Show Our fur Japanese Foes Are Proving Themselves to Be Original Sly Progressive and Fanatical Fighters o Sons o of Nippon ion Educated And Trained for New Type Of War Now ow Being Waged By W WALTER AL TEH SHEAD rr Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON When you read that all organized resistance resistance resistance resist resist- ance has ended on Leyte Samar Samar Samar Sa- Sa mar Mindoro or any other of the thousands of islands in the Philippines Phil Phil- Ph Philippines l- l or the Micronesian or Melanesian archipelagos in the Southwest Pacific you will know that General MacArthurs MacArthur's Yanks have met and beaten a well-trained well well-equipped well fanatical fanatical fa fanatical fa- fa foe that meets the American American Amer Amer- ican soldier on equal terms in almost every fighting quality These sons of Nippon are hardened hardened hard- hard hardened ened in endurance trained in repression repression repression re re- wild and cunning steeped in militarism from early boyhood and brought up under a system of feudalism which has disciplined them into acceptance of the conviction conviction conviction tion that to die for their emperor is the highest duty guty of a good soldier What the Japanese soldier lacks and what the American soldier possesses possesses possesses pos pos- is resourcefulness and individual individual indi indi- vidual initiative When the Japs are committed to a plan they always follow it to the end even if it becomes apparent within a short time after the fighting starts that some seine other plan would be more effective When an officer is killed the initiative of the entire unit is impaired unless some other officer of equal rank appears to take his place The system of feudalism which characterizes Japanese life would be incomprehensible to most Amer Amer- His station in society and his every act are predetermined for him Contrary to the common fallacy fallacy fallacy fal fal- lacy that Japs are more stolid than I other persons he is a highly emo- emo i r fry 9 L Lr r w F W t f i A a zt I i i This captured Jap 70 70 mm howitzer bears a model number prior to 1936 Nippon's major weakness is in its artillery especially in variety construction construction con con- and in marksmanship of crew This howitzer was used asa as asa a booby trap person and this system of feudalism which trains him in repression repression repression re re- accounts for his tendency to blow up in tight places It also accounts in part for the futile death I charges which seem to have become II characteristic of the Japanese when they are admittedly beaten The long life-long repression and the resultant resultant resultant result result- ant inhibitions also account for the I arrogance of the Jap soldier in victory victory victory vic vic- tory and conversely for his tendency cy to fly to pieces in defeat kiri Hara is in no way a sign of co cowardice vardice on the part of the Jap soldier for Cor by this peculiarly peculiar peculiar- ly painful method of committing suicide he is actually in in his own mind telling his emperor a semi-divine semi personage that he has done all he can for Cor him andis and andis andis is now presenting him with his own life The most widely believed popular fallacy concerning the Japanese is that they are an imitative rather than a creative people Japanese inventiveness is considerable and is limited only by a scarcity of technically technically technically tech tech- trained manpower and by machine power The army endorses the viewpoint that the Jap soldier is a good fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing man and the belief that he is a stupid insensate peasant is according according according ac ac- cording to the war department completely completely completely com com- erroneous Japanese Army Reduced The Japanese army today numbers numbers num num- numbers bers approximately men To date American troops have I killed almost Japanese troops troops while sustaining a about ut casualties the themselves selves T Total tal Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese losses in killed alone since 1937 rL j i c Jap fighters will tenaciously and fanatically hold on to a defensive position without thought of the cost in life Here it was necessary to use a flame thrower on the Nips Note the GI in the left foreground with rifle poised to knock off oft the first one who pops up total approximately More than Jap soldiers are now isolated through action of General MacArthur and the Pacific fleet in island pockets removed from battle battle bat bat- t- t tle relief or rescue The war department department department de de- de- de says that the Japs are nowhere near the bottom of the barrel barrel barrel bar bar- rel in fighting reserves and can equip and train more soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers without seriously affecting war production manpower reserves This does not include the added millions who might be recruited from subject subject subject sub sub- nations Comparison of the average Japanese Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese soldier with the average American American American Amer Amer- ican shows the Jap a much smaller man physically He is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs pounds He can lift pounds with his feet together bringing the weight to his knees to shoulder and then to his back The average American s soldier soldier sol sol- l- l dier is about 5 feet 8 inches tall talland talland talland and weighs pounds Military training of the Jap Sap soldier begins at the age of eight years along with his regular education education education edu edu- cation if at that time he is mentally mentally mentally men men- tally and physically fit Educationally Educationally Educationally the background of the typical Japanese professional soldier soldier soldier sol sol- sol sol- dier is as high as that of the typical typical typical ical American fighting man The regular professional Jap Sap soldier has had the equivalent of two years of high school education which equals the median level of the average American soldier inthis in inthis inthis this