 The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations present the Pacific stories. In the Mounting Fury of World Conflict, events in the Pacific are taking on ever greater importance. Here is the story of the Pacific and the millions of people who live around this greatest sea. The drama of the people whose destiny is at stake in the Pacific War. Here as another public service is the tale of the war in the Pacific and its meaning to us and to the generations to come. Tonight's Pacific story, Conquest by Japanization, comes to you as another public service with drama of the past and present. Featured on tonight's program also is Corporal Willard E. Hall of Portland, Oregon. One of the survivors of the Japanese prison ship Torpedoed by an American submarine. Conquest by Japanization. The fishing boats may be the same ones which recently were in communication with units of the Japanese. By 1938, the Japanese Nan Shinran, or March to the South, was well underway. For years before this, with gold and insidious propaganda, they'd been laying the groundwork for their coming invasion. The Japanese generals in Tokyo knew all about Singapore. It is an island on the southern tip of the Meret Peninsula. The city of Singapore is on the south shore of the island. On the British naval base is here on the north shore. A Japanese finger indicates the naval base on a detailed chart. Singapore is fairly small, 217 square miles, but it is important. By important, he means this. Singapore has an excellent harbor, one of the busiest ports in the Far East. Singapore commands only shipping through the states of Singapore. There is a causeway from the island to the mainland, and this carries both a highway and a railroad. The Japanese generals knew all this. They had ambitious plans for Singapore. They spoke of Nanyo. Nanyo is the land of the southern seas. And they spoke of Nan Shinran. Nan Shinran is the doctrine of the March to the South. The lands of the South, where they would someday march, which they would someday invade and seize and occupy. So they needed detailed information and they got it. The Apostle Singapore is one of the most beautiful in the world. Japanese NYK steamships passed in full view of the city, within three miles of the shore. The three most fascinating views are the one across the states of Johara at the causeway. The gap over the Paseer Panjang Hills and the east coast road where it skirts the beach and the headwind. The Japanese got these facts in pictures, photographs by the hundreds. In the meantime, they were penetrating Singapore and its back country and all the surrounding vicinity. In Singapore itself, they set up business. This is the Nippon Bayaku Kaisha. We deal in drugs, chemicals, surgical, and dental instruments. This is Yakuko Sangyo. We operate a fishing fleet. We deal in fish and shellfish and fishing tackle. And also in land and marine engines. This is Daiido Yoko. We deal in cartons and porcelains. Other Japanese went into the bicycle business, the curio business. Some set themselves up as photographers, taxidermists, barbers, or restaurant operators. They're becoming more and more numerous here. They're becoming more numerous all over Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. They seem to be taking advantage of the world's oppression by flooding these markets with their cheap goods. There's even more than that. Yes? Yes. They tried to ship their goods in by Japanese vessels, handle the transactions through Japanese banks, and sell the goods to Japanese firms. Build a Japanese monopoly? That's what they're working toward. And there is still a more dangerous angle. Singapore here is one of the most important naval bases in the Far East. The more Japanese we have here, the more eyes there are on Singapore. The Japanese set up companies in Japan and in Formosa to develop trade in the South Seas. They took note of the fact that 85% of the world's rubber and 80% of the world's tin comes from the region of the Dutch Indies and Malaya. They noted the iron mines in the Philippines and in Malaya. The oil and box site in the Dutch Indies. They contrived to lay the groundwork for the day when they would move in and try to take them over. You misunderstand us. But Mr. Niko, you as a Japanese consul here should know that Japan has nowhere near the investment out here that the British and the Dutch and the Americans and the Chinese have. What you must see is that although Japan seems to sell more here in proportion to her investment here, we buy great quantities of your products such as the rubber and tin and scrap iron and oil. But for the past few years, Japan has been supplying the bulk of the imports in this region. For it must not be supposed that Japan's investments here are small. We have $68 million invested in the cultivation of rubber and $34 million invested in mining. Besides that, we are spending great amounts of money in the development of oil production in the Indies. Like a giant amoeba, they spread to the southward, filling every nook