PAGE roue Th~Mtt~~i~fj PAGE rom~ W~X~NESD~IY, NOVEM~E~ ~, 1~4~ I U The Case of Yamashita GENERAL TOMOYUKI YAMASHIITA, "Tiger of Malaya" and conqueror of Singapore, was tried, convicted and executed in 1945 as a war criminal in one of the most glaring miscarriages of justice in modern American history. Now, four years later, General Douglas MacArthur's Supreme Command of Allied Powers has seen fit to suppress the sordid facts surrounding Yama- shita's trial from the Japanese people. Captured In the Philippines in 1945, 'Yamashita was ordered to stand Imme- diate trial as a war criminal by General MacArthur. The charge against Yama- shita was that he had "unlawfully dis- regarded and failed to discharge his duty as commander to control the operations of the members of his" command, per- mitting them to commit brutal atrocities . . thereby violated the Laws of War." The charge itself laid down a new princi- pal-that a commander is a criminal if his men violate the Laws of War, whether he ordered or even knew of the violations. The trial was conducted by a military commission of five generals. None of the five had any legal background. The commission handled Yamashita's defense with an air of patient disinterest: the prosecution was allowed a great deal of latitude. Much of the testimony was based on opinion and rumor. U.S. propaganda films were shown as part of the evidence. Yama- shita was blamed for rape and murder Editorials published in The Michigan Daily are written by members of The Daily staff and represent the views of the writers only. NIGHT EDITOR: JANET WATTS committed by Japanese troops trapped by American forces in Manila. His defense proved that at the time he was far away in the hills and had lost touch with the units responsible for most of the outrages. Urged by a radiogram from MacArthur, the trial ended a month after it began. An appeal was made but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to accept jurisdiction, al- though a grave dissent was entered by the, late Justices Frank Murphy and Wiley Rut- ledge. Yamashita was hanged. This year "The Case of General Yama- shita," written by A. Frank Reel, a former U.S. Army captain who helped defend Yam- ashita, was published. It is a clear, lucid and damning report of a terrible fumbling by our country and Army of the right of any individual to a fair and unbiased trial. Not long ago a Tokyo newspaper publish- ed a review of Reel's book. *CAP, which MacArthur declares does not interfere with freedom of the press in Japan, informed Japanese publishers and editors that it would not be "advisable" to mention or pub- lish the book. The dictum has been scrupu- lously observed. The fact that Yamashita was executed on such seemingly insufficient evidence is regrettable. Under stress of war, however, men do strange things and our army's ac- tion might possibly be explained in this light. What should be of greater concern to ev- ery American is the withholding of the facts of our mistake from the Japanese. Some- time the truth will get out, possibly before we withdraw our troops from Japan, cer- tainly afterward. When it does, our re- pressive acts under the Occupation will not have enhanced its beauty. -Richard Thomas ON THE Washington Merry-Go-Round WITH DREW PEARSON WASHINGTON-Harry Truman and Har- old Ickes, both men of positive opinions and quick tempers, had a long and friendly talk the other day. There was a time when the two almost spit in each other's face over the question of making oilman Ed Pauley Undersecretary of the Navy, but the other day all past unpleasantness evaporated as the two discussed New York politics and Indian affairs. It was because of Ickes' interest in In- dians that he was first made Secretary of the Interior 17 years ago. He had been recommended merely as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, but at the last minute FDR made him Secretary of the Interior in - stead. One of the things Ickes talked to Truman about was the plight of the Navajos and the veto of a bill just passed by Congress putting the Navajos under the state laws of Arizona and New Mexico. The Catholic Church has been worried over the divorce and remarriage systems of the Navajos by which they merely ap- pear before their own tribal authorities if they wish to divorce. However, both Ickes and Truman felt that