1960-04-12 — Page 1

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1900.

OKINAWA

The intriguing story that

has brought me to the island of the Teahouse of the August Moon

Okinawa.

H

¡ERE on America's Pacific Cyprus I have just spent a week watching a United States experiment in colonialism. And at the end of it I view Washington's dogged presence here-nearly 15 years after the war and almost nine since the treaty with Japan-with new sympathy

For, like Britain, America is learning the hard way how easy it is to be misunderstood. More than 12,500 United States fighting men died storming Okinawa's beaches and rocky ridges in the bloody spring and summer of 1945 to conquer a base for the final assault on the Japanese mainland.

One hundred and ten thousand Japanese troops und 148,000 Okinawan civilians were killed in the 20-day hatte. And this Izard-shaped island-- nicknamed the Keystone of the Paelficame under American control when Jagad signed the peace treaty in San Francis in September 1951.

Fearful of the threat tran

-by-

BertramD Jones

RED

CHINA

JAPAN

To Hawali

OKINAWA

Pacific Ocean.

FORMOSA

Rangkong

*PHILIPPINES:

It was the Korem War that They authorised elections for made Washington think again a local legislature working under about giving strategic Okinawa an American administration -840 miles from Tokyo. 355 hended by a three-star Ameri- from Formosa, 785 from Manila, pan eneral as High Commis- and B8 from Britalu's outpost soner, of Hongkong-back to Japan.

Instead. America announced that as long as tension reinained In this puri of the world she was going to stay mul. And

Russia and the growing might policy-to dodge the dirty word tremendous build-up started..

of Red China, America wants Beolony by

to keep it as a base.

‘UNIQUE"

tor

coining # new phrase in world diplomuey.

"Residual sovereignty"

over Okinawa, he said, rested with Japan,

people

But a weee here te raore than enough to realise Washington's taken to mean that it 850,000 In Okinawa joday that is sensitivity and discomfiture For Okinawa.

will come under Toky By holda on America has become a Colonial rule again-some time. And a Power-and to a nation that has spite of all America has done they would like that to be soon. always claimed that no enuntry should exercise politieal control that is hard 10 ayer another swallow.

But Pvr seen no sign that it will be. Everything points today to a long-a very lon-American stay. Fifty thousand Americans here. More are coming.

slopes Okinawa's

are clustered with hundred Upon

ilte

The wealthy American busi- news woman. 1 hd hunch with recently her company inports pretty nearly everything from Ikindred of concrete -bull, Detruit cars to Merseysidie pomp

lynhoon-prong houses. ---puused anxiously

ilal-roofed, "Go shaded. frankfurter and sterkrant ask me what the world thought ditione,

where

pastel- air-con- American

of our colony." That was the furtilles live in dollar comfort word she used.

BUILD-UP

Millions of dollars poured in rebuild this island, almost flattened

the completely primmest fighting of the Pзeitle campaign, Right from the start Americans went all out to show

their good intentions.

But today? Today they face growing problems. For the Okinawans long for freedom to return to Japanese control. "No child likes to be separated from his Ganhly." said little My Tsumichiyo Asato, Speaker of the 39-membor Legislature.

WATCHING

"And America, with Jer They reunited and rehoused treaties with Japan. could stil

familie. They get arrange to have boses here. broken

They village life going again.

encouraged new Industries,

There

agilators are

unong Okinawa's 6,200-strong school- 1eachers' union, who campign for reversion to Japan because And they'd get higher salariew they plus patriotism to Japan in their lessons 30 that their pupils shall not forget.

DOLLARS...

Ther switched Okinawa's money system from the Japanese and occupation yen to American dollars to strengthen the island's Ceonomy.

The American Authorities watch all this warily. And one official told me sombrely: In one stupendous operaiken they distributed 60 tons of nutes "Okinawan well-being is now so and eving-38 million dollars- dependent on the income from worth-by truck and plane and military installations thut even if the world situation boat and dumped all old cur-

us to pull out to- But I have found it is not a

rency 500 ocean fathoms deen allowed

morrow we couldn't do it with- word that the White House or

in concrete coffins.

but causing ал economie Pentagon likes. "Okinuwa." said a sne-stor American general filled with hygieniently-wrapped,

They Have Jobs to 50,000 collapse." Okinawans island's civil ad- hermetically-scaled groceries and

and raised Liv who is the

Lo level that pul nistrator is unique.

duty-free canned beer bought in Standards

10,000 Okinawan civilian cars on the roads and tvo Okinawan

DODGED

"It's not 5 Dolony, a do- pendener. or a protectorate. There is no ready-made word to t is natus,”

And when I asked him if he would care to invent ung he raised defensive hand.

Their kitchen retrigerators are

service stores.

A spin of their radio dials radio stations and one TV brings them a selection of Jorces station on the air, with more

from their own planned. programmes

stations. prefaced Okinawan with arresting little commercials on the importance of good rela- flons with the islanders and hoax every man in American uniform

salesman for democracy,

Portes television brings Holly WHAT do we

wood and Kansas City and New

when

mean

we call a

"I should need a dozen York inte every buse. Miles politician "great"? By

Solomons to advise me on that." he sald.