and cranny. They would establish Japanese channels of trade within the countries, and when they were established, they would expand them. And while businessmen were doing this, there were other evidences of the growing interest of the Japanese. You see? There they are, down there in the woods. Yes, five of them. Interesting places for them to have a picnic. Right up here in the Paseo Pang Zhang Hills. Yes, right in the vicinity of the gap. Let's go down and have a talk with them. Come along. I have an idea that there's more to this than on the surface. We are only having a picnic out here. Why do you select this place to have your picnic? Oh, very present here. Very quiet. Work hard every day. Come out here to rest. What is your name? The name Ikotaro Ogawa. What is your work? What do you do? I am carpenter. Carpenter? Oh, yes. You have a shop near the causeway, don't you? Don't understand. Causeway? Causeway. The concrete bridge across the water to the mainland. Oh, yes. Bridge, yes. I very busy work every day, so come out to rest. Were you out on the East Coast Road or three or four weeks ago? Three, four weeks? I can't remember. Out in a picnic like this, near the headland. I remember him now. Same chap. Oh, yes. It's Sunday afternoon. Very nice day. You liked it out there? Yes. Very nice. Very nice. What's that you've got in your hand? Let me see it. This? Or this picture? Very bad. Very bad with paint. What does this look like to you? I'd say it's a pretty good likeness of the gap through the hills here. What is this for? Oh, nothing. No good. You like? Yes. You haven't missed any details. You like you keep. Thank you. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to move out of here. The picnics are not permitted in these hills. Japanese workmen, almost inconspicuous before this, now seem to be found at strategic points everywhere, at desolate spots along the coast, at out-of-the-way inlet, in houses in the vicinity of the naval base, and in fishing boats, not only in the immediate vicinity of Singapore, but at the strategic point throughout the Indies and Malaya. Confidential, Japanese fishing boats are operating in Torres Straits between Australia and New Guinea. Confidential, Japanese fishing boats with antennas for short-wave transmitting and receiving have been spotted in Malacca Passage between the Celebes and the Malacca. Confidential, Japanese fishing boats are still anchored in the Straits of Makassar between Borneo and the Celebes. They've not moved for 10 days. We believe they're taking sounding. Confidential, a powerful big Japanese motor launch has made contact with three Japanese fishing boats in the Thunder Sea, eastern, northeast of Singapore. Patrol planes scanning the seas kept a close watch on the fishing boats. When the planes came upon the boats suddenly, they sometimes spotted radio antennas rigged aboard them. But when they turned around and came back for a closer look, the antenna invariably were gone. Only when the boats violated territorial waters could they be brought in. It appears that this is one of the three boats that made contact with a big Japanese motor launcher. Is there any evidence that it also made contact with Japanese vessels? Then let me know, sir. We brought it in because it was inside territorial waters. Yes, yes, I understand. Not much question, but it's been used to collect information and do intelligence work. And for smuggling. That's the sideline. Sir, it's the entire boat, sir. This is what we've found. Hope you may. Yes, sir. Not very much of it. Do you find a transmitter? Not a transmitter, no, sir. But there's a place below where they had one rigged. Oh, probably dumped it overboard and they were overtaken by our vessel. Yes, sir. Well, take the crew ashore and put a guard on the boat until we can make a complete investigation. There will be probably international complications unless we can bring a definite charge against these three Japanese. Yes. This Japanese here, he's the captain of the boat. He wants to speak with you. Very well. Bad weather is blowing up. We request that you permit us to move the boat across the estuary to the shelter of the dock. Across the estuary? The boat would not be safe here in a storm. Well, there should be no objection to that. Paulette? Yes, sir. Let the crew take the boat across the estuary under guard, then have the guard bring in the crew. Yes, sir. Thank you very much, sir. We are very grateful for the consideration. The Japanese fishing boat with three guards aboard, headed out across the estuary as the storm blew up at twilight. Two hours later, one of the guards, dripping wet, made his way back to headquarters. We were out about in the middle of the estuary when it happened, sir. It was getting rather dark, and the water was pretty choppy. I don't know exactly what happened, but they must have jumped on us all at once. The first thing I knew, we were in the water, three of us. They must have knocked the other two out because they went down within a couple of minutes. The last thing