the Indians were entitled to their ancient tribal customs. Furthermore, Ickes was sus- picious that the move to put the Navajos under state laws, while sincere on the part of the church, was a blind on the part of tlie politicians to take over their water rights. He suspected the big New Mexican cat- tlemen and ranches-most of them Re- publicans, but some of them contributing nonetheless to Democratic senator Clinton Anderson-of engineering this part of the bill through Congress. Anderson, inci- dentally, had telephoned Secretary of the Interior Julius Krug during the Senate debate urging Krug to accept the amend- ment putting the Indians (and their water rights) under state laws. Krug agreed and the amendment stayed in. However, President Truman took the un- usual step of slapping down his Secretary of the Interior and vetoing the Navajo bill. WHAT'S WRONG WITH NAVY NO BATTLESHIP ADMIRAL is more pro- Navy than Ferdinand Eberstadt, close friend of Secretary Forrestal and long a power in the civilian circles behind the Navy Yet in 1945, Eberstadt wrote a realistic re-p port that gives some idea what Secretary of the Navy Matthews and Chief of Naval Op- erations Sherman are now up against in try- ing to keep the admirals in line. No one can accuse Eberstadt of being prejudiced against the Navy. Yet here is what he reported to then Secretary of the Navy Forrestal in 1945: "There is, always has been, and always will be as long as the principle of individual responsibility and exclusive authority is con- tinued, a centrifugal force in the depart- ment of the Navy that the usual secretary, possessed of fragmentary knowledge, cannot withstand. What all this means superficially is that the Navy department is a defective administrative mechanism - it provides no adequate device by which subordinate agen- cies may be made immediately responsive to the will of a central intelligence ... "Under such conditions," continued Eberstadt, "it is inevitable that the admin- istration of the Navy has been entrusted primarily to the individual bureaus. The Supreme civil authority in ordinary times is, in practice, isolated from the real activ- ity of the organization over which he pre- sides .. . "At the best, as one secretary recently pointed out, he has acted ordinarily as an umpire between the bureau chiefs when they disagree; but it should be added, he has per- force to act as an umpire with no very cer- tain grasp of the rules of the game." * * * ADMIRALS' VESTED INTEREST "IT IS INTERESTING," Eberstadt added, to investigate the reasons why the Navy department has been held on an adminis- trative dead center; to discover the sources of the tremendous inertia that has opposed successfully the centralization of authority in the department for a century. "First, there is the attitude of naval., officers, themselves. Those men associated with the bureaus have traditionally and naturally found it desirable to preserve the integrity of their vested interests . . . Each knows, almost by instinct, where sources of authority can be found; where roads to promotion lie, where he fits in the scheme of things. Within this rigid framework all officers know how to deal with each other, with secretaries, with Congressmen, and with the public ... " Yet, even though Eberstadt pointed out the pitfalls, Forrestal was never able to re- form the Navy. And the continued bickering of the admirals was one thing that con- tributed to his nervous breakdown. MERRY-GO-ROUND PRESIDENT TRUMAN has received in- formation-so far not conclusive-that the Russian atom bomb went off premature- ly-probably by accident. Most effective tactic against Louis John- son in the opinion of Navy men is to pro- mote him for President in 1952. This, they figure, is the easiest way to get Truman jealous. Secretary of the Treasury John Snyder holds four honorary degrees, but he nevet graduated from college. The highest school he ever completed was Jonesboro high school of Jonesboro, Ark. Chief G-Man J. Edgar Hoover, whose business is hunting criminals, also hunts for antiques in his spare time. He has an exL pert taste for old bronzes. (copyright, 1949, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) "Prosperity and civilization are far from being synonymous terms. The working com- munity that is suddenly glutted by an af- flux of work and