THE JAPS AS MEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 30, 18 March 1942, Page 5

THE JAPS AS MEN

NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY! /HOME GUARD C.O.'s IMPRESSIONS EXPERIENCES ON THURSDAY ISLAND ' "From what I know of the Japanese, I don't go rpuch 011 them as men and I think that any white who is worth his salt Should be able to 1 handle a dozen; of them. They are short stockly little chaps but they have little imagination or initiative, and 1 as far as 'hari kari' and all that sort of thing goes, I reckon that every Jap I knew was just as fond of life as you or I. And as far as ju-jitsu is concerned 1 I think possibly more Englishmen practice it than Japanese. The aboye observations on Japanese character, were given by Major C. R .Wilson, the O.C, o,f the Whakatane Battalion of the Home Guard, who spent two years recruiting Japanese labour in the pearling and beche-de-mer industries off Thursday Island, Northern Australia. The Coolie Class Jap The C.O. happened to be conversing casually with members of the local H.G. and when asked to enlarge upon his impressions, said that while ho did not pose as any authority, he felt lie could safelj r say that the Japanese character had •not altered substantially from what it Avas twenty years ago when hehad his experiences in the sweltering Northern territory. The average -Japanese of the Coolie class, was probably what made up the bulk of the rank and file of the army today, and it was with such men that lie had had contact. Strongly built and quick, tlicy were nevertheless evasive and untrustworthy. Unlike the Chinese, they had tci be watched in order to ensure that their obligations were carried out. There was little or no loyalty about them in the accepted form, and it required a firm hand behind them to obtain results under all circumstances. Respect of Firmness They had a wholesome respect for the white man who showed from the outset that he Avoukl stand no nonsense. For instance, they were always prepared to try . out a newcomer, and if he were at all soft his control simply didn't exist. When first taking over, said Major Wilson, he had been told by his. colleagues to insist on all Japs taking their hats off when they entered the office. The first man came in grinning cheerfully, but changed his tune when firmly dealt with. Looking out, the narrator, said he caught sight of half a dozen grinning heads who watched the unfortunate 'trier' picking himself up, -.and nodded to one another. The Bogey of 'Harikari' The current idea that the Japanese desire nothing better to meet death by committing hari kari (suicide) should they fail in their commissions, was absolutely erroneous. From his observations they were out to dodge all the obligations they ■ could, and were particularly thinskinned -ay hen it came to endangering themselves. Possibly they Avere well led, and had been Avell drilled among the lines of strategy as interpreted by their leaders, but it could be taken from him that the average Jap coolie Avas utterly lost, -when placed in positions of having to use his own .initiative. He looked hopelessly around for orders to lie given, and Avhen these Avere not forthcoming, had the habit of more or less caA 7 ing in. The Japanese psychology was based upon the 'big man' complex as long as things were going their Avay. If a Jap considered himself having the best of it, he ay as. like a child endeavouring to show off still further. He would go on and on decorating his behaA'iour Avith instances o.f brazen cruelty and bnwado, but at the first taste of reverse, he became like the pricked balloon artist, and quickly deteriorated. Mistaken Conception It is a pity, said Major Wilson, that more people in this country were not conversant with something of the Jap makeup. There would be less senseless tail-: oL "invincibility" and defeatism. The average citizen of Nippon Mas very much inferior to the aA'erage New Zeaiander or Australian, and to cloak him about with a lot of lighting power and tenacity Avhich lie simply didn't possess Avas simply undermining our (Continued in next column)

own power oif resistance. Too many were going about talking loosely nnd hopelessly ol' the course of invasion. A strong united and determined front would, lie was sure repulse any invasion which the Japanese might contemplate in these Islands. Major Wilson made it clear that lie did not wish to under-estimato the fighting ability of the Japanese, but merely to detract from the stupid belief that 'nothing could stop them,' that tliev were invincible or that we should relinquish our land without a struggle. The big thing was to realise that they were human, Avith all (he weaknesses of ;i;i over-indulged and arrogant race. Strong, offensive action Avould succeed in breaking all their efforts to carry out their text-book type of warfare, and Avith Xew Zcalanders fighting on, and fully comersanl with their native country, the odds were heavily against them.