GREAT DECISIONS
Topic No. 6
What Can the U.S. Do
About Japan's
THE PROBLEM
A squadron of American war
ships under Commodore Perry
opened Japan's doorg to the rest
of the world in 1853. Nearly 100
years later, in September, 1945,
another American fleet sailed
into Tokyo bay to begin the most
unusual occupation of a defeated
country in history.
Perry provided the spark that
remade feudal Japan into one
of the six most highly industrial
ized nations in the world. The
American occupation tried to re
make militaristic Japan into a
peaceful, Western-type democ
racy. Yet the occupation was only
a few years old when the U. S.,
under pressure of the cold war,
helped Japan rearm, contrary to
her "new constitution . . . this
time in defense against a com-
mon threat, communism.
Now, experts say that new
communist tactics present more
dangerous challenges to the U.S.,
and to Japan, with a neutralized
Asia slipping closer to commu
nism. If this is the cold war pro
gram for 1956, what does it
mean to the U.S.? Where does
Japan fit into this picture and
what kind of partnership are the
U.S. and Japan building? What
responsibilities has the U.S. as
sumed for this former epemy
... and are we right or wrong
in doing so?
How does the U.S. see Japan's
' role in Asia . . . and what is
. Japan doing about it? What is
happening inside Japan? What
' happened to the idustries that
supported a 14-year war with
China and a four-year war with
the U.S.? Is Japan leaning to
ward the West, toward neutral
' ism or communism?
'f IS THERE A NEW JAPAN?
At the height of power In
'1942. . Japan proper had about
70,000,000 population and a con
quered empire of 3,000,000
square miles to sustain her econ-
omy and feed her people.
In 1945 Japan was stripped
"down to her four home islands
an an area of 142,000 square
r miles. Industries were shattered
by war and wear; raw materials
and markets cut off.
Repatriated Japanese citizens,
numbering 7,000,000, added to
the crowded home population. A
! climbing birthrate and dropping
r death rate added another 1,000,-
000 citizens annually . . . until
the population reached 89,425,
600 on Jan. 1, 1956.
; What problems did this shat
: tered empire face . . . how did
. it survive? How has Japan fed
her people, kept her industries
going? What does the future
i hold for the only modern, in
dustrialized nation in Asia?
IS JAPAN MAKING
AN ECONOMIC COMEBACK?
Like Britain, industrial Japan
must buy food and raw mater
ials . . . and sell manufactured
goods in order to survive. Twenty
, per cent of Japan's food is im
ported, plus nearly 90 per cent
of the raw materials that feed
her industry. Her only food sur
plus is fish, which is exported
all over the world.
Japanese agriculture has long
been close to the saturation
NEXT
FREE FORD
JUNE 27
WE
IT'S FUN TO P
BUY GAS AT (j3
"On the Point" South Central at South Riverside
NEW FORD TICKETS FROM CRATER LAKE MOTORS AND FORTUNE OF SO. OREGON
Role in Asia?
point. Only 16 per cent of the
country is suitable for farming.
Over half of that is devoted to
rice and Japan must import 10
per cent of the rice she con
sumes.
Military conquest was one way
to balance the deficits, which
include 100 per cent of the raw
cotton and large percentages of
Wool, petroleum, iron ore, cok
ing coal, wheat and barley.
Since the war, through peace
ful methods, Japan has built an
industrial, world-trading econ
omy that rivals West Germany's.
The major pre-war market for
silk was cut into by synthetic
fabrics, so Japan switched to
cotton.
In 1955, 40 per cent of Japan's
total exports were cotton tex
tiles and during the same year,
she became the world's third
largest exporter of merchant
ships.
The U.S. buys 17 per cent of
all Japan's exports and sells
Japan 35 per cent of all her
imports. This deficit of nearly
$600,000,000 a year in trade with
the U.S. throws an added burden
on Japanese finance. She must
earn the dollars in favorable
trade with other parts of the
world. U.S. dollars are scarce.