wages is in exactly the same position as the savage who is sudden- ly enabled to fill himself with a rich mass of decaying blubber. It is prosperity; it is not civilization." -Havelock Ellis, in "The Task of Social Hygiene" MATTER OFFACT: GermanIssues By JOSEPH and STEWART ALSOP ASHINGTON-If the cabled exchanges W which led up to the current Paris meet- ing.of the American, British, and French foreign ministers were published, they would reveal two deeply significant facts. The first is that British Foreign SecretaryiErnest Bevin takes an extraordinarily serious view of what is happening in Germany. The second fact is that Secretary of State Dean Acheson has now made the project for continental economic union, first put forward by E.C.A. chief Paul Hoffman, th number one objective of American foreign policy. Taken together, these two facts ex- plain what the conference is all about. * * * THE TONE of Bevin's cable to Acheson and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, proposing the conference, is re- markably somber. He stated flatly that the moral authority of the allies in German was being rapidly destroyed. And he went on to say: "We cannot afford to wait until our whole dismantling policy collapses about our ears and the Western powers are publicly humiliated in front of the Germans." Bevin called on his American and French opposite numbers to face and deal with this deteriorating situation before it got completely out of hand. As an interim measure, he proposed that the dismantling program be suspended almost entirely, until a rational substitute program could be worked out with the West German gov- ernment of Dr. Konrad Adenauer. But in his cable Bevin made it clear that he con- siders dismantling of German plants only the most immediate German issue to be faced. Bevin called for a review of all the basic issues of allied policy in Germany- a peace treaty for Western Germany, German par- ticipation in the international control of the Ruhr, the relation between Western Ger- many's economy and the rest of the conti- nent's, and so on. In short, what Bevin has proposed is a root-and-branch recasting of Western policy in Germany. * * * THIS IS GOING pretty far. But Acheson undoubtedly intends to go even further, as a message which he sent to Bevin shortly before he left for Paris suggests. Acheson intends to discuss, not only the future of Germany, but the future of Western Europe. For in his message to Bevin, Acheson put the greatest possible emphasis on continental economic union. He told Bevin that the American government believed it absolutely essential that the economies of the Western European continental nations be meshed into each other. He went on to say that he fully under- stood that the economy of Britain itself could not be integrated into that of the continent. This important statement by Acheson reflects a major American policy decision, first reported in this space-that for all sorts of reasons British participa- tion in a European economic union is im- practical. However, Acheson informed his British opposite number, he was disturbed by the apparently negative attitude which the Brit- ish were taking to the continental union project. This attitude, he implied, was un- dermining the whole project. Active British leadership and support for the project was essential to its success. * * * THIS TWO-WAY exchange indicates the major issues with which the three for- eign ministers must come to grips in Paris. The British and Americans are agreed that some way must be found to strengthen the West German regime against the challenge of the Soviet Union's East German puppet state. Yet the French (although Schuman himself does not categorically oppose an end to dismantling) deeply fear a revival of Ger- many. The Americans propose both to restore the economy of Western Europe, and to meet these French fears, by promoting an economic union of the continent. This un- ion would consist at first of Italy, France, and the Benelux countries. But ultimately Western Germany would be brought in as an integral part of the union, thus becoming part of a larger whole. The French favor the union idea, and in- deed have been its principle continental sponsors. But the French fear that a un- ion including Germany but. excluding Brit- ain would be dominated in the end by Ger- many. As