America and Britain keep to their traditional policy of bringing the major part of the world under their exclusive control egoistically assuming that the various states on the continent of Europe as well as the different peoples of Asia are all to submit to their overlordship.
Britain, in playing her favourite game of the balance of power in Europe for the preservation and expansion of her world-encircling colonial empire has precipitated the present war. Even now she is desperately trying to increase her control over the Asiatic peoples in Arabia and India, to regain her grasp on Burma, and to win back her domination not only over China, but over the whole of East Asia.
America on the other hand wants to take advantage of the present war for the realization of her bold ambition of establishing a world-wide empire of her own. She has not only tightened her grip on the continents of North and South America through improper interpretations and applications of the Monroe Doctrine. Furthermore in