Evening star., 1951-09-05
BY the Assoeiutsd Press

HtyIIGs
I am glad to welcome you to
this conference for signing the
treaty of peace with Japan. The
people of the United States are
honored to serve as hosts for this
meeting.
Six years ago the nations rep
resented at this conference were
engaged in a bitter and costly
war. Nevertheless, these nations
and others came together here,
in this very hall, to set up the
United Nations as the first es-
sential step toward a firm and
lasting peace.
Today, we meet here again to,
take another step along the road
to peace. On this occasion, it is
our purpose to conclude a treaty
of peace with country we were
fighting in 1945. We meet to
restore our former enemy to the
community of peaceful nations.
Principles of Roosevelt.
The treaty we are gathered
here to sign has not been drawn
in spirit of revenge. The treaty
reflects the spirit in which we
carried on the war. The principles
for which we fought were clearly
set forth by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt right after Pearl
Harbor. On December 9, 1941. in
broadcast to the American
people, he said:
When we resort to force, as
now we must, we are determined
that this force shall be directed
toward ultimate good as we'll as
against immediate evil. We
are now in the midst of war, not
for conquest, not for vengeance,
but for world in which this ma
ton, and all that this nation rep
resents, will be safe for our chill
dren."
That is our purpose here today
as we gather to sign the peace
treaty. We are trying to build
world in which the children of
all nations can live together in
peace. We hope we are attaining |
the ultimate good to which Presi-
dent Roosevelt referred.
New Aggression Threatened.
Unfortunately, today, the world !
is faced with new threats of ag-
gresSion. Many of the countries
represented here are now engaged |
in a hard fight to uphold the
United Nations against interna-
tional law-breaking. But we have
not forgotten that our goal is
peace. We will not let the present
conflict deter us from taking every !
step we can toward peace. We will |
not let that happen now, any more !
than we let the existence of war
in 1945 hold up our efforts for
the United Nations.
The people of all our countries
long for one thing aboye all else,
and they are determined to have
it. What they want is world at
peace-a world where there is
justice and freedom for all men
and all nations. Our peoples de-
mand of us that we take every |
possible measure to reach that
goal.
We who stand ready to sign this
treaty with Japan believe in peace.
We believe in peace based on free
dom and international justice. We
know that free and INDEPENDENT
people have more vigor and stay
ing power, and can do more to
help secure the peace, than a
people held under alien control.
We believe that the whole great
effort for peace will be strength
ened if Japan is now restored to
independence and linked to other
free nations by ties OF mutual
friendship and responsibility.
Special ReprespOnsibility for U. s.
Since the fighting ended in
1945, Japan has been an occupied
country. The occupation was de-
signed by the wartime Allies to
prevent future japanese aggres-
sion, and to establish Japan as a
peaceful and democratic country,
prepared to return to the family
of nations.
The United States, as the prin-
cipal occupying power. was given
o special responsibility to carry
out these objectiveS. 1t is our
judgment that they have been
achieved.
wish on this occasion to ex-
press the pride that my country
men and 1 feel in the way in
which the Allied occupation has
been carried out. It's success has
been due to the devoted efforts OF
many thousands Of people serving
under the outstanding leadership
of General of the Army Douglas
Macarthur and his successor, Gen.
Matthew Ridgway.
I would also like to pay tribute
to the impressive effort put for
ward by the people of Japan in
this period. They have fully COM
piled with the surrender terms. |
They have co-operated fully in
carrying out the purposes of the
occupation.
Progress Unprecedented
The result has been a remark
able and unprecedented period jof
progress in Japanese history.
Japan today is a very different
country from what it was six years
ago.
The old militariSm has been
swept away. This has been done
not just by occupation edict, but
by the overwhelming will of the
japanese people themselves.
The secret police and the police
state methods used by the former
government have been abolished.
The new japanese constitution
provides Bill of Rights for all
citizens and establishes a govern |
1nent truly representative of the
people.
The japanese people now have
universal suffrage, and they are
taxing q vioor0IIS mart In thniT. COW.