I saw was that jet boat heading down the estuary and out to sea. From the many fishing boats at sea and from the carpenters and barbers and photographers ashore, information bundled into the Japanese headquarters on Famosa and into the military high command in Tokyo. And as assiduously as they worked at this, they also worked on something else, propaganda. You cooperate with these white oppressors. They work off your ass. This was the line of the Japanese propaganda. You, like us Japanese, are oriental. The heel of the oppressor is on you as it is on up. Many listen to the Japanese. Do not be deceived by the oppressor. If you support them, you are only tightening the yoke about your neck. They wish to keep you down so that they can export you for their benefit. They are against us because they know that they cannot deceive us. But what will you Japanese do for us? We will say that you'll profit by your own efforts. We, all of us orientals, will work together for prosperity. And as one of us is prosperous, all of us will be prosperous. This can never be until we are free. Japan will free you. Some believed what they were told. Others were cynical. But with books and papers and pamphlets, the propaganda continued. And while some of the propaganda was spread by Japanese, much of it was spread through natives in the pay of the Japanese. And much of it was spread by rumors. The Japanese are coming down to take Singapore and all of Malaysia. The Japanese are getting ready to come down to Indochina and Thailand and take all of Southeast Asia. The Japanese are going to take India back to India. Did you hear Japanese soldiers have already landed in Borneo and up above it in Malaysia for questions? Did you hear the Japanese are going to throw out the British and the French and the Dutch and take over Europe? You better cooperate with the Japanese here now or when the Japanese army comes in, you will lose everything. Rumors filled the air. Gradually, there was no way to tell truth from fraud. If the Japanese are coming, they will lose them. How do you know they are coming? The carpenter, Hikotaro Ogawa said so. How does Hikotaro Ogawa know? He knows about many things. He says many things as he says he is a carpenter. But did you ever see him do any carpenter work? How does he get his money? You are being stubborn and foolish. The credulous natives became unwitting informers on the less credulous ones. And the Japanese agents like Hikotaro Ogawa reported their information to the Japanese consuls. It is not that he is against us, Mr. Niko. He simply does not believe. Or he has considerable influence among his people. Is he not? That's a great deal. Yes. Yes. We will invite him along with the others to visit Japan as our guest. I will see that he is invited through the proper channels. In Japan, the Tumele leaders were lavishly entertained, showered with gifts, indoctrinated with the Japanese concept of the greater East Asia co-prosperity. And they were watched. One responded to this indulgence, the other did not. You will completely ignore the one who does not respond. He is to be regarded as an outcast. You understand? The other was stated and indulged. And when he was thoroughly indoctrinated, was returned to his home with honors. For the edification of those of his people over whom he wielded some influence, he published at the behest of the Japanese a pamphlet of his experiences in Japan. Among the peoples of the earth, none are so hospitable as the Japanese. None so courteous, none so masterful in the art of living. With gentle little people with a cherry blossom. What nation has made such spectacular progress as Japan? He's quoting almost verbatim what the Japanese taught him. The cream of the Japanese youth is engrossed in the great past in China. I had been told that because of this, Japan's vigor had ebbed away and that the Japanese people were in despair. But when I stepped ashore in Japan, I found that was not true. Every piece of ground that could be peeled was under cultivation. The industries were busy day and night. Now, I have come back to tell you that Japan has showed us the way. And if we are to prosper with Japan, it must be our way. We're taking him completely in. Under the surface, the Japanese fanned every small spark of discontent. To drive a wedge between the native peoples and the various administrations, they directed their attention not only to the economic life of the peoples, but also to their religions. The Japanese understand us Muslims and they understand our way of life. We must draw closer toward them for they are the protectors of Islam. This was one of the young Muslims sent by the Japanese on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Arabia and whose subsequently were used by the Japanese to spread the doctrine of the Japanese among the Mohammedans. But by 1940, the Japanese were becoming even bolder. There is Mr. Tomohashi, sir. Yes, thank you. Mr. Tomohashi, how do you do? Mr. Tomohashi, could I see your papers? Oh, of course. Here. Here they