Loss of empire and cold war
strategy have changed Japan's
foreign trade pattern drastical
ly. China took 45 per cent of
Japan's exports in prewar days,
and furnished a quarter of her
imports. Now, with a Western
embargo on Red China trade,
those figures have dropped to
.25 per cent of exports and 1.5
per cent of imports.
South East Asia is a logical
target for Japanese development,
but these countries have been
slow to welcome Japanese capi
tal and economic cooperation. In
addition, they are short on capi
tal, low on purchasing power,
deeply involved in tasks of de
veloping their own economies.
However, Japan built her exports
to this area from a prewar 16
per cent to 33 per cent in 1955
export total.
Solving these problems of in
tegrating Japan into world trade
and commerce has been hard for
government and private capital
alike. Japan got a temporary
transfusion from the U.S. during
the Korean war from military
purchases, but the 530,000,000
monthly price the U.S. paid to
maintain bases during the height
of the war has dropped to $16,
000.000. To meet the crisis five things
had to be done step up exports,
decrease domestic consumption,
modernize the industrial plant,
pare down manufacturing costs
and curb inflation. By 1955 head
way had ben made on all points.
Exports were doubled; Japan's
modernized textile plants are
among the best and most ef
ficient in the world; production
was stepped up and the workers
got real wage boosts; the yen
appeared stable at 360 to $1.
The national budget was bal
anced. For the first time exports
exceeded imports in dollar value.
IS JAPAN DEMOCRATIC?
The new, occupation-inspired
constitution proclaims "that sov
NOT YET CHECKED IN
CHECK TICKETS BY 8:30 P.M., MAY 2nd
No need to buy to SAVE FREE TICKETS!
FREE SPONGE FOR YOU
With any gas purchase while they last
HAVE WINNING NUMBER LISTS
ereignty resides in the people."
The once-devine emperor has be
come a symbol only, with no
powers and only ceremonial di
ties.
Among reforms initiated are
a Western-type "bill of rights;"
abolition of the peerage and
secret police; academic freedom
for teachers; women suffrage;
abolishment of conscription; and
renouncement of war "forever,"
with "land, sea and air forces,
as well as other war potential,
never to be maintained."
A two-house legislature was
set up with executive powers in
the prime minister elected by
the people. Each city, town and
village has its elected assembly.
One of the most striking re
forms is the establishment of an
independent judiciary, headed
by a supreme court with auth
ority to rule on the constitution
ality of laws, as in the U.S. The
rights of labor to organize are
protected by the constitution,
and about 6,000,000 Japanese are
members of unions.
WHAT IS JAPAN'S
ROLE IN ASIA?
Remembering Japan's war
time "co-prosperity" enforced at
gunpoint, Asia has been slow to
cooperate with a new Japanese
co-prosperity program. During
1955, however, a number of
war claims . against Japan, and
in several cases private Jap
anese capital investments as well
as easy payments were involved.
In the Philippines' settlement,
capital investments were to be
made in major Philippine min
ing, agricultufal and industrial
campanies. With India, construc
tion and operation of a glass
factory was arranged, with 51
per cent Japanese owned. An
Indo-Japanese fishing company
was established and technical
assistance was offered to Indian
industries.
Similar agreements were
made with Ceylon. Japan also
invested cash and equipment in
Latin America.
WHAT IS JAPAN'S ROLE
IN U.S. STRATEGY?
Intelligence reports reveal
that Russia is staging a steady
military, air and naval buildup
in the Siberian coastal areas. To
gether with forces of Red China
and North Korea these forces
far outnumber Western defenses
in the Pacific.
What is the balance -of mili
tary power in the Far East?
What part does the U.S. expect
Japan to play in Western stra
tegy? It is estimated that the Com
munists have a total of 4,000,000
troops, and the Western allies,
including four U.S. divisions and
those of Japan, South Korea
and Nationalist China, total 1,
500.000 troops.
