"Co-Prosperity Sphere" Is Not Doing

Very Well

POUR months after they struck at Pearl Harbour, the Japanese found themselves in possession of 15 Territories. The Territories are listed, roughly, in the order in which the Japanese seized and occupied them:— Hongkong, British Colony.

Guam, American Territory.

Indo-China, French Colony Malaya, British Colony (in • eludes Singapore).

Malay States (British Protec torate) .

Thailand, independent king-, dom.

British North Borneo (includ ing Brunei and Sarawak).

Commonwealth of the Philip pines (United States Protec torate) .

Netherlands Indies (including Borneo but not Dutch New Guinea).

Portuguese Timor.

Burma, British Territory.

Mandated Territory of New Guinea ( Australia).

British Solomon Islands.

Mandated Territory of Nauru.

Gilbert Islands (including Ocean Island).

These Territories comprise the rich Indonesian and Pacific Empire for which Japan had hungered and planned for 40 years. She always in tended to seize it, but she had set no fixed time for the seizure. Then came Hitlerism, and the European war; and the Fascists and Imperial ists of Japan decided that this was their heaven-sent opportunity. France was helpless, Britain practically so.

They would grab while the grabbing was good. So far as the United States was concerned, they would take a chance. The wise men of Japan thought that probably the United States would either fight half heartedly or not at all . . . especially if their Pacific fleet were crippled.

NEVER by one syllable has Japan described these stolen Territories as her new Empire. No—according to the smooth-tongued gentlemen of Tokio radio—they are “the Co- Prosperity Sphere of East Asia,” liberated from the western yoke by Japan, encouraged to develop as independent nations by Japan—and, of course, in view of the loving kind ness shed over them by the Son of Heaven, expected to give full alle giance to Japan, and allow the Japanese the fullest access to their territories and resources.

Nearly two years have passed since the Japanese octopus thrust his ten T tacles over all these helpless coun tries; and it is interesting now to briefly survey the “Co-Prosperity Sphere,” and the progress being made by the Japs in their administration of loving kindness.

Reliable information is lacking. The Japanese are at great pains to pre vent communication between the

peoples imprisoned within the Jap sphere, and the outside world. The only source of regular news is the Japanese radio—and it is so men dacious that it has become a by-word throughout the civilised world.

ITONGKONG appears to be under “ a Jap military government.

There is famine there, and grave outbreaks of cholera and other plagues. The Japanese, for months past, have been busily removing a million or more of the poor Chinese from the Colony, and simply dumping them on the Chinese mainland, where a large proportion of them have died of starvation and disease.

There is little information about Indo-China. For a considerable time, Vichy officials were allowed nominally to carry on—but always with Jap officers at their shoulders. Now, probably, the Territory is . entirely under Jap military government. The Japs have been making some effort to establish puppet governments in the four chief States—Annam, Cam bodia, Laos and Tonking.

IN the Philippines, the enemy has A made a tremendous effort. First, they set up a military government; then they appointed selected Filipinos as provincial governors; next, they induced various prominent Filipinos to serve on an “executive commission,” which really was a puppet govern ment. Finally, claiming that they had received a large measure of Filipino co-operation, they an nounced in September that the Philippines would elect its own Par liament and organise its own Govern ment. On October 14, the Japanese proclaimed the “independence” of the group, under a puppet govern ment headed by Jose P. Laurel.

Indications are that the Filipinos— who are at least 85 per cent, literate —are generally under no delusions about the independence they can ex pect from Tokio. They are giving lip service to the Japanese; but the allegiance of their hearts is with the United States—the nation which de voted 40 years to educating them and preparing them for semi-independent Commonwealth Government which functioned from 1935; and for the independent republican government which was to function from July 4, 1946.

There is little news of what has happened in Malaya and Burma— except that the vast dislocation of trade and rice-growing caused by the invasion has brought about great dis tress among the masses, amounting in some places to famine.

AS a sidelight on Japanese good faith, it may be noted that the Japanese entered Thailand (which was under no western yoke, but was an independent kingdom) and forced the capitulation of that country be fore the end of December, 1941.

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A considerable proportion of the Thais were against capitulation; but it was brought about by a small clique of four quislings in the Thai Cabinet, including Premier Pibul himself. The Japanese promised great good things for Thailand; but, bv late 1943, the temper of the Thais was expressed by a leading Thai newspaper Sieng Thai : “Though Japan has established her self as the leading power in East Asia, this does not mean that Thai land will take orders from Tokio.”

For some time after the capitu lation, the Thai word mahamit, pro nounced slowly in three syllables, was frequently used, in reference to Japan. It meant “good friend.” Now it is being pronounced quickly, in two syllables, mamit. That means “dog of a friend,”

The Japanese have been celebrat ing their treaties with Thailand (such as the “Cultural Pact” of December, 1942) with great pomp and boast ings. But evidence grows that the Thai people nowadays are moved mostly by shame and indignation against their “Tokio bosses,” and that 90,per cent, of them will welcome the overthrow of Japan, so that they may regain their independence.

MUCH the same general policy has been followed by the Japanese in the East Indies. “We have come to free the people of Java from the oppressive rule of the Europeans,” said the invaders, “and to organise them as an independent nation.”

There always has been a strong nationalist section among the peoples of the Netherlands Indies, and the Japanese found plenty of takers. An excellent quisling was found in a Mr.

Soekarno, who was forthwith ap pointed by Japan as “leader of the people of Java.” At first, the Japanese were greeted, by at least a section of the people, with some enthusiasm and confidence.

But a great change has b§en taking place. The Javanese are waking up to the fact that, if Japan is not de feated, their condition in the future will be much worse than it was in the past.

For a long time now, the Dutch, excellent colonisers, have been giving to the native people an increasing measure of self-government, and have been seeking their co-operation and treating their co-operation with re spect. The Japanese actually are giving the native peoples less self governing powers, and they are treat ing them in an arrogant, condescend ing manner, which the natives resent.

The latter seem to be coming rapidly to the conclusion that they would rather co-operate with the Dutch, than with the objectionable gentle men from Tokio.

Both nations are eager to develop (in other words, exploit) the rich natural resources of the East Indies.

Having had experience of both, the East Indian folk have decided that, if they must choose between the two, they emphatically prefer the Dutch.

ALL the information available, though fragmentary, indicates that the “Co-Prosperity Sphere” is not doing very well. The Japs are receiving plenty of lip-service—as, for example, from the congress of Indo nesian newspaper-men assembled in Tokio in October—but the people generally realise that Japan’s chief interest in them is to centre all the activities and wealth of south-east Asia, Indonesia and the South Seas in Tokio.

Nobody has any love for the Jap— and, least of all, apparently, his fellow Asiatics.

In addressing Congress on Septem ber 17, President Roosevelt said that, not only would Japan lose the terri tories she had seized in China, but also would be deprived of her man date over the Marshall and Caroline Islands, which the Japs had used as stepping-stones towards Hawaii and New Guinea.

None will be happier to hear that than the native peoples of the Caro lines, Marshalls and Marianas. The Japanese developed the groups econo mically, with efficiency and thorough ness; but their treatment of the native peoples was consistent with the ruthlessness which they displayed in Korea and Formosa.

Mr. F. P. Archer, well known in Buka (Mandated Territory) as the owner of Yame plantation, has been gazetted Lieutenant in the Solomon Island Labour Corps. He was one of the people rescued early this year by an American sub marine. He spent a miserable six months in Australia, wondering why he had been “rescued,” and trying to persuade some one in authority to have him sent back again to where the temperatures are uniformly tropical. He succeeded in Sep tember. and left Australia for BSI with a happy heart.