are. Thank you. You come here as a representative of the Yefuko Sangyo Company? Oh, yes, sir. And what do you do while you're here? Oh, the company, the Yefuko Sangyo, operates our fishing fleet here as perhaps you know. Oh, yes, yes, I know about your company. We sell a fish and a sailfish and fishing tackles and we sell marine engines and land engines and we operate a farm. Yes, yes, I know all that, but what will you do here? Oh, I am an auditor. I have come here to look over our various properties to figure out depreciation, you understand, and to estimate our replacement. Then your interest will be pretty well restricted to the Yefuko Sangyo properties. Oh, of course. Well, that's all, Mr. Tomohashi. Here are your papers. Oh, thank you, sir. Hey, good day to you. Good day. Well, how do you think, sir? That man is a spy. Throughout his stay, Tomohashi was watched. He visited all of the properties specified in his papers. The fishing boats, the warehouses, the shops, the foundry. But each time he made an inspection, he was visited by several people. And when his allotted time was up in Singapore, he prepared to leave. I am honored that you have come down to the harbor to see me off. Thank you, Mr. Tomohashi. I trust your visit has been satisfactory. Oh, yes, sir, quite satisfactory. Thank you. Well, a good part. Just one moment, Mr. Tomohashi. Oh, hello, Harle. Hello, sir. Mr. Tomohashi, is this large envelope yours? Uh, oh, yes. Yes, sir, where is it? Well, unfortunately, the stevedore has dropped your luggage. One of your cases opened a bit, and this envelope fell out. Until after the case has been closed and taken aboard ship. Oh, thank you. Thank you very much. Well, goodbye to you. Mr. Tomohashi, would you be good enough to come back to the office for this? Unfortunately, I must board the ship immediately. That envelope, Mr. Tomohashi, no longer contains the charts and photographs that were in it. There's only scratch paper in it now. Oh, there must be some mistake. Excellent, Harle. For a moment, I was afraid you would not get here in time. Unfortunately, we shall have to detain you, Mr. Tomohashi. I must have stayed on the ship. If you will just come along with us, Mr. Tomohashi, you'll be able to check over these charts. Tomohashi had secured information, not only from his Japanese agents, but also from various of the native leaders. By the time he was released, the Japanese methods were clear. But now the war had broken out in Europe. Now, Hitler had moved into the low countries, into Denmark and Norway. Now the Nazi hordes had swept over France. And now with Britain fighting for her life and Poland out of the war, the Japanese started their long-planned Nanshin Run, the march to the south. This was 1940. Now is the time to strike. The Japanese leaders traveled to Formosa to confer with the Japanese General's staff. We know all of the native leaders. We know which ones we come depend on and which ones we must dispose of. We must continue to keep in contact with them. They believe as we do, that the ideal opportunity will soon be here. The ideal opportunity is coming, but it is not yet time. Oh, we must take care, General, that the ideal time does not pass. Britain, nor France, nor Holland is able to carry on a war in the Pacific at this time. But they may be able to fight a rater. Not if our intelligence from Germany is to be relied upon. Go back. You will know in ample time when the ideal time comes. Through the last months of 1940 and the tenth months of 1941, astute observers saw the growing threat to Singapore, to Malaya, Thailand and Burma, to the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. The Japanese have now driven southward from their positions in northern Indochina and occupied all of Indochina. That puts the Japanese in the great port of Saigon, only a little more than 650 miles from Singapore. It is therefore... Nanshin Run, which had so long been a theory, suddenly became a reality. At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese swarmed over Singapore. Over the radio, Japanese spokesmen addressed the peoples of the lands they occupied. We have come to liberate you, to make you a member in the greater East Asia co-prosperity sphere. Japan has no territorial ambitions. Japan only respects the existing sovereignty of this land, against which she has been compelled to take military measures. Do you need help? Japanese carpetbaggers came in with the army. Men like Mr. Tomohashi, the auditor, and the Japanese who had worked so long underground, now came out. Men like Mr. Nikko, the consul, and Mr. Ogawa, the carpenter. This area will be Japanized at once. This was Mr. Nikko. All schools have been closed. They will be opened one by one with Japanese in supervision. The Japanese textbooks we brought along will be used. The Japanese language will be compromised. Western languages were to be barbed. This was the first indication of what was happening to happen in this respect. The peoples of these territories which have now been liberated by the