war Able to read and write in Japan is 99 6 per cent of the adult population population population tion and between 40 and 50 per per percent cent of all Japanese soldiers have studied English while between 20 and 25 per cent speak English efficiently r The cunning of the Japanese is in indicated indicated indicated in- in in their employment of ruses in their operations A few encountered encountered encountered to date include employment of lighted cigarettes firecrackers barking dogs and moving vehicles to lead defenders to believe the main attack would be made use of the English language to confuse our soldiers use of the name of certain individuals and when th the person addressed addressed ad ad- addressed dressed showed himself he was shot use of booby traps on dead Allied and Japanese troops to detonate when the body was moved placing a dead Allied soldier in a conspicuous ous place with an automatic weapon covering it Thus when Allied troops attempted to remove the body they were shot when badly wounded or apparently dead Japanese troops have produced hand grenades from their clothing and attempted to kill medical personnel going to their aid use of the white flag of truce to get close to Allied troops Japanese Conscription Laws Peacetime conscription of Japanese Japan Japan- ese calls for two years of military service for all males between the ages of 17 and 40 except for physically physically physically phys phys- unfit and those guilty of certain certain certain tain crimes Military training begins begins begins be be- gins with physically bodied able-bodied children at the age of eight third grade pupils who get at least two hours of drill weekly Army youth soldiers 14 and 15 years begin an ail apprenticeship in military training and when they become of age they are rated by the army as superior superior privates Later they are made into lance corporals and upon graduation graduation graduation tion from school become corporals After six years' years service the corporal may become a sergeant-major sergeant and upon ten years' years service he is promoted promoted promoted pro pro- to warrant officer One of the distinguishing characteristics characteristics characteristics charac charac- of the Japanese soldier is his hardiness and special patrols starting at midnight have been known to cover 60 miles by the next afternoon marching constantly without with out rest periods An entire battalion can march more than 20 miles a day The principle of no retreat is a part of this training and a small detachment caught in a tight place cannot appeal for reinforcements The officer in charge may make a report of his predicament but the matter of insisting upon reinforcement reinforce ment meet is beyond his prerogatives The unwritten law of the Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese army is that any soldier captured by the enemy must atone for Cor his disgrace later by committing suicide Rigid training of and noncommissioned officers is is carried carried car ried out at several army school schools and although the system is narrow narro and arbitrary and inflexible in it system of indoctrination it is is progressive progressive progressive pro pro- thorough and modern However its rigidity often has inhibited inhibited in in- originality in thought and ac tion The schools include the Military Mili Mill tary Academy six military preparatory preparatory tory schools and four noncommissioned noncommissioned officers' officers schools The Japanese constitution pr provides provides pro pro- vides that the emperor is command command- in er-in-chief of the army and navy that he determines their organization tion and that he declares war wa r makes peace and concludes treaties He is is advised by two military councils coun cou n the board of marshals and admirals admirals ad and the supreme military militar y council To date a major Japanese weakness has been in artillery especially in variety concentration tion and marksmanship Weapons ons over 47 mm captured to date bear model numbers earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier than 1936 Japan has had access to German designed weapons for Cor some years and it may be assumed that guns embodying embodying em em- bod bodying ing German features may soon be encountered T I Japanese engineers are well equipped and have shown outstanding outstanding I ing ability both in construction and demolition of bridges On the othel hand airfields and roads so far encountered encountered en countered have not been up to Allied standards in speed of construction or serviceability Construction oj of field fortifications has as been highly highl developed and even at remote points Jap engineers have been sue sue- in constructing first class defense defense de de- positions from material im immediately immediately mediately available Weight of the ration for Japanese soldiers as compared with Americans Americans' Americans Ameri Americans cans' cans is about two-thirds two or slightly over four pounds The average ration ration ra ra- tion in active theaters is about 3 S1 pounds and because of supply failure fail failure ure this ration has often been reduced re reo to a half or a third of thai that amount The standard or normal ration consists largely of rice and barley fresh meat and fish fresh fresl vegetables and various condiments condiment and flavorings Every American soldier ha has learned by experience that the Jap are hard fanatical fighters and it ir defensive action will often hold oui out outto to the last man They place a low 10 value on human life and do not count the loss in taking an objective Oui Ow war with the Japs has further taught us that the Japs know of no suck such thing as impassable terrain thai that speed is one of their cardinal tac taco principles They take full advantage ad ad- vantage of natural cover and un tin thoroughly the importance of camouflage One thing however although the they believe strongly in sudden offensive action they often attack premature premature- prematurely ly and despite their extensive train ing and confidence in the bayonet they have not been outstanding ir u close combat |