Communist air power is esti
mated at 7,000 combat jet air
craft and the Western allies 2,
500. In naval strength, the Rus
sian submarines are known to
be in the Pacific and 30 new
warships have reached Pacific
bases by the Arctic route. The
allies have the U.S. Seventh
Fleet in Taiwan Straits, plus re
serve Pacific Fleet bases in
Hawaii and on the Pacific coast.
It may be presumed that a large
part of this country's 200 sub
marines are operating in the
Pacific.
WHERE IS JAPAN
GOING IN 1956
The burden of economic come
back has rested on the Japanese
WiWW
people businessmen, manufact
urers and farmers in partnership
with a pro-U.S. government and
limited U.S. aid. The old mono
polies with their authoritarian
management were more profit
able to operate and slowly, with
the end . of the occupation, the
old combines have come back.
Although not holding comp
anies, the new zaibatsu are mono
polies. Two handle 20 per cent
of all Japan's trade in 1956, and
Japan's 15 biggest companies now
handle 60 per cent of all trade.
Such monopolies may threaten
free enterprise but it apparently
has speeded ecanomic recovery.
JAPAN'S ROLE
IN ASIA
What opportunities and re
sponsibilities does industrializa
tion offer Japan in Asia? Is Ja
pan's economic expansion into
South East Asia 'a help or a
hindrance to the underdevelop
ed countries of that area?
Russia, China and other com
munist countries are offering
loans and technical assistance
to Asian neutrals. What effect
might Japan have, through in
vestments and technical coopera
tion, on communist penetration
in Asia?
Red China is also industrializ
ing rapidly, with Russian aid.
Should the U.S. consider back
ing Japan in the same way? To
what extent would an economic
ally strong Japan, dominating
Asian trade, serve U.S. interests?
Or would it threaten them?
IS JAPAN'S PROBLEM
A U.S. PROBLEM?
Is a democratic Japan an as
set to the U.S.? If so, why? Do
you think Japan is on the road
to democracy? In terms of the
cold war, what kind of asset is
Japan to the U.S.? Is the U.S.
justified in expecting the Jap
anese to amend the anti-war
clause in their constitution?
Would a neutral Japan be a ser
ious liability to the U.S.? What
can or should the U.S. do
about Japan's problem?
BACKGROUND TO CRISIS
What the U.S. does about Jap
an in 1956 will depend on many
factors , . . what the U.S. would
like in the Far East what
Russia and Red China are doing
in the Far East . . . what Japan
wants and needs. The following
headline events of the past year
tell something of the present far
east situation. What effect
should these events have on
U.S. policy?
Jan. 18, 1955 Japan's For
eign Minister Shigemitsu declar
ed "The fundamental aim of
Japan's foreign policy is to help
advance the cause for peace and
progress of East Asia and there
by contribute toward the en
hancement of the general wel
fare of mankind."
Feb. 28, 1955 General elec
tions throughout Japan gave the
new Democratic party of Prime
Minister Ichiro Hatoyama a
plurality of 185 seats in the 467
seat lower house of the Diet. The
Democrats favor strong coopera
tion with the U.S. but an in
dependent foreign policy.
Mar. 13, 1955 Harold Stas
sen, U.S. Foreign Operations
administration chief, urged Jap
anese industry to play a lead
ing role in the economic devel
opment of the Asian region.
Mar. 19, 1955 Ichiro Hatoya
ma, reelected prime minister,
said that, improved trade rela
tions with China and other com
munist nations will not weaken
ER
Japan's policy of cooperation
with the United States and other
free nations. He had indicated
that he favors improved trade
and travel relations with the
communist bloc.
Mar. 24, 1955 The U.S. may
be asked to return Okinawa, a
major strategic air base, and the
Bonin islands, both wrestled
from Japan during World War
II. Prime Minister Hatoyama
told the Japanese Diet he favors
negotiations with the U.S. on
this.