for the British, they want no part of the union for themselves, and further- more most of the British policy-makers pri- vately consider the whole idea, to put it mildly, "unrealistic." Thus a kind of circular impasse between the three major Western nations has come into being. It is this impasse which is occu- pying Acheson, Bevin, and Schuman in Paris. Certainly it will not be broken in a mere two or three days. But at least the fact of the widening breach between the three allies is being faced, and the attempt to deal with it has begun. (Copyright, 1949, New York Herald Tribune, Inc.) XZetteP4 TO THE EDITOR The Daily welcomes communications from its readers on matters of general interest, and will publish all letters which are signed by the writer and in good taste. Letters exceeding 300 words in length, defamatory or libelous letters, and letters which for any reason are not in good taste will be condensed, edited, or withheld from publication at the discretion of the editors. "Want Me To Help Unify You Again?" c s 7 BJTA FtMII 6.t: .4/ DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN Co-op Bookstore .. . To the Editor: A FER READING the item in Friday's paper about Mr. Hugh Greenberg's opinion on the co- operative bookstore, I had to laugh. Obviously, Mr. Greenberg doesn't know much about coop- eratives, bookstores, or coopera- tive bookstores. It might be enlightening to him to know that although coopera- tive bookstores do charge the reg- ular price for new books, at the end of each semester they can pay dividends in the form of re- bates in cash, running as high as 20 per cent of all purchases made by the student during that semes- ter. (I refer you to the Co-op Bookstore, University of Texas, Austin, Tex., where they also give very good service to their custom- ers, which seems to be unexpected of the privately-owned bookstores here.) It really is too bad that Mr. Greenberg is so set against the cooperative bookstore, for I feel that there is a definite need here for an efficient bookstore. -Charles R. Carlton * * * Garg Sellout... To the Editor: IWOULD LIKE to extend my congratulations to the staff of the Gargoyle on their recent sell- out. And after reading only one issue, I'll bet two bits that they don't sell out again for another 26 years. -J. M. Clark, Jr. * * * Voting Plan .. . To the'Editor: IN HIS editorial yesterday Jim Brown supported the system of vote counting for the J-Hop elec- tion which the SL adopted last week. Yet last week Jim was one of several SL members who declined to vote on the question because he felt, as many others did, that the proposal was rammed through the SL meeting in the closing min- utes without any pretext of ade- quate discussion and without any opportunity for those who favored the substitution of the Hare sys- tem to present that suggestion. Some of us believe that SL has a responsibility to intelligently discuss a major election rule change such as this before making a decision. We will seek to have the question reconsidered tonight., Certainly, as Jim Brown pointed out, the old system encouraged block voting. Under it 35% or less of the voters could determine the selection of all nine committee members. A choice between the system SL adopted last week and the Hare system depends upon the objec- tives a system seeks to achieve. I believe that a representative body such as SL or the J-Hop committee which act in behalf of a constituency should contain an accurate cross-section of the vot- ers who select it. The Hare system of proportional representation accomplishes just that. Its basic principle is that everyone's vote counts and counts only once. Thus if 1800 juniors voted, each J-Hop member would have had the support and be repre- sentative of 200 different people. The weighted vote supporters claim their method allows your vote to count more than once. But, as in the old system, it may not count at all. They do not explain that as the voter gives 9 points to his second choice, 8 to his third, etc., he is actually detracting from his first place vote. Consequently we can expect campaigns to get candi- dates' friends to vote only once so as not to detract from the support given the first place vote. If he still doesn't win, the votes are lost. Weighed voting supporters urge its use as an "experiment." It is a very confusing arnd uncertain experiment. SL, I believe, has a duty not to experiment but to Tea 'n Talk: 4-6 p.m., 3d lounge, Presbyterian Church. floor Wesleyan Guild: 4-5:30 p.m., Do-Drop-In. Infor- mal get-together. 