Show u u r 8 na D O. O 0 Courteous Japs Tow Kow-Tow To Victorious Americans By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator Service 1616 Eye Street NW Washington D D. D C. C Recently I had two experiences which melded I ran Into my colleague Kenneth Romney Jr son of ot Kenneth Romney Romney Romney Rom- Rom ney Sr sergeant a arms at-arms t-a t of ot the house of representatives s Young Romney recently has taken up his r. r v duties in radio again after niter a belated belated be be- la discharge from the military service the latter latter lat tat ter to part of ot which r was spent with the cloak and dagger boys bos the Office of Strategic Baukhage Ices Casually he told me how he landed landed landed land land- ed in Shanghai He had been serving serving serving ing in China Shortly after alter V V-J V J Day he was WilS ordered along with some hundred other American officers and soldiers to Shanghai It was known there were no Chinese troops In the city Shanghai had been in Japanese hands since the beginning of ot the war The civilian population had become none too co Hence the Americans even the cloak and dagger boys arrived In full battle dress Their plane landed and little brown men came forward toward them The be Americans had their rifles at ready Some tired fired But the Japs undeterred came forward forward forward for for- ward bowing deeply smiling It was a Japanese ground force ready and anxious to service the American American American Amer Amer- ican planes Later came Jap officers with a whole fleet of limousines The Americans were guests not con con- The conquered enemy were hosts not hosts not just the conquered They offered to find accommodations accommodations and the trimmings A little confusing the Americans thought but that was after all the Orient Orient- China another world Now the scene shifts to Washington Washing Washing- ton again I witness the meeting of a husband and wife Plenty of such meetings these days still It was touching The man had dropped out of the Far Eastern skies It seemed only only yesterday that I 1 had heard he was in a city in the Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Neth Neth- erlands Indies where the American corporation he represented had one of its great plants lIe He was the first American to visit it since the territory territory terri tern tory tort had been won won back from the enemy But had it been won back When I heard his story I wondered won won- dered It seems that when he reached the gates of the American American- owned plant he found a Japanese on guard He identified himself In Ina a few moments a smiling and bowIng bowIng bow- bow Ing lag Japanese officer still wearing most of his uniform and speaking understandable English appeared They began a tour of the property property property prop prop- erty the Jap most deferential but offering offering offering of of- fering no word of explanation or apology for the fact that he a late enemy was in charge and not in hi Jail In fact the Jap was very lo loquacious loquacious loquacious lo- lo on the subject of the excellent excellent excellent ex ex- work that he and his helpers had done to put the plant back into repair and md operation He showed my friend the various places where the buildings and machInery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery had been damaged damaged evi evi evidence dence he pointed out smiling of the excellent marksmanship of the American air force He demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated dem dem- with particular pride how excellently the repair work had been done obviously expecting and receiving well-deserved well praise for forthe forthe forthe the technical cal skill the Japanese repairmen repairmen re re- re- re had shown Very nice of course But American industry still reaps no benefit from that plant and although although although al al- al- al though the Japanese gain gam no profit this American property is still literally in the hands of the enemy Loads of Mail Commentators Commentator's Lot For one whole week I saved all the things that came to me by mail which I hadn't asked for for except except personal letters I have just counted them and there are separate pieces in alL all- The total number of pages I am expected to read adds up to nearly a thousand The one on top is the back of the book from A collectIon collection col col- lection of amusing But Om Om- itself is better still and I believe believe be be- lieve I have every issue beginning beginning begin- begin ning with Vol 1 No 1 1 I Next comes News From Sweden Swed Swed- en a mimeographed collection of y paragraphs from the Amer Amer- Swedish ican News Exchange I recall recall recall re re- re- re call when the Swedish minister here consulted me about the founding of such a publicity bureau back before before be be- fore foie we got into World War I I. I The next is one of ot the CIO regular releases and then the CIO News a 16 page 16 page weekly printed I suppose for tor their membership Then one of the valuable National Opinion Research surveys put out by the University of Denver This one is a poll of American opinion on the Germans and Japs and how we think they got that way More Business Weeks and Program Program Program Pro gram Information from my own American Broadcasting company A printed letter from the Payroll Guarantee association with an enclosure enclosure enclosure en en- closure on civilized cats mice and cheese The American Feed Manufacturers Manufacturers' Manufacturers Manufacturers' Manufacturers Manufacturers' Man Man- association handout sayIng saying say say- ing the feed shortage is over General Motors sends me the ninth in a series of production re re- re- re ports What could have happened to the other eight The release from the National I Planning association tion announces that tha t Leon Henderson and the official of a big corporation have been added added added add add- addI I ed to their board of trustees trustees and and if you ou want to know about the distribution distribution distribution dis dis- of fa fats ts and oils by the department department department de de- de- de of agriculture you can have my copy of the second interim report from the Committee on Small I Business pursuant to H. H Res 64 Or Maybe You'd Prefer Rail Loadings Maybe you'd rather have freight loadings of the week from the Association Association Association As As- of American Railways or perhaps you want to bid on the purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase of at 15 or fewer Landing Ship Tank type vessels Or perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps you'd prefer some wool all-wool American flags or a BK steel barge for tor dry or liquid cargo No Well no harm in making the offer otIer Next exhibit is News From France from the French Information Information Information tion service ervice Ill I'll admit I asked for tor that along with the attractive magazine magazine mag mag- azine La Francaise If Heres Here's the state departments department's weekly bulletin which is Part Three Threet of df t that interesting series on the present status of German youth I Iwas Iwas Iwas was planning to write an article on that subject myself but they tell me the magazines are overbought on Germany Wont Won't buy another thing Just two pages of mimeographed ma material from the Friends of Finnish Finnish Finnish Finn Finn- ish Democracy Cruel uel irony here Remember when it was brave little little little lit lit- tle Finland Remember when Finnish Minister Pro Procope cope couldn't go anywhere without being applauded applaud applaud- ed Finland paid her war apPlaud I debts She even managed not to duck after after after aft aft- er the war war Well Finland's friends friends' are protesting now over the I they say than are arc any other nations nations nations na na- na- na demanded by Russia heavier heavier heavier ier in proportion to population To pay the reparations bill the statement claims every man in Finland would have to work eight hours a day for seven years It would take four-fifths four of ot Finland's normal exports Heres Here's a speech by Senator Taft from his office not printed at government government government gov gov- expense Stuck together is a print news pamphlet called caned the Poll Tax and that blast from the Republican national committee committee committee com com- on the Presidents President's budget message A very neat little booklet booklet booklet book book- let additional copies will be furnished furnished furnished fur fur- by Standard Oil of New Jersey Jersey Jer Jer- sey entitled Steps to Security Now a tissue carbon labeled Midnight Midnight Midnight Mid night Cry with a series of Biblical texts shrieking doom Seven fa familiar familiar familiar fa- fa bright yellow pages from the National National Highway Users association association association tion which is one of ot the real hardworking hardworking hardworking hard hard- working publicity bureaus The CIOs CIO's Economic Outlook which often has statements that cant can't be overlooked Now we come to an attractive 12 page tabloid newspaper newspaper The Progressive Progressive Progressive Pro Pro- and LaFollette's Magazine Maga Maga- zine I am glad to note it is still progressive regardless of the changes in the LaFollette activities and proclivities The first page has hasa a nice cartoon of a garbage can labeled War contract scandals scandals' Looks interesting but WAIT A MINUTE I 1 think they want me to PAY for it it Heres Here's a return card saying 25 weeks weeks' subscription 1 1 Oh dear It must have gotten into the wrong pile Im I'm not going to look any further I might find more of that kind |