Newspaper Page Text
VOL. LXXIV. No. 35
COMPLETE VICTORY!
Japs Agree to All Terms
01 Potsdam Declaration;
MacArthur Gets High Post
By AL JEDLICKA
Forty years aitei its armies marched into Korea to establish
a foothold on the Asiatic mainland, Japan s course of imperial
conquest come to a dramatic end on the evening of August 14
with the unqualified acceptance of the Potsdam declaration sub
scribed to by the U. S., Britain, China and Russia. Announced
to an anxious nation by President Harry S. Truman, the Jap
surrender came three years, eight months and one week after
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
With the Allied powers consenting to his retention on the
throne to assure the surrender of Japanese armies scattered
throughout Asia and the submission of the homeland to the stiff
terms imposed, Emperor Hirohito ordered the nation to lay down
its arms as the Tokyo radio reported thousands of downcast sub
jects bowed in grief before the gates of the imperial palace.
Having led American ground (
forces back over the vast tracts
of the Pacific to the doorstep of
Japan following the crippling
blow at Pearl Harbor, General
MacArthur was designated to
accept the Nipponese surrender
along with representatives of
the other Allied nations.
Coming four days after To
kyo’s first offer to give up the
fight provided the emperor’s
sovereignty were respected, and
three months after V-E day,
Japan’s surrender was greeted
with wild enthusiasm through
out the U. S., which joyously
celebrated the end of the most
destructive and costly war in
history without waiting for
President Harry S. Truman’s
official V-J day proclamation.
In accepting the Allied terms,
Japan agreed to the total reduction
of its once proud empire, with hope
for the future based upon the or
ganization of a free democracy
within the home islands of Honshu,
Kyushu, Hokkaido and- Shikoku.
Under the Potsdam ultimatum,
Japan must eliminate the influence
of those elements which have en
couraged conquest; give up Man
churia, Korea and other overseas
acquisitions; disarm all armed
forces; permit the revival of de
mocracy and freedom of speech,
religion and thought; and submit to
Allied occupation of designated
points in the homeland until post
war security has been established.
At the same time, Japan was
promised an opportunity for orderly
development once a peaceful gov
ernment had been created, with re
tention of such industries as would
maintain its internal economy and
eventual access to raw materials
and world trade.
The war ended just as the atomic
bomb threatened the obliteration of
Japan’s sprawling industrial settle
ments, with Hiroshima and Naga
saki already badly mangled by the
terrific blasts.
Packing an explosive force 20,000
times greater than TNT, the atomic
• • •
Gen, Douglas MacArthur
Accepts Surrender.
bomb’s destructive capacity so far
exceeded that of ordinary missiles
that it brought a quick reaction
from a government that had planned
continuation of the conflict from
underground bastions despite in
creasing B-29 attacks.
Besides threatening to lay Japan
waste, the atomic bomb also was
credited with blowing Russia into
the conflict, thus bringing the total
Allied weight to bear against the
Nipponese. In all, these two events
served to climax the growing tem
po of the Allied drive in the Pacific,
which saw U. S. forces virtually sit
ting on Japan’s doorstep at the ces
sation of hostilities.
With the navy and air force car
rying the fight to the enemy, and
BUY VICTORY BONDS!
Houston Home Journal
<s> i
with army and marine troops slash
ing forward in island to island
fighting, the war in the Pacific
rates as one of the bloodiest in
history.
From the very beginning the U. S.
encountered a bitter and fanatical
foe, ardent and well disciplined,
willing to fight to the last cartridge
even when completely enveloped.
All through the war, the toll of Jap
killed far surpassed the number
captured, indicating the nature of
their defense.
Because of the close teamwork re
quired in the over-all operations, it
would be difficult to single out one
outstanding hero, though General
MacArthur’s fiery stand against the
enemy in the early stages of the con
flict and his later redemption of
lost territories made him the sym
bol of the American spirit.
Beside the name of MacArthur
must be added those of Admiral
Nimitz, who directed U. S. naval
operations in the vast Pacific thea
ter, and General Le May, whose
B-29s seriously reduced Japan’s in
lit- ' i
In
*-jnfjj
Emperor Hirohito
Surrenders to Allies.
dustrial potential in repeated heavy
raids.
Recovering quickly from the black
days immediately after Pearl Har
bor, when the Nipponese overran
much of the Pacific, the U. S.
checked the enemy tide in the spring
of 1942, when the American fleet
stopped the Japs’ southeastward
drive in the battle of the Coral sea
and then thwarted their eastward
surge at Midway.
From then on, the U. S., building
up tremendous military and mate
rial strength under a unified front
at home, was on the march, with
the Japanese seeking time to con
solidate their newly won position as
the overruling Asiatic power by bit
ter delaying action in their outposts.
With the navy severing vital Japa
nese supply lines to these outposts,
and with the ground forces isolating
enemy units into disorganized resist
ance pockets on invaded islands, the
American advance in the Pacific far
exceeded expectations, with the end
of the European war finding U. S.
sea, land and air forces perched
right on Nippon’s doorstep.
Though the main body of Japa
nese troops had not been touched by
the steady U. S. advances westward,
the American navy’s mastery of the
sea lanes as far as the Chinese coast
interrupted the shipment of vital ma
terial to the home islands for in
dustrial processing, and the B-29s’
terrific bombardment of manufactur
ing centers greatly curtailed output.
With deliveries of materials cut, and
output dwindling, the effectiveness
of an estimated 4,000,000 remaining
enemy troops stood to be severely
limited.