6:30 p.m., Pot Luck Supper. 7:30 p.m., Bible Study Seminar. 8:30 p.m., Program committee meeting. Michigan Christian Fellowship: Prayer meeting, 7 p.m.; Bible study groups, 7:30 p.m., Lane Hall, Upper Room. Orthodox Student's Society: Business Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Lane Hall. (Continued from Page 2) Strawinsky, Charles Jones, and Schumann. Open to the public. Organ Recital: The first in a se- ries of four Wednesday afternoon organ recitals by Robert Noehren, University Organist, will be pre- sented at 4:15 p.m., Nov. 9, Hill Auditorium. Program: Bach's Toc- cata, Adagio and Fugue in C ma- jor, Franck's Choral in E major, Vierne Stele pour un enfant de- funt, and the Sonata entitled "The 84th Psalm," by Reubke. The pub- lic is invited. Student Recital: Edward Trou- pin, violinist, will present a pro- gram in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music at 8:30 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, Rackham Assem- bly Hall. Mr. Troupin is a pupil of Gilbert Ross. Program: works by Beethoven, Bach, Piston and Ravel. The public is invited. Events Today Agenda for Engine Council Meeting: 7:30 p.m., 302 W. Engi- neering Annex. A. Cabinet report B. Committee reports: Craft Shop Mentor System Project Smoker C. Old business Change of grading system D. New business Introduction of new consti- tution for consideration Social Ethics Discussion: 7:15 p.m., Lane Hall. ulty: Tea, 4 to 6 p.m., 4th floor clubroom, League. Coming Events U. of M. Radio Club: Organiza- tion Meeting, Thurs., Nov. 10, 1084 E. Engineering. Amateur radio en- thusiasts invited. Delta Sigma Pi presents Joseph P. Wolff, Commissioner of Build- ing and Safety Engineering, De- troit, speaking on "Management's Responsibility for Safety in In- dustry." 8 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, 130 Business Administration. Graduate Outing Club: Party at the Intramural Bldg., Fri., Nov. 11. Meet 7:15, N.W. entrance of Rackham Bldg., or 7:30 in lobby of I-M Bldg. Bring bathing suits and/or gym clothes. Visitors' Night, Department of Astronomy: 7:45 p.m., Nov. 11, Angell Hall. Dr. D. B. McLaugh- lin will give a short talk entitled "The Nature of Stars" in 3017 An- gell Hall. Following the talk the student observatory, fifth floor, Angell Hall, will be open for ob- servations with the telescopes provided the sky is clear. Children must be accompanied by adults. U. of M. Hostel Club: Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Lane Hall, Thurs., Nov. 10. Ski pics. Everyone welcome. Hillel Social Committee: Meet- ing, 4:15 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, Rm. 3K, Union. Final arrangements for this Saturday night's big dance. All welcome. Hillel - I.Z.F.A.: Hebrew class, 8 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, League. Everyone welcome. Mich. Dames: General Meeting will not meet on Nov. 8, but will meet Nov. 15 in the General As- sembly Room, Rackham Bldg. "Recess Time" Party: 8 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, Ballroom, League. Sponsored by professional educa- tional organizations of the Uni- versity of Michigan. Student-Faculty Hour: 4-5 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, Grand Rapids Room, League. Honoring the his- tory dept. Refreshments. American Society of Civil Engi- neers: Student Chapter will hold a joint meeting with the chapters of Michigan State, Univesity of Detroit, University of Toledo, and Wayne University, 8 p.m., Thurs,, Nov. 10, Architecture Auditorium. Speaker: Franklin Thomas, A.S.- C.E.'s national president. International Center Weekly Tea: 4:30-6 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 10, for all Foreign students and Am- erican friends. Michigan Crib: Meeting, Thurs., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., Kellogg Audi- torium. Guest speaker: Edward N. Barnard, trial lawyer from De- troit. Reception will follow, Rm. 3R, Union. 