Show Need Time for fOl Democratic Roots to Take Hold in Japan News By Analyst BAUKHAGE and Commentator 1 Service 1616 Eye Street NW Washington D. D C. C WASHINGTON Recently one of kL J e I Japans Japan's liberal newspapers took occasion occasion oc oc- casion caslon to admonish admon- admon ish its readers 7 L tP v against substituting S ing General Macj Mac- Mac j t Arthur for the thet t emperor as an object of rever- rever V i. i j I The paper pointed out that I MacArthur was a t b t symbol of democracy if I racy but not a living god In so r doing the editor f t touched 0 u c h e d on a matter of deep significance to Baukhage b h the future of JaT Japan Japan Ja- Ja T pan and one which poses one of the ther i r- r i l greatest problems of the occupation I doubt if it most people realize it itt r This situation was revealed to me meby meby t 1 t by a very earnest and very widely experienced observer just back h from Japan The burden of his theme was the strange unreality i which seems to envelop the tile life of I the Japanese people like a mist Let j me give you as nearly as I am able the gist of his impressions supplemented supplemented supple supple- merited by other current reports of L the spot observers I The remarkably successful record i made by General MacArthur in one Ii q years year's occupation of Japan can be written down on the credit side of Americas AmerIca postwar undertakings t. t It Is nevertheless only a be be- ginning Unless the structure is isi i ji J completed on the foundation we have laid all aU of our work will go for nothing r On the negative side we have disarmed disarmed dis- dis f armed Japan and destroyed its military mili- mili H tary machine We have taken over tW aW its ts industrial power The business u monopolies have been broken up TI 0 On the positive side according to MacArthurs MacArthur's own report the fil l I average Japanese no longer cringes in the pre presence ence of the police or other public authorities his home has become become be be- come his castle he registers his opinion on public issues uncontrolled trolled trailed except by his own conscience he enjoys the right of assembly and petition he worships as he chooses I 4 r 0 In accordance with his individual religious faith he enjoys the untrammeled untrammeled untrammeled un- un trammeled right individually or collectively collectively collectively col- col to demand correction of unjust labor practices electoral discrimination discrimination discrimination dis dis- crimination has been removed That is probably literally true But it does not tell the whole story for lor according to my informant there are indications that the progress progress progress ress made the reforms achieved in inthe 1 the political economic and social life lile of the country are only forms t J and it will take a long time time many many years years before before those forms can be hardened into enduring substance The reason for this is that the life lile of the individual Japanese and acts of their government actually are dominated by a supreme power l which while it is not constantly visible visible visible ble Is no less potent that potent that is the power of the U. U S S. S occupation forces t Recover From Stunning Loss At first the Japanese were utterly stunned by the suddenness of their crushing defeat Gradually they dis dis- j 1 1 covered that they were being well treated and they assumed a cooperative cooperative oper co-oper- I 1 attitude an almost servile J loyalty obedience friendliness and I an apparently complete sympathy k with the Americans But that does not mean they actually have absorbed absorbed absorbed ab ab- ab- ab our culture socially politically political political- ly or otherwise Nor does it mean mean f t. t that they have been able to build buildup buildup up tip any real or lasting structure of their own An utterly exotic democratic democratic demo- demo cratic cratie culture has suddenly been superimposed upon them It would be absurd from the standpoint of human psychology or human H ence to expect that Japan an almost feudal nation a land of powerful f 1 tradition and a thoroughly oriental e viewpoint could possibly face about-face In a period embracing even decades J i Certainly not in years In addition to the wide gulf that exists between Occident and orient 1 there are many obstacles which v r stand in the way of the achievement T. T l. 4 t of a democratic Japan J i Let us l look ok at this conquered country through the eyes of a aman man man who had the opportunity to study hand first-hand the rise and fall of ol democracy In Germany under the Weimar republic It so happened that this observer also watched the attempts at the westernization o of Turkey after the last war Both Germany and Japan lived in a semi semi- I feudal atmosphere for centuries Of course the Germans belonged to western civilization but ever since 1870 they grew crew under what amounted amount amount- ed to a military dictatorship in a Q highly disciplined society a Q rigid class system with complete subservience subservience subservience vience to authority In these respects respects respects re re- re- re Japan is similar Like Germany after World War WarI I Japan has hns suffered a crushing defeat defeat defeat de de- de- de feat has deposed an emperor has absolutely no training in democratic democrat ic organization or democratic action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion no experience in parliamentary parliament parliament- ary government as we know it it Political Political Po Po- Po- Po parties organized in the sense that we know them were utterly strange to both nations and both peoples lived under an economy and anda a society based on the support morally morally morally mor mor- ally and materially of a huge army and navy These are some of ot the difficulties which the Weimar Welmar republic faced and the young Japanese democracy Is 13 facing Strong democratic anti-democratic Influences represented by big business business busi busi- ness and the aristocracy of blood and uniform common to Japan and Germany are at least latent in the former But perhaps the greatest parallel danger in Japan today today and and the thing that eventually destroyed the Weimar republic republic republic-is is the economic I situation produced by inflation Many students of history feel that Hitler never would have gotten even evena a start in Germany if il it had not been I for or the chaotic condition caused by bythe bythe bythe the terrible inflation Inflation today is one of Japans Japan's greatest problems Economic Chaos breeds Controls It is quite possible that the Weimar Weimar Weimar Wei Wei- mar republic even cven under the best conditions and with the material and moral assistance of the democratic nations which it did not get never would have succeeded On the other oth oth- other er hand it never had a fair trial for or economic chaos forced the dic- dic r I c 4 hp I j GENERAL MacARTHUR There was no time to establish in the minds of the people or in the processes processes processes' of government a real solidly built democratic ph phil phil- l- l It is inconceivable that without a long period of education the Japanese can evolve pol politically t to the point which the Germans never never never nev nev- er reached Americas America's greatest bulwark of democracy is conceded to be the public school A whole new curriculum must be laid down for the Japanese At present present present pres pres- I ent the shortage of books is serious I The old books are of course almost useless There is likewise a shortage shortage shortage short short- age of trained teachers I Another factor essential to the growth of a democratic government I is security without which individual I effort cannot flourish Today in Japan no Japanese worker work work- er is sure that his wage in the rapidly rapid rapid- ly deteriorating currency will provide provide provide pro pro- vide him a livelihood No industrialist industrialist industrialist alist is certain he will have purchasers purchasers purchasers pur pur- chasers and many are not sure their factories will be allowed to operate until the question of reparations is settled In other words the Japanese lives thinks acts by the grace of a superior superior superior su su- su- su force the American high command Remove it and the antidemocratic anti anti- democratic forces will be let loose maintain it without a solid foundation tion of native Dative grown democratic structure springing from the people themselves and you are arc merely removing removing removing re re- re- re moving a substitute for tor a MacArthur or an Uncle Sam or a Mikado and another will quickly be found |