Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-15
BY EARL H. VOSS

Socialist election gains have hurt
.Io"on's rearmament program very
little If at all, in the opinion OF
SGo,e department officials.
In upper house elections last Sun
day, the Socialists increased their
voting power roughly from 80 to 33
per cent of the 250-seat House of
Councillors. This gain probably does
block. as early newspaper reports
gloomily indicated, any move Pre-
mier Ichiro Hatoyama may have
planned for formally revising con-
stitutional restrictions on rearma-
ment But it could hardly be rated
as a significant influence on the
course of Japan's actual defensive
buildup.
For one thing, the constitutional
provision against rearmament al
ready has been circumvented in
principle What further violations
of Article 9's intent that are now
voted are matter Of degree. not
principle.
For another thing, not even the
Conservatives. who have appeared
as the champions of rearmament.
envlsage any significant increase in
the present rearmament pace.
The Disputed Article
Gen Douglas Macarthur. who
shaped Japans future fundamen-
tally during his nearly six years
as occupation supreme commander
once told the japanese they should
build their nation into "Switzer-
land of the Far East"
This idea persists today, even
flourishes in the nuclear age For
Japan has many strategic charac-
terlstics similar to Switzerland.
Both countries are vulnerable to
almost complete and instant an
Inhalation from air-delivered hydro
gen bombers.
But both have faith that no
enemy will destroy them for the
mere lust to kill The only way to
take them alive" and intact.
therefore, is by non-atomic inva-
sion. Switzerland extends itself to
maintain an army sufficient to make
this project extremely costly for
whatever power attempts 1t.
Japan's theory of defense is much
the same, although she, Of course,
honors her mutual security treaty
with the United States. Neither the
American forces = air, sea and
groundwork stationed in Japan.
nor the Japanese nations own de-
Tense forces of 10000 could with
stand an airborne hydrogen attack.
United States defenses would be at
the end of 7,000-mile supply line.
But a surface invasion could be
repulsed, probably, with japanese
ground forces now in being and
American naval defenders which
could be called upon.
Air defense over an extended
campaign would be all but impos-
sible, of course, because Japan must
import her jet fuel.
Against this background Of pres
CllO-doS ACoAAly' tiiC OoPe'AASSS oA0N
find themselves confined by an oc-
cupation endorsed constitutional
provision which could be inter-
preted to ban all armed forces
Here is the text of Article 8,
widely rumored to have been written
by Gen. Macarthur himself but
supposedly conceived by Japanese:
Aspiring sincerely to on international
psoee bosed on Justice and order, the
Joponese people forever renouncs wor os
o sovereign right Of the notion and the
threot or use OF force os meons OF
settling international disputes.
I'm order to accomplish the dim Of the
preceding paragraph, lond, SEQ and or
forces, os we'll os other wor potential,
will never be mointoined. The right OF
beIIisereney Of the stcte will not be
recognized"
The folly OF the last paragraph
became all too apparent when the
Communists suddenly invaded
South Korea in 1850. japan lay