May 4, 1955 C ommunist
Chinese representatives and pri
vate Japanese interests confer
ring at Tokyo signed an agre
ement providing for $184,000,
000 in two-way trade this year.
June 13, 1955 Japan reached
a one-year agreement with com
munist China on fishing rights.
Japan suffers from restrictions
imposed by Russia, South Korea,
Canada, Australia and the U.S.,
as well as China.
June 14, 1955 After two
weeks of negotiation in London
on a treaty to end the technical
state of war between the two
countries, Russia presented the
Japanese negotiator with terms
which would, in effect, neutra
lize Japan in the East-West cold
war.
June 15.1955 Agreement was
reached between Japan and the
Philippines on the question of
war reparations. The original
Philippine demand for $8,000,
000,000 has been scaled down
to $550,000,000 in indemnities
and $250,000,009 in investments
and development loans.
Aug. 2, 1955 The Japanese
Biet adjourned after a stormy
closing session, without amend
ing the antiwar clause in the
constitution or taking any action
toward rearmament.
Aug. 11, 1955 Japan was ad
mitted to the General Agreement
on Trade and Tariffs, with the
approval of 30 of the 34 member
nations.
Aug. 16, 1955 Japan submit
ted a counterproposal to the
Russian delegation on a pro
posed peace settlement between
the two countries. She requests
the return to Japan of south
ern Sakhalin, Kurile and other
Russian occupied islands and
the return of 10,000 Japanese
prisoners of war.
Aug. 16, 1955 Communist
China's Premier Chou En-lai told
visiting Japanese newsmen that
the price of normal relations be
tween the two countries' is Jap
an's severance of all relations
with the Nationalist Chinese.
Aug. 31, 1955 Foreign Min
ister Shigemitsu of Japan and
U.S. Secretary of State Dulles
conclude'd three days of talks
on problems of mutual "interest,
including Japan's need for more
extensive trade in Asia, the pro-
ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS!
NOW ON
DISPLAY
66 Passenger School
SEE THIS n
MODEL
TRANSPORTATION 'EMERGENCY?
If any School District is in need of Emergency Bus
Transportation for the children of their district
PLEASE SEE, OR PHONE US AT ONCE!
Demonstration By Appointment
We Can Make Immediate Delivery
On This New Display Model
INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS
2232 Biddle
Sunday. April 29, 1956
gressive withdrawal of Ameri
can military forces and a six
year rearmament program.
Sept. 10, 1955 U.S. tariffs on
a variety of inexpensive Jap
anese imports are reduced.
Sept. 23. 1955 Japan reached
agreement with Red China to
buy 400,000 tons of Chinese
coal.
Nov. 15, 1955 A two-party
system went into effect for the
first time in Japan's history with
the merger of the Democrat and
Liberal parties. Right and left
wing socialist parties merged
a month ago into the Socialist
party.
Nov. 22, 1955 In response to
protest from the American tex
tile industry, the Japanese min
istry of international trade an
nounced an embargo on the ex
port of cotton goods to the U.S.
pending regulatory measures.
Detf. 14. 1955 In a final vote
on the admission of new mem
bers to the UN, the nationalist
Chinese delegate vetoed Russian-sponsored
Outer Mongolia
and Russia countered by veto
ing Japan. 4
Jan. 1, 1956 With the an
nouncement in Toyko that Jap
an has declined to continue
trade negotiations with com
munist North Korea, the South
Korean government lifted its
embargo on Japanese goods.
WHAT CHOICES
HAVE WE IN 1956?
Does the U.S. want an ec
onomically strong Japan? Should
we help Japan strengthen her
commerce and trade in South
East Asia? What about our other
allies should we urge them to
accept stiff Japanese competi
tion in Asian markets? Are we
willing to see Japan compete
with U.S. industry? Would trade
with the communist bloc be a
threat to the U.S.? What should
we do about tariffs on Japanese
products?
