.
In other respects, however, the constitution
hammered out under General MacArthurs
supervision is hardly open to question Emperor
worship the warrior caste, feudalism, thought
control, the secret police and every kindred
instrument of totalitarian RECOMMENDATION and
oppression have been swept away. In their place
have been substituted such things as universal
free education, collective bargaining for labor,
the voting franchise for women as we'll as men,
basic liberties like those of our own Bill of
Rights, and similar fundamental constitutional
guarantees reposing fun sovereignty in the Japa-
nese people, making them their own masters,
placing them well on the road toward genuine
democracy.
In line with all this, moreover, General Mac
Arthur is to be credited with having hit hard at
the excesses Of the giant trusts Of the Zaibatsu
(the money clique'), through which about
score OF families used to control the economy of
the entire country. He is to be credited too, with
having effected agrarian reforms that have
emancipated millions of tenant farmers from
serfdom by enabling them to buy and work their
own land. Finally, in the overall economic
sphere he has so effectively administered our
American aid that Japan today-after having
been fiat on its back little more than five years
ago-shows an index of industrial activity higher
than prewar, and it conceivably may manage, If
given some good breaks, to become self-support-
ing by the end of next year.
General Macarthur, in short, has had q
tremendous, and on the whole very benefcent,
impact on nation Of more than 100000
people. History offers few, If any, examples quite
like It, Japan, of course, is by no means out of
the woods. It's democracy is still young. It's
economic recovery is still tentative. It's social
and spiritual transformation may yet prove to
be more apparent than real. Yet, if 1t holds fast
to the road that the great American "pro-consul"
has carved out for It, it can prosper in freedom.
That is the immense contribution he has made
to the life of the Japanese. Small wonder that
many millions of them deeply regret his sudden
departure. ~.