Milford chronicle., 1951-01-26
AS WE REARM

A0 WE hEAhM
cit is a mad world, my mastersp says a
character in one Of Shakespeare's plays. The
Bard. Of Avon died centuries ago, but that
particular observation is 100 per cent timely
now.
We are now engaged in conflict with
nation which was our ally q few short years
ago, the Soviet Union. AT the same time,
there is more and more consideration Of the
possibility of rearming and enliSting as new
allies the principal nations against which
we fought the greatest war in history, Germ
any and Japan.
So far, Germany has shown small enthus
iasm for this idea. A joke which has been
making the rounds in that torn and battered
country goes like this, SIN another war, the
United States will furnish the air force,
Britain will furnish the fleet, France will
furnish the ground troops, and Germany will
furnish the war criminals" Every evidence
indicates that the majority Of Germans hate
and fear the Russians. But, at the same time,
they have little love for the Western occupy
ing powers. They are proud people and it
is probable they would willingly fearm and
take up martial ways again only if their
country was freed and given full standing
in the company of nations.
Japan presents a different situation and
a different problem. There the occupation
has undoubtedly been more successful than
Macarthur and his policies and attitudes,
but it cannot be denied that he has obtained
results. He has been greatly aided by the
cooperation of the Emperor. In Japan en-
peror-worship has existed for thousands of
years, and it exists today in almost as pure
form as ever.
Where do the people of Japan stand in the
current world conflict? There is a militant
communist party in Japan, but it seems to
have made small headWay. The age-old Jap
anese tradition is authoritarian, but it rep
resents an entirely different philosophy of
authoritarianism than does communism. If
the present Japanese Prime Minister Shig-
cru Yoshida, is correct Japan is definitely
and irrevocably'' on the side Of the free
world
Mr.. Yoshida writes in the January issue
of Foreign Affairs, Eve are ready and anx-
ious to join, do our full share and make sac
rltices, II necessary, in any arrangement for
international cooperation under United Ma
tons auspices to ensure the security of the
Pacific as well as Japan" He writes fur
ther that the differences in aim between de-
mOcracy and communism are absolutely ir-
reconcilablef and that any attempt at ap-
peasement or compromise on the part Of the
free nations is unthinkable"
Japan, Of course, wishes peace treaty
Ia technical state Of war still exists between
her and 49 other countries. Mr.. Yoshida
points out that the Soviet Union has refused
consent to a treaty, and urges q separate
peace with the A nations outside the present
Russian orbit. And here he makes this OBJ
servation: eve do not know what will be
the conditions of peace. This is a treaty
Japan will conclude as a defeated nation for
the first time in her history, and it is likely
to prove bitter pill for US to swallow. But
we are prepared to take our punishment"
Japan has been 100 per cent disarmed.
But Japan is the key to the Pacific, and it is
very possible that she will again be made
into military power. And there is one in
teresting fact in this connection; Japan is
the only modern nation which has defeated
Russia in war, even though that war was a
small one by today's standards and was
concluded with single great naval engage
menI.