Does the U.S. want a militar
ily strong Japan? How important
is Japan as a military ally? Do
we want a major military build
up there? Or a moderate re
armament program for home de
fense only? What about Jap
anese socialist opposition to re
armament? What are the dang
ers of a revival of militarism
in Japan? Would the U.S. be as
well off if we pulled our bases
out of Japan and let them worry
about their own defense?
Is a neutral Japan a possibil
ity? The Liberal Democrats be
lieve in cooperation with the
U.S. but favor an independent
foreign policy. The Socialists fa
vor taking no sides. What are
the possibilities of a neutral Jap
an, trading with both sides, tak
ing part in no military pacts
on either side? How might it af
BODY BY
1956 H iERHAT 0 AL
AYS ONLY
Road
Medford
fect Asia's' future? What can the
U.S. do to keep Japan from be
coming neutral?
Is Japan likely to become pro
communist? What could bring
this about?
YOUR OPINION COUNTS
What the U.S. decides to do
about Japan in 1956 may affect
our relations with all of Asia
may determine the outcome
of the cold war in Asia.
Individual opinion counts in
forming the U.S. foreign policy.
Your decisions, which will be
forwarded to the U.S. State de
partment and to our Congres
sional representatives, should be
mailed to Don Hansen, chair
man of the Great Decision com
mittee. Franklin building, Med
ford. Ballots included in "the
Great Decision fact sheets, or
letters, may be sent.
The material above is a cond
ensation of the fact sheets which
form the basis for Great Deci
sions study and discussion
groups.
Septic Tank Pumpers
Must Be Licensed
Septic tank pumpers must be
licensed and bonded before
pumping will be legal, Bob Hart,
county sanitarian, announced
today.
Before a license can be issued
the pumper must first be bond
ed, he said. Licenses can be ob
tained from the state board of
health.
Largest mosses in the south
ern U. S. may reach four feet
or more in length.
DURING THE REXALL
SPRING lc SALE
ONLY
April 30 May 5
WALES
PORTABLE
RADIO
Durable, powerful enough to outplay and out
last radios many timet its pricel Lightweight,
small enough to slip into an overcoat pocket!
Four tubes. Dial marked for Civil Defense
warning stations. Uses 67V4 volt flat battery
plus regular flashlight battery. Choose Ivory,
Grey, Green or Maroon, 90 Day Warranty.
GET YOURS TODAY!
BPOQPBB)
CENTRAL Rexall DRUG
MAIN and CENTRAL
1
"SUPERIOR
It
MON. - TUES. - WED. - THURS.
APRIL 30 MAY 1-2-3
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE
Gheysen Starts As
County Jailer Here :
Robert Gheysen, who has been
a member of the Medford police
force for about three years, Sat
urday took over duties as Jack
son county jailer.
Gheysen replaces Mr. and
Mrs. R. L. Janzen, who have re
signed as jailer and matron.
The Janzens were honored at
a farewell party Saturday morn
ing by sheriff's office personnel.
Coffee and cake were served
and the honored guests were
presented a merchandise gift
certificate.
The former jailer and matron
plan a brief vacation trip to Lo
Angeles, then will return to
their home in Central Point,
Night Time is Most
Dangerous Driving Time
Salem UP.) The state traffia
safety division said Saturday the
most dangerous time to drive in
Oregon is between midnight and
8 a.m. when one out of every
87 traffic accident produces at
least one death.
The high ratio of fatal crashes
during hours of relatively light
traffic was blamed on too much
speed, tired drivers and drink
ing drivers.
The spectacled bear found in
South America has a habit of
building "nests" of sticks in tall
trees.
Use Mail Tribune Want Adl
, - crn-y..,
Reg. $19.95
NOW
$1395
Without Batter!
Phone 2-4553
Bus