During World War II, the defenders of
Bataan had their own day of infamy. What December 7, 1941 was to Franklin
Roosevelt, April 9, 1942 was to the USAFFE troops holed up in Bataan. Months of
relentless attacks from Japanese infantry and the defenders’ dwindling supplies
– coupled with the impossibility of American reinforcements – compelled US Maj.
Gen. Edward P. King to surrender his forces. Thus, on April 9 approximately
78,000 combined Filipino and American USAFFE troops ended their resistance.
Disease and other harsh conditions decimated a considerable number of the
defenders before the surrender. Many of the survivors were to die in the coming
days upon becoming Japanese POWs. Of those 78,000 prisoners only about 54,000
lived to reach Camp O’ Donell in Capas, Tarlac. Their forced march from Bataan
to Tarlac (the infamous Bataan Death March) claimed 24,000 lives. Casualties
perished from a variety of causes: succumbing from sheer fatigue to the brutal
treatment of their Japanese captors.
Had historical circumstances been different, a Japanese alliance with
the Axis powers never would have happened. As a matter of fact, one of the most
profound questions of historians was, “What if Japan hadn’t fought alongside
the Axis Powers?” Historians thought of it as they pondered the causes of
Japanese involvement. They unanimously concluded that the racist treatment
Japan received from Anglo-American powers was to blame – starting with the
post-World War I peace conference.
Nine months before Germany agreed to a
November 1918 armistice, US president Woodrow Wilson drew up a proposal known
as the Fourteen Points. It was a set of aims he intended to bring about a “just
peace settlement”. Eight of its items sought definite political and territorial
agreements. The others stated general aims in avoiding future conflicts. The
last proposed item sought for the foundation of an international organization,
which eventually established the League of Nations. Of all the proposal’s
items, the clause of racial equality caught Japan’s interest. A year before
World War I broke out; the US state of California passed a harsh
anti-immigration law against the Japanese. Approval of that clause would
vindicate them from American racism.
Unfortunately, the Paris Peace conference in May 1919 widely ignored
most of the Fourteen Points’ noble aims – including racial equality. Wilson
tried in vain to get ALL of the clauses in his proposals approved. The racial
equality clause was vehemently opposed by some influential American political
constituents. What made it more difficult for Wilson was that even Britain and
Australia backed the opposition. The overwhelming hostility to the clause made
him gave up in resignation, when the covenant of the League excluded it as it
was made. As a result of that, Japan made no hesitation to scrap an earlier
Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Adding further insult to their injury were
the results of the 1921 Washington Conference. The event meant to bring forth a
Naval Disarmament Treaty between Britain, the US, Japan, France and Italy. A
famous Japanese Navy captain, Tameichi Hara, recounted it in his World War II
memoir:
The disarmament agreement concluded at
Washington in 1921 permitted Japan to maintain only 315,000 tons of
battleships, as against 525, 000 tons each for Britain and the United States,
and 175,000 tons each for France and Italy. Aircraft carrier strength was
limited to 81,000 tons for Japan, 135,000 tons each for Britain and the United
States, and 60,000 tons each for France and Italy. As regards [to] cruisers and
other warships, the agreement set a ceiling of individual ship size of 10,000
tons
Capt. Hara further mentions another naval
disarmament conference, held in London on April 1930. This time, Japan was
obligated to set the limit on the strength of her heavy cruisers to 62 percent.
America was given a 70 percent limit. The Japanese were again infuriated at the
further unfair reduction of her naval strength.
All those instances gave Japan the general
view of white power politics at play against them. They regarded them as
ostentatious displays of Anglo-American racism and imperialism. Small wonder
what that eventually caused…
Japan was to later experience serious
economic problems, caused by a worldwide economic depression and foreign
protectionist measures leveled towards their exports (i.e. high tariffs). It
was compounded by the strain that a burgeoning population increase brought. An
ease by foreign governments on immigration policies toward the Japanese
could’ve spared Japan a bit from such problems. The racial equality clause
could’ve also spurned cooperative international policies and efforts useful in
solving the pressing global needs of the times. Unfortunately, as fate would
have it, that never came to pass after the May 1919 conference. The Japanese
Diet was desperate to prevent an imminent domestic social collapse, making them
take drastic measures. The mounting problems they faced made them believe that
war was the only solution. Thus, they engineered the Mukden incident in China
to justify a renewed invasion – and with it, carry out a policy of territorial
expansion. The rest, as they say, was history.
The utter disregard for racial equality
was to be the undoing of the Anglo-American powers who largely decided that 1919
Paris conference’s outcome. If only they realized how equality can go a very
long way for everyone, they could’ve avoided another global war – and prevent
the loss of millions of lives in the process.
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