The right word seems to have been left out of the Japanese

peace treaty.

of American-built highway carry thousands of learning Ameri- can-built cars.

American forces telephone

directories, thicker by 100 pages

What standard do we de- cide that Mr A was 4 statesman, where Mr B

than the entire Okinawan was merely a superbly

What ir sitt was that the etvilian issue. are displayed in United States should be given every post office.

clever politician? At

all powers of adulnistration, The TUOWDYS swarm with this level, electoral suc-

legislation, and jurisdiction over every kind of warplane - jet |

thu Ryukyu islands. which lighters, bombers, huge trans-cess, length of office or ports radar-domed spotters public esteem count for

include Okinawa.

And il took the astute legal And surveying 011 This little.

mind of Mr John Fuster Duties an army spokesman toid me: -tisers America's Secretary of "Seems to me that we are here State and shaper of her foreign pretty nearly for ever."

THE A-SCIENTISTS MUST LEARN TO HASTEN SLOWLY TALES of gloom and unrest at Harwell have Is anything been leaking out for months. seriously wrong? The Government believes not. The atom station is suffering, Ministers think, from two normal reactions. Like a bitch after the

Its scientists have not yet All about curves adjust thetiselves to forging uhend at slower pace. They will have to do so.

The ultimate test of "grant-

nem in a politietan is not suc-

The World of Science

by Peter! Fairley

Which

tras explain why Okinawa is wryly called "The Rock"-the American nickname for Alcatraz, the fall from which there is no escape.

-London Express Service).

For the Entente Cordiale-

CUMMINGS OFFERS

The Amende Honorable

MENIA

la. Le Potho

Manga da Barry

BROWN

Soup

La Viandela Rai Sofort Flambe RISSOLES

de fatenda la

Suparbe Pompadour TAPIOCA PUD

No more insults to French cooking by using French titles

to disguise our homely

dishes

SHAKESPEARE

HENRY V

Stracking Spectacle of vile

aggressor! Horror

of Agincourt

Our attitude to history

revised

L00.

CARE

OLEON

Offensive station names

altered

Sir Winston presents a copy of

with all

his memoirs

references to wartime disagreements cut out .......

Cummings

AR

Place Colombey-Les-Deux-Eglises

"Landon· Exuress Bervice.

The lesson I

learned from this SAL

tremendous book

cess or character or popularity, but whether he has changed

the course of his country's his- tory,

Measured by this test, General

BY RICHARD CROSSMAN, MP

de Gaulle is one of the greatest 1940, should share with America. politicians of our day ·

greater,

perhaps than Winston Churchill or Nikita Khrushchev,

saia and Britain in the oc cupation of Germany.

Churchill's leadership and A year later, however, when Orkury perfectly matched his countrymen showed that they Britain's finest hour. Yet it is had learned nothing, and were probablo that, even if he had 'not determined to revert to the worst succeeded Chamberlain as Pre- practices of French democratic inter, Britain would have held politics, de Gaulle suddenly re- out against Hitler In 1940 and tired into voluntary exle at his Anally won the war.

modest chaleau in Colombey ler- Khrushchev in the man who deux-Eglizer. took advantage Stalin's death Twelve years later, when the

SALVA ATION

serise is there, and that is worth u fot

If France had enjoyed

either

the American Presidential system

the Soviet Union. But the Ruse he was called back to power to but hasty compilation of a buay anti-Britick

koura slip by in reading, writing, dreaming, when no illusion sweeten the bitter serenity of an old man exhausted by his ordeal, detached from human dceda, feeling the approach of the

but ciernat cold

always watching in the shadow for the pleam of hope,"

I have learned one lesson from of democracy or the British two- His mood he composed his this tremendous book. The party system, de Gaulle might War Memoirs. Judged as litera- tragedy of de Gaulle is that, well have been content to serve ture, these three volumes make although he admires England his country ne a soldier and to to end the terror in Russia and democratic politicians had failed Winston Churchill'n War more than any other foreign leave the job of government to introduce a new liberal deal for to solve the problem of Algeria. Memotra look like the brillant country, he has been fated to be the professional politicians. birth of pups, Harwell has produced so many So this is space

sions would

A vacuumF have save France from civil war. Once man of affairs, probably

When he arrived in London as smaller establishments that it now feels exhausted CO would you like to be broken free from Stalinism even again the fate and the liberties De Gaulle's Memoirs of the impotent leader of the Free and jaded.

But the bankruptcy of Franch come

astronaut?if Khrushchev had not kicked of France have been thrust into which the third and concluding French Movement, he was forced Ca

Malenkov out.

the bands of one Perhaps this will make you

remote, volume was published recently to Insist on France's rights not politics created a vacarum which Do Gaulle's role in the his humourless, retired soldier.

are truly lapidary. They read as only agamnat Roosevelt but he alone could fill, and compell- think twice,

much tory of France has been

In his 70th year, de Gaulle has if each sentence had been against Church, in a longed him to join with Dr Adenauer more spectacular and decisive. more strength lơ his 10e Anger thought out during

in creating a Franca-Germon the long series of terrible rows.

took On three occasions he has than all the French politicians walks which the General

Again in 1944, when he be Common Market, formed against through the forests around his came head of the I'rovisional' and in defiance of the Interests mado hilmselt the saviour of his put together.

house and then, of an evening, French Government, he was of Great Britain.

