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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.