bookrebus Chapter 699 General Mai is unhappy
Chapter 699 General Mai is unhappy
At the same time, a program called Special Labor Services was also launched.
The targets were former Japanese soldiers, retired officers, members of far-right groups, and young adults who had been arrested but whose crimes were relatively minor and who had not been sentenced to death or long-term imprisonment, as well as those who had been identified as having actively supported the war and those who were insubordinate.
They were organized into labor service teams, dressed in uniform gray coarse cloth work clothes, and under the armed supervision of Nanyang soldiers, they performed the most arduous and dirty public labor.
Relatively speaking, these people are lucky.
Those Japanese soldiers who surrendered in Southeast Asia and were imprisoned in the South China Sea were simply forced to perform the most arduous and exhausting manual labor in the South China Sea.
Of course, compared to the Japanese soldiers who were captured by the Russians and sent to the icy wilderness of Siberia to mine and cut down trees, the former two were relatively lucky.
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Nanyang's series of actions in Japan naturally drew opposition.
Inside the White Eagle headquarters in Tokyo, General MacArthur put down the telegram in his hand, his brow furrowed.
He paced back and forth in his thickly carpeted office, smoking his signature corncob pipe.
Outside the window, the sky over Tokyo in early winter is gray and hazy. The rooftops of the former "Imperial Army" headquarters are now covered with American flags.
The telegram, originating from his intelligence channels in Kyushu and the lamentations of some former Japanese bureaucrats, detailed a series of recent actions by the Nanyang Army in Fukuoka and other places—public trials, public humiliation, large-scale dismantling of industrial equipment, and forced labor.
The wording was filled with anxiety, stating that the actions of the Southeast Asians "went beyond the scope of necessary occupation" and "could seriously damage the foundation of Japan's future economic reconstruction and trigger unpredictable social backlash."
MacArthur exhaled a puff of smoke.
He didn't care that a few Japanese war criminals were hanged, and even welcomed the suppression of the remnants of Japanese militarism in Southeast Asia.
But as the Supreme Allied Commander in Japan, and in effect the "emperor" of Japan, he had an almost obsessive desire to control his blueprint for the democratization and revival of Japan.
This radical technological takeover of Southeast Asia is tantamount to taking away the cheese from his plate, especially those heavy industrial equipment, which are the framework of Japan's envisioned peaceful future industry.
“These Southeast Asians have gone too far,” he muttered to himself.
He needs to give it a nudge, but not too harshly.
After all, Southeast Asia is not a small country that can be easily manipulated. They have cards to play, atomic bombs, and performed impressively in the later stages of the Pacific War. Domestic public opinion is quite favorable towards Southeast Asia.
“Send Harris to Fukuoka,” he instructed his adjutant. “Under the guise of coordinating Allied occupation policies and understanding the local situation. Be formal in your tone, but not too sharp. See how General Qi Quan in Southeast Asia reacts.”
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A few days later, J.R. Harris, a civilian official from the Far East Division of the White Eagle State Department, appeared before Qi Quan.
He was a typical bureaucrat in his forties, with his hair neatly combed and wearing a three-piece suit. He was there on behalf of General Mac, with a professional smile on his face, but there was no smile in his gray eyes.
"General Qi, on behalf of the Allied Supreme Command in Japan and our government, I would like to express my appreciation for your army's outstanding work in maintaining order in Kyushu," Harris began by offering a compliment.
"However, we have recently received some information regarding your practices in the handling of industrial facilities and... certain legal procedures, which may require some coordination with the overall Allied policy toward Japan."
Qi Quan leaned back casually in his chair. With the development of Nanyang to this point, he no longer needed to show any importance to a minor figure like Harris.
He tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers, his expression calm.
"Oh? Mr. Harris, please elaborate. All our military actions strictly adhere to the spirit of the Potsdam Declaration and the relevant memorandum of understanding signed between our Supreme Command and your country in San Francisco."
