Evening star., 1951-04-26
Generals Land, Labor Reforms
In. Japan Hailed as Model Plans
Pushed japanese Into Constitutional Changes;
Ordered End of Great FumiIy MonopoIies

to keep in mind that there would
!, be peace treaty some day, and
that soap would then terminate
! He wanted to leave situation in
which every Japanese would have
| some sort Of investment, however
small. in the total life of the
!, nation, in which labor would want
to maintain the rights it had
gained, and in which the peasant
could feel that his new privileges
!, were safe. Thus arose the two
chief soap accomplishments In
the economic fields: (a) labor leg
lislation. (b) the land reform.
y ALI Have Right to Work.
! The constitution specifically
states that all people have the
fright to work. and that labor may
organize and bargain collectively.
This is guaranteed. AS early as
October, 1945, Gen. Macarthur
instructed" the Prime Minister to
encourage unionization. Though
strikes are certainly not encour-
aged I heard Americans in Tokyo
say that japanese labor laws were
so far advanced in protection Of
workers that they are go years
ahead of those in the United
States"
AS to the land reform the Su-
preme Commander himself stated
that "it is the most successful ex-
pertinent of it's kind in history" I"
A total of 4,649. .586 acres has been
bought from former proprietors
tby the govern .-lt, and 4,571 ,698
acres of this has been distributed
to small tenant farmers. Properties
worth 40 billion yen have been
transferred from their former
owners into $4,000 agricultural
co-operatives which, as of today,
have 80 million members.
Early in the occupation soap
ordered the Japanese government
to break up forthwith the great
family monopolies. Fifty-seven
men from eight families were des-
ignated I'll of the 81 were Nit
Suis), their securities taken over
for disposal, and their active par
ticipation in responsible industrial
and commercial positions restrict
ed. Eighty-three other large in
dustrial combines and holding
companies were broken up-32
of these were completely liqui-
dated. Gen. MacArthur's ex-
PLANTATION of his motive was that
it was to permit a wider distri-
button of income and of owner
ship of the means of production
and trade"
Even after the outbreak Of the
Korean War the disposition in
Toyko was to treat the matter as
a new border incident" nothing
more. Gen. Macarthur minimized
the Importance of the event and
told a departing newspaperman
not TO bother to stay to cover it.
The United States had no legal
commitment whatever to defend
the Republic Of Korea. Our moral
and ethical obligation was, how
ever. indisputable, and this had
been reinforced by an off-the-cuff
remark by Gen. Macarthur to DR..
Rhee in 1949. Seeing him off at
the airport Gen. Macarthur
patted the old man on the back
and declared, in substance, "You
can depend upon it that will de-
fend South Korea as would de-
fend the shores of my own native
land"
Not Responsible for Korea.
Gen. Macarthur did not have
any political or military respon-
sibility whatever for Korea after
August IS, 1948. It is only fair
to state this with emphasis mas
much as several of his critics have
sought to lay to his door some re-
sponsibility for our negligent in
telligence. Korea was not part of
his domain. On the other hand,
as commander in chief of the Far
East Command, he might well
have given developments in Korea
a more penetrating scrutiny than
he did.
On June 81, 1850 washington
time), came Mr.. Truman's historic
announcement committing us to
the defense of Korea. Gen. Mac
Arthur got his instructions from
the Joint Chiefs, just as any other
general in the field should, in a
long conversation" held on the
teletype. He was, in the words of a
witness, completely surprised at
the decision, but gratified be-
cause it reflected positive policy
and action"
Gen. Macarthur took off on the
first of his inspection trips to the
Korean front on June 20. He did
not know where his plane, the
Bataan, would land: moreover the
weather was extremely bad. 1t.
Gen. Stratemeyer, chief of the
Far East Air Force, strenuously
tried to persuade him not to go.
Gen. MacArthur's reply was, eve
CO." We had a talk with Gen.
Stratemeyer a few days later. If
he ever needed to be sold on Gen.
Macarthur. he was sold now. "He's
the greatest leader, the greatest
commander, and the greatest hero
in American history" Gen. Strate-
myer said.
TOMORROW: Final install
ment. Problem OF peace treaty
Truman and Macarthur.
(From the book, The Riddle of
Macarthur, published by Harper
and BroS.)
(Copyright. 1950-51, by John Gunther.)