On top of it all, Russia’s invasion
of Manchuria and threat to Jap
held China promised to tap the only
remaining important enemy indus
trial source outside the homeland.
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY GA„ THURSDAY, AUGUST 23. 1945
Jap Version of Pearl Harbor Attack
ivv ■ _
This picture and caption were sent to neutral countries by the Japanese for propaganda purposes. The pic
ture purports to show the scene on the morning of December 7, 1941, when Jap planes attacked Pearl Harbor.
Caption reads: “Our sea eagles had determined attack had already opened, and a column of water from a di
rect torpedo hit on a Maryland class is rising, . . . On the surface of the water concentric waves are traced by
direct torpedo hits, while murky crude oil flows out.”
Where First Shots Were Fired in Pacific
! This map shows where the opening shots were fired as war was launched by Japan against the United States'
; possessions in the Pacific. In the forefront of these attacks was a deadly assault by Jap warplanes on Mono
f Ju,u and Pearl Harbor, inrce hours later the Tokyo government declared war on the United States and Great
1 Britain, and soon after a second wav* of Jap bomber roared over Honolulu.
!
U. S. Chief of Staff
jl Gen. George C. Marshall
Raises Iwo Jima Flag j
I r
Commanders of U. S. Pacific Armies
At the end of the war against Japan, four U. S. armies were in ac
tion. The commanders were, left to right, Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell, U. S.
10th Army; Gen. Courtney H. Hodges, U. S. Ist Army; Gen. Walter
Krueger, U. S. 6th Army; and Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberg, U. S.
Bth Army.
Okinawa Beachhead Established
Within 350 miles from the Japanese mainland, American troops
landed on the west coast of Okinawa, Jap bastion, in the Ryukyus.
ESTABLISHED 1870
Chronology— '
Japanese War
1941
Dec. 7 — Japanese, sneak attack on
Pearl Harbor.
Dec. S—United Stales declares war
on Japan. Invasion of Philippines and
attack on Guam and Hake started by
Japanese.
Dec. 10—General MacArthur starts
battle of Manila.
Dec. 25—Japanese take H ake. Hong \
Konit Jails.
Dec. 26—Japs bomb Manila, despite
fact it was declared open city,
1942
Jan. 2—Manila surrenders, Mac Ar
thur's forces Pei’ to Hainan.
Feb. 15—Singapore falls.
Mar. 17—General MacArthur lands
in Australia to lead Allied forces.
April 9 — U. S. troops on Hainan sur
render.
An if. 7 — V. S. marines land on Guad
alcanal.
1943
Sept. s —Allies land on New Guinea.
Nor. 2 — U. S. murines invade Bou
gainville.
1944
Jan. 29 — V. S. lands troops in Mar
shall islands.
June 10 — Marini’s invade Saipan.
July 19 — V. S. forces land on Guam.
Oct. 17—Invasion of Leyte in Philip
t pines gets under nay.
1945
Jan. 10—Invasion of Luzon started
by Yanks.
Jan. 311— 11. S. landings north of Ha
inan seal peninsula.
Feb. 4—-American troops enter Ma
nila.
Feb. 13 — V. S. first air raid on Tokyo.
Feb. 17—Marines invade two Jirna.
Army lands on Corregidor.
Feb. 26 Philippine commonwealth
returned In Filipino people.
Mar. 17—two Jirna captured with ma
rine casualties of 19,9311.
April I—lnvasion of Okinawa started
by 100,000 troops.
May 24—550 superforts firebomb To
kyo.
May 27—Chinese capture Nanning.
June 12—Australian troops invade
Horn eo.
June 21—Okinawa campaign success
fully ends. Aparri captured by Yanks.
June 211—Luzon declared completely
liberated.
1 July 2 —Australians landed at Dalik
pnpan.
July 17—British warships join U. S.
3rd fleet.
July 24 FJ. 3rd fleet incressfully .
attacked Japan’s greatest naval base at
Kure, Honshu islands.
Aug 3 — H-29s bottle up Japan with
mines.
Aug. 4—Mac Arthur lakes over com
mand of Ryukyus.
Aug. 6—Atomic bomb destroys most
of Hiroshima.
Aug. 7 —Superfortresses hit Toyo
lawn naval arsenal.
Aug. II- Russia declares war on Ju
lian.
Aug. 10 Japan asks for peace terms.
Aug, 14 Japs accept unconditional
surrender terms.
EMPEROR:
His Background
Thoir authority re-established with
the overthrow of the military gov
ernors in 1868, the Japanese emper
ors, supposedly descended from the
sun goddess, have exercised their
mythical power for the unification
of the country to facilitate its im
perial development. .
j With the overthrow of the shogun
ate shortly after Admiral Perry
opened the door of Japan to tha
outside world, the simple island peo*
pic, previously owing strict alle
giance to the military clan, easily
transferred their blind obedience to
the mikado.
The present mikado, Hirohito, is,
a puny, nearsighted man of 44. Ha
is called the 124th emperor oj Ja
pan by the Japanese court authori
ties, When he ascended the throne
in 1926, ho chose the word “Showa,”
meaning “enlightenment and
peace,” to describe his reign.
Many political experts believe
that personally Hirohito wanted
peace, but as the puppet of the mili
tary clique had to go along with
their designs. Actually he wields
little real power. His actual “reign”
began in 1921, then as prince re
gent he ruled in his father’s stead.
He was married in 1924 and is the
father of one son and three daugh
ters.
NOTICE
In order that we may take a
much needed rest this week, very
little local news is being publish
ed in this issue of the Home
Journal. Any items omitted this
week will be published next
week.
The Editor.