Japan's ‘, No Surrender "
In ignoring, and so rejecting, the terms of the proclamation issued by the heads of the British, American and Chinese Govern- ments, Japan has lost the opportunity of surrendering upon stated conditions and has exposed herself to the alternative—the inevita- bility of " complete and utter destruction." None the less, it is well that this statement should stand on record, and that the masses in Japan should know what is in the minds of the Allies and to what obliteration the Japanese are committed by their rulers. The demand, as in the case of Germany, was for unconditional surrender. but it was coupled with a statement of the course the Allies would pursue if surrender was immediate—a qualification never made in the case of Germany. The requirements of the Allies included d s- armament, the elimination of the authority of the war-mak.ng class, the punishment of war criminals, the occupation of paints in Japan- ese territory, the establishment of a new order, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty to her main islands. But Japan was offered the advantage of knowing that she would be permitted to retain her peace industries and have controlled access to raw materials, and that the occupying forces would be withdrawn when the Allies were satisfied. It might be supposed that these are terms which the Allies would be inclined to impose at any time, even though now rejected by the Japanese. But a moment's consideration shows that the continuation of the full offensive, which has become more de- vastating during the last few days, must itself have consequences disastrous to Japan's future, leaving, possibly, such a state of disinte- gration that complete occupation and control by the Allies may be inevitable.