Harris cleared his throat:
"For example, the dismantling and removal of equipment from large factories such as the Yawata Steel Works and the Nagasaki Shipyard. General, according to the common policy of the Allied Forces, it is necessary to deprive Japan of its war potential, but this should be done to the extent that it prevents its rearmament."
Excessive dismantling of civilian industrial equipment could hinder Japan's future peaceful economic recovery and the restoration of people's livelihoods, which is not in line with our long-term goal of helping Japan build a new peaceful and democratic nation.
Qi Quan laughed, a hint of mockery in his smile: "Civilian industrial equipment? Mr. Harris, you should know better than me how much of the steel produced by Yawata Steel has been used to build tanks and the armor of the Yamato?"
Besides cargo ships, the Nagasaki Shipyard's dry docks are launching more destroyers and submarines.
These are all dual-use facilities that directly served the war of aggression, primarily for military purposes. According to the principles of war reparations, transferring some of these facilities to the victim country as in-kind compensation is entirely reasonable and legal.
He leaned forward, looking directly at Harris:
"We did not bomb the port or burn down the factories. We left enough equipment to maintain basic local livelihoods and repair infrastructure."
As for those sophisticated, large-scale core machines with obvious military potential... Mr. Harris, the engineers and businessmen of the White Eagle, aren't you doing something similar right now in the Ruhr region of Hans?
The difference is that you transported them back to your homeland, while we transported them back to Southeast Asia. Essentially, both were legitimate efforts to weaken the war-fighting capabilities of the defeated nations and reasonable compensation to the victorious nations.
"Besides, you don't even want these Japanese industrial equipment, so why are you stopping us from making use of them..."
Harris was momentarily speechless, then adjusted his strategy: "So, what about the trial and... the method of public display? That might overly provoke the Japanese public and be detrimental to social stability."
"An open and fair trial is the most basic explanation to the victims, and also the most profound demilitarization education for the Japanese society." Qi Quan's tone turned cold. "Does Mr. Harris think that, as some people have suggested, the punishment should be lenient?"
That would only bury the hatred deeper. Only by exposing the evil to the light of day and letting everyone see the true face of militarism can a clear line be drawn.
As for 'provoking emotions'... when their troops are provoking others in Nanjing, Manila, and Singapore, they don't seem to have so many concerns."
Harris was finding it a bit tricky.
Qi Quan's logic is rigorous, his words are sharp, and he stands entirely on the moral and legal high ground.
He recalled the prevailing sentiment in the country: public hatred towards the Japanese had not completely dissipated, and many people in the political and military circles (especially the navy) were happy to see the Japanese suffer. The government's attention was 70% on Europe, 20% on the atomic bomb and demobilization, and only 10% could be allocated to Japan.
The people who are truly concerned about Japan are mainly General Manager Mai and his team.
“General Qi, I understand your country’s position and feelings,” Harris tried to smooth things over. “I just hope that, during the implementation process, more consideration could be given to the overall coordination of the Allied forces, and… a degree of flexibility? For example, the fate of some key equipment could perhaps be submitted to the Allied Council in Tokyo for discussion?”
Qi Quan leaned back in his chair and waved his hand: "Regarding the technical details, our economic officials will follow the list. As for the Allied Council..." He looked at Harris meaningfully, "If the Council is to discuss the allocation of industrial equipment to Japan, then I believe that Luzon, Australia, and even the Republic of China will have a lot to say and a lot of 'lists' to submit."
The situation will likely become even more complicated then. Mr. Harris, are you sure you want to start this discussion?
Harris was speechless.
He knew, of course, that was impossible; it would be a messy affair that would drag on for years and put White Eagle in an awkward position.
Ultimately, the talks yielded no substantial results other than the exchange of some superficial opinions.
Harris left feeling utterly helpless.
Qi Quan watched his retreating figure and said calmly to his adjutant, "The White Eagles sent people to test the waters for power generation in Yangon, but they were turned away. They have differing opinions internally, and General Mai alone can't cause any major problems. I suggest that the equipment dismantling proceed as planned."