Banzai

Last Thursday General Robert Eichelberger, who commands our occupation forces in Japan, suggested that we start thinking about rearming the Japanese against what he called the "Communist Menace." Eichelberger said that his Eighth Army had destroyed Japan's war potential and successfully "democratized" the country; that Japan must have an army...to defend her shores."

General Eichelberger is back at the old pitch, selling us a friendly, westernized, peace-loving Japan-a country of "know-how men." His spiel is no better than the pre-war brand. Aside from his neat logical fallacy in trying to destroy "war potential" and at the same time wanting to build up an army, he has ignored several other problems. One is the group of Japanese industrialists who saw the last war as a fine chance to pick up some markets and raw material sources. They are still in business. Another is the very reasonable doubt that five years of occupation can have weeded out the doctrines of militarism which have grown for half a century.

A third is the perfectly plausible possibility that a rearmed Japan might as easily ally with Russia as fight her.

Near Buna, in New Guinea, there is a large cemetery which wartime outfits named "Eichelberger Square" in honor of the General's tactical proficiency. If he works at it, General Eichelberger may be able to inspire similar memorials all over the Pacific.