Interesting Angles as

Is Japs' Martial

Spirit Dead?

Interesting Angles as Seen From Hawaii

From a Special Correspondent

Honolulu, May 25.

rE loyal subjects in Hawaii of Emperor Hirorito of Japan made jackasses of themselves once again on May 3, the emperor’s birthday. At the very moment that 5,000 subjects were cheering Hirohito in a Tokyo demonstration, an estimated 300 Japs met in a former Jap temple in Hilo, Hawaii, and celebrated their emperor’s day.

US authorities, who raided the Hilo meeting, arrested and held without charge seven alien Japs who, the authorities said, were members of the Hisho Kai (or Secret Victory Club).

It is called the Secret Victory Club because those organised Japs believe that Japan won the war—which is a continua tion of the theme song of the Jap war lords on trial in Japan. The war-lords claim, of course that Japan “acted in self-defence in going to war against the United States and Britain.”

US authorities, in their raid, confiscated Jap flags which were found within the temple. While hostilities with Japan have ceased, America legally remains at war with Japan, so possession of enemy flags here is illegal.

One of the Japs taken into custody is an alien, convicted with two others of the same offence in 1946. This man remains unshakeablv convinced that Japan won the war. There are many Japs who think the war is still on. US army and navy authorities are still, at this late day,

rooting out Japs in places like Guam. On May 3, a batch of 22 armed Japs were rounded up in the Philippines, BUT it is Japs operating under cover, and as “humble” civilians, like those in Hilo, who are the real danger.

When this correspondent continuously re ported the menace of these secret Jap organisations prior to Pearl Harbour, a Jap editor in Honolulu wrote an editorial about me which said, inter alia, that I am “a perennial anti-Japanese writer” who writes “signed articles regarding Japan and the Japanese, based on terrible lack of understanding. He spreads his poison even in faraway Australia.”

This Jap editor, Yasutaro Soga, was decorated in 1940 by the Japanese Foreign Ministry for services rendered. When the Japs struck at Pearl Harbour in 1941. alien Soga was arrested and confined by US authorities. Alien Soga played an important role, as I reported in “PIM” at the time, in assisting the Jap Govern ment to strip Hawaii of scrap metals, clothing, “patriotic war” donations, etc., prior to Pearl Harbour. His office at the Nippi Jiji was a collection station. Soga, in those days, was riding high, wide and handsome.

Clark Lee, an America reporter, who es caped from Bataan to Australia, and, in those early days of the war wrote a book called “They Call It Pacific,” has just published in New York a new book called “One Last Look Around.” In it he declares on docu mented, official records that Emperor Hirohito remains the most dangerous man in the world. Lee reports the secret ties between American business interests and Japs, how actually they were in partner ship in some instances in Japan’s indus trialisation for war. These powerful in terests affect the US State Department’s policy toward Japan, Lee reports.

On May 6, General Mac Arthur per sonally told Hirohito that America would defend “Japan’s safety as they would the safety of America itself.” Two days later the Jap interpreter, who acted as go-between Hirohito and MacArthur, was fired from his job “because of alleged leaks to the press about the ‘secret’ con versation.”

American business interests now have a committee in Japan arranging for the restoration of their former profitable trade. Japan is requesting permission to maintain an army of 100,000 men for use against “smuggling and disease epi demics.” And behind the scenes they are pushing for r loan of a billion dollars from Washington!

Optimism concerning the future of the Territory was expressed by Mr. R. A. Col yer of the well-known New Guinea firm of Colyer, Watson (NG) Ltd., who arrived in Sydney from the United States at the end of May. He was not in good health during this business trip abroad.

Mr. B. C. Carpenter has taken over the managership of the Bank of New Zealand in Fiji. He was formerly manager at Pukekohe, Auckland. Mr. Carpenter has succeeded Mr. L. F. Smith, who retired to New Zealand in June.

Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. has applied for an exclusive prospecting licence for an area of 6,926 hectares on the Koro sameri River in the Sepik district.

Mr. P. T. K. Richmond, Customs De partment, Fiji, has been transferred to the post of Revenue Officer, British Som aliland.