1Midt gn Z iI -1 Baptist 6 p.m., House. Student "Chat": 4:30 to Roger Williams Guild choose the best possible system. election -Tom Walsh * * * 'Slush Bowl' , . To the Editor: YUGOSLAVIA will remain for a long time a classic example of the hypocritical blunders of our foreign policy. There are those who need pencil and paper to add one-digit num- bers. Unfortunately this group is in the majority and probably will remain so until the end of the next war. Yugoslavia under Tito six months ago was reported as the "butchering tyrant" by many American newspapers. Three years ago he shot down five American aviators. But now, very recently in Congress, Tito was referred to as an "enlightened despot." What kind of "slush bowl" is this? Again I repeat,.this is for those who need pencil and paper to add one-digit numbers-the majority. Our government will take any "ism" under their bosom regardless of their internal structure and nourish it with guns, ammunition and capital investment. The only qualification needed is a gun pointed at Moscow. The moral of the story, and a very sad one, is not a fight against Communism or any other ism; but rather, a fight against Russia (which will inevitably eventuate in another war.) IMPORTANT: I am not imply- ing to any degree that Russia is 100 per cent correct, and we have been absolutely wrong; nor am I implying as a solution complete appeasement. I am saying, how- ever, that we too have blundered. And to put myself on the spot I'll say-equally. And as a possible solution, I will quote Nehru: "We can prevent war by working for peace." -Ray Franklin. Canterbury Club: 7:30-10 p.m.; Rev. and Mrs. Burt are at home, 702 Tappan, to all Episcopal stu- dents. Union Membership Cards: For the benefit of men unable to se- cure Union Cards during regular office hours, 3-5, the student of- fices will be open tonight from .7-8:30 to issue membership cards. Cashier receipts are necessary. Student Legislature Meeting: 8 p.m., Rm. 3G, Union. Agenda: I. Committee reports II. Old business Report on suggestions from last elections III. New business Proposal for referendum on discriminatory application blanks Arts Chorale: Regular meeting, 7 p.m., Rm. B, Haven Hall. All members should be present. Con- cert will be Nov. 29. Folk and Square Dance Club: Meeting, 7-9:30 p.m., W.A.B. Spe- cial guests: Chi Psi, Camp Coun- selors, Chicago House. Everyone invited. Flying Club: Meeting, 7:30 p.m., 1042 E. Engineering. Election of Board members. West Quad Radio Club: Meet- ing, 7:30 p.m., "shack", 5th floor, Williams House. U. of M. 7:30 p.m., Bldg. Sailing Club: Meeting, 311 W. Engineering Fifty-Ninth Year Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan under the authority of the Board- in Control of Student Publications. Editorial Staff Leon Jaroff........Managing tor Al Blumrosen..............Ciy Eitot Philip Dawson.......EditoriaV Director Mary Stein...........Associate Editor Jo Misner...........Associate Editor George Walker.......Associate Editor Don McNeil.......... Associate Editor Alex Lmanian......Photography Editor Pres Holmes........Sports Co-Editor Merle Levin.........Sports Co-Editor Roger Goelz.....Associate Sports Editor Miriam Cady........Women's Editor Lee Kaltenbach..Associate Women's Ed. Joan King....................Librarian Allan Cdamage......Assistant Librarian Business Staff Roger Wellington.... .Business Manager Dee Nelson.. Associate Business Manager Jim Dangi......Advertising Manager Bernie Aidinoff...Finance Manager Ralph Ziegler......Circulation Manager Telephone 23-24-1 Member of The Associated Press The AssociateduPress is erclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or otherwise credited to this newspdpe All rights of republication of all other matters herein are also reserved. Entered at the Post Office at Ana Arbor, Michigan, as second-clas mail matter. Subscription during the regular school year by cu*rier. $5.00, by mail, $6.00. U. of M. Rifle Club: Postal Match with U. of Washington, 8 p.m., ROTC range. Practice 7-9:30. Young Progressives: Education- al meeting, 7:30 p.m., 1018 Angell Hall. Discussion on racial discrim- ination. U. of M. Theatre Guild: General meeting, 7:30 p.m. Scabbard and Blade: Meeting, 7:30 p. m., North Hall. Women of the University Fac- ,BARiNABY ., ..But first, a word about t abberaosties--- Mr. Saarks! My a . \ ~But irst ~'i ~rd ihc~uf F~~bl-,rnnd- U hnf'c,, rh~ UTL.. .. n. E . U'. n C15 . U U /y - I A IIi'. vn- v^t in 5 That's a cute' Tho nnn ...;+1. +ho = AAA C......L..i AA- C-:-.. m I Ii 'Al I