Evening star., 1952-07-27
Former Jap Diplomat,
Jailed for War Crimes,
| May Lead Nation

NO
TOKYO, July 26 ,(NANA-Kem-
News .-Mamoru Shigemitsu, for
|mer ambassador to Great Britain.
who signed Japan's surrender and
who has served seven years in-
Iprisonment as a major war Grim
Iinal," has made a spectacular po-
|litical comeback.
If the Liberal Party, now in
power. Splits-as it may well do
lat the next election-Mr. Shige-
Imitsu, head of the new Progressive
Party, could become prime min
lister.
Mr.. Shigemitsu's case is un-
usual. There is no comparable
example of an enemy war criminal
returning so swiftly to public lite.
let alone to within striking dis
tance of national leadership.
He was found guilty by ma
Ijority of the Allied tribunal; he
served his sentence in the same
prison in which fellow prisoners
like TOTO were hanged; he was
''purged forever" from public life.
Now. to the general satisfaction
of the Western nations which so
recently sat in implacable judg-
ment on him, he has returned,
serene, philosophic, competent.
land experienced. to parliamentary
power, in time for Japan's first
election as an independent nation.
Lives Spartan Life.
He lives a Spartan life in Sc
cluded family villa at Kamakura,
two hours from Tokyo. His own
home, which contained most of his
personal belongings and 'memen-
toes collected around the world
during his diplomatic career, was
burned to the ground, in vindictive
warning, the day after the an
|nouncement Of his pending release
|on parole.
His reputation as moderate
leader is convincingly confirmed
by the police admission that they
cannot determine whether the
terrorist hands that set his home
afire belonged to old japanese
militarist foes or new Japanese
Communist foes.
Today. Mr.. Shigemitsu is in good
health. His prison pallor has gone.
He has finally been persuaded to
buy a new artificial limb to replace
the primitive wooded leg which
the emperor presented to him
after his right leg was blown OF
by a Korean bomb in Shanghai.
Views Are Moderate.
In an interview in his Kama
kura villa. Mr.. Shigemitsu ex-
planned his personal and party
platform of sweet reaSonableness
in foreign affairs. middle-of-the-
road progress in domestic affairs,
and gradual modification of some
very few'-of the mistaken
or ill-advised' policies of the oc-
cupation. Here, summarized, are
his views:
Prime Minister Yoshida's pres
ent liberal government is too
conservative. Some members of
Mr.. Shigemitsu's progressive party
think it is reactionary. He him
self does not go that far: per-
haps there have been reactionary
tendencies" His party will be a
middle course, truly liberal party,
which will provide a democratic
alternative if and when the pres
ent government fails.
,Japan'S worst perils are mass
ing on the extreme left-not on
the right. The Communists are
making too much headway among
students. The Fascists and old
|militarist element are relatively
harmless. The zaibatsu (family
monopoly trusts will not return.
The japanese women will cling
to the advantages they have
gained.
Urges Rearming.
Japan must rearm. But eco
|nomic stability must come before
guns and tanks. I'VE need ball
anced self defense, which means
food and education and interna-
tional cooperation as well as an
army"
A certain amount of japanese
migration is inevitable. But birth
control and cultivation pos
sibilities still undeveloped inside
Japan can ease the problems of
excess population.
Japan would certainly like to
trade with China, but the ques-
tion is whether China is prepared
to trade with Japan. Weak
minded businessmen may be at
tracted by this prospect, but I
Tsee no real indication that Red
China wants to trade with U.S..
Mr.. Shigemitsu's- hope is to
reach understanding and friend
ship particularly with the British
Commonwealth in Southeast Asia,
which surely is big enough for
us all. Our world trading interests
with Britain can largely be con-
temporary and not excessively
competitive"