Japanese are still deeply imbued with the Western ideas of the Americans, the British, and the Dutch. You people must be purged of all these ideological effrudes. This was Mr. Tomohashi. The greater East Asia War is a war of thought and of culture. The eradication of American and of British influence is our most pressing, immediate duty. There will be no war. And as for the Mohammedans, there was a message for them too from Mr. Ogawa, the carpenter who talked of Japan as the protector of Islam. Shinto will be introduced in all occupied lands. Shinto, the idealization of our empire. For practical purposes, the conquered lands became vassal lands to Japan. By design, there were to be not pro-partners, but were to be Japanized. To be reduced to the same relationship as that of the Koreans to Japan. It must be realized, Mr. Tomohashi, that certain deep-seated animosity will be fostered by these measures. We are aware that it will take a year. But to accomplish that and with a greater haste, we have set up social organization clubs of many kinds to convert the native people. They are studying our history and our culture. And as soon as they will come to see the wisdom of our way. Yes. But let us take care that we do not in this process promote an actual dislike for all single Japanese. This is one aspect of the war in the Pacific. To present another, the national broadcasting company brings to the microphone Corporal Willard E. Hall, a former prisoner of the Japanese. Corporal Hall, who is 25, became a prisoner at the fall of the 10. He was held first at Kabana Twan and later in Davao. Last September, he was one of 750 prisoners loaded on a Japanese prison ship, presumably bound for Japan. The Japanese ship was torpedoed by an American submarine. Corporal Willard swam a shore. He suffered an injury to his left knee and today is still trying to gain back the 80 pounds he lost as a prisoner of the Japanese. He holds the Purple Heart in presidential citation with two oak leaf clusters. Ladies and gentlemen, Corporal Willard E. Hall. First, I want to tell you people, I'm darned glad to be back in the United States. In fact, I'm lucky to be anywhere. 32 months as a prisoner of the Japs was no vacation. But there were some compensations. In fact, the red letter of our imprisonment was when we received our first Red Cross supplies. The first packages arrived in January of 1943 and we acted like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning. We were paired off and each two men received four packages to be divided between them. Each man received a package from the Union of South Africa and there were also packages from America and Canada which were divided between the two men. We established a medium of exchange for items in these parcels. Using a package of cigarettes is the basis of exchange. Every item in the package was valued at so many packs of cigarettes and our trading and bartering were done on this basis. We also received a large amount of much needed medical supplies. A year later in 1944 we received four 11 pound packages from the American Red Cross through the International Red Cross. These were strictly American packages with all American food in them. I don't have to tell you folks how much they really meant to us. I just hope that those who are left behind are getting Red Cross packages. If they do it simply will be because the Red Cross is on the job as usual. The first thing anyone asked us is how is the chow? Our main diet was rice and soup. In the morning we received a watery cooked rice which we call Lugau. At noon we got a medium size fish can full of cooked rice plus one half canteen cup full of watery soup which was made out of cancun or commodities. The same meal was repeated for supper. At Davao which was camp number two there were many food orchards and banana groves. We were able to steal food and bring it into camp and cook it ourselves on small charcoal stoves which we had made. If a man was fortunate enough to get a job in the kitchen we didn't have to worry about enough to eat. This was one place where a cook enjoyed his own cooking. There are a lot of other things I could say but you know what I mean. The main thing as far as I'm concerned is that the Red Cross is doing a fine job everywhere. I'm thanking them again. Thank you Corporal Willard E. Hall. You have been listening to the Pacific story presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent station as a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable across currents of life in the Pacific Basin. For a reprint of this specific story send ten cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press Berkeley, California to repeat. For a reprint of this specific story send ten cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press Berkeley, California The story is written and directed by Arnold Marquess. The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Paluso your narrator, Gain Whitman. This program came to you from Hollywood. This is the National Broadcasting Company.