Epi time that tile slowly chiselled in atone.

compelle:t once again to insist country, against the inclinatione

Even in his occasion was In 1940, when the

first published on French tights, frat by fleting Britial poltitrians of all parties dilemma with volee of this almost unitown:

work-a study of tank warfare, with the Kremlin and then by recognised the shornelessness that tank offleer, speaking, over the

from which the German instructing in French forces which shifa portentous French, pride scem a totally general stole the tactier they openly to flout the orderd of man prenkuta us. French Service of the BBC. inadequate word for describing employed to defeat the French General Eisenhower.

It

we are content, la · çdo broke the apell which had his ing the Minister, Lord Hailsham, wrote about were highly scien- His muscles became

character, President

France de army in 1940--de Gaulle show-

decline softer and mesmerised nearly every Fronch- Gaulle is now remaking. Fronce ed himself a master of classical

Into Insigni- His advisory council on Selenti fe, And the boy became one of smaller. His bones began to

Aleance and to permit the Ger matt into acquiescing in defeat as Great Power. grenient theorista on crumble sightly, fic Policy may report back that Britain's

man to assume the mastery of His blood and accepting the semi-Fascist

Frenoti. Bellan's research in top heavy electro-magnetism-Jumes Clark pressure fell. Every time he paternaltin of tile Vichy regime. self-imposed retreat from French been perfected; it is a pity that During the 13 years of his In these Memoirs his style has

Western Europe, well and good.

with atomle-power.

But if we pro stiți sufficiently Now, when he has been re- climbed out of the tank for an Now, 80 years after his death, hour to change his underwetur

poilties, de Gaulle spent his days

should have to read them in called once again to save Frtines dutrustful of the Germans to 'Retired'

alding, at his desks in the corner

girl +

and No one known better than be, Soviet scientists have named a and frogman's mult, hio skin

atrong a tranfation so literal and at from collapse, he is compelled believe room which faces west, Brst over the part morale lins played in crater on the back of the moon turned blue, his pulse rate shot

times so un-English that orea- to work, against the British he vigorous France is necessary to keeping a world lend for Eri- after him. Lg studying thou up and he became so weak He

The second'occasion came in the flat folds, then over the kona sionally they read like a anti- respects, with a German Chun- the health of Europe, then wo sands of plctures radioed back could scarcely speac tain in this field,

1944, ufter the Normandy lund slopes desvending towards the cature. But, if the style is lost by Lunik Three they have been

seven days he managed jinge. De Gaulle, now the no- River Aube, and then towards far too often in this veralon, the Gaulle a Fascist, but his con- suceess of de Gaulle's regime.

Many of his opponents call de an üble to identify qulio a number only seven hours of fitful sleep, knowledged loader of Free the slopes opposite. of new features.

tempt for democratic politics Instruments wired to his head France; deiled the Anglo-Ameri-

*WAIC MEMOIRS: Vol. 3, war, also, fully justified by the Ghulle alone who-nove stands in Maxwell is the only Briton showed that he slept deeply for van Government in Patis,, with honoured Others Include Juleg a total of only eight minutes, himself'os virtunt dictator,

SALVATION 1944-1948. General contemptible behaviour of the the way of n. completo German Vertic, Pasteur, Elicon and

STILL WANT TO GO?

dy. Chulle. W@I£T@¥zƒ@[¢ dd French durtocracy re-created in domination of Western Europe. Madame Curie,

Nicoleda, 30,

1943, -(London Express. Serview)!

-Gomis Awprene däriset),

The atomic industry is now ony expanding at a rate of eight per cent a Hear, against 25 per cent in the past.

In A

15-YEAR-OLD schoolboy Caplain Dunne Graveline, 0

wrote a

Air paper titled 28-year-old United States

Force doctor has just spent a Description of Oral Curvce. Three years later he wrote week, immersed up to the head tank of warm water. It called Ол another

the duplicated some of the sensa- tions of weightlessness which Theory of Rolling Curves.

astrommuts will feel. A Mias Europe judge in the No. The curves he

Captain Graveline report

But one prospect is alurm- making?

re-

Pruning back effort at10) fur- ther would be disastrous. Lord Hailsham bun the right to fugo and to accept such a report,

And he may use it.

Maxwell,

In

of his countrymen. The frat Remaking

Thus, he muds more, that

· France,' despite her deskår se

With makes

"I watch the night cover the landscape. Then, took- ing up at tito stars, I steep mynais, f the thefgnistravee of rimps.........„How many

4

cellor.

Justified

had batter realise ikat Britain

a vested interest in the

For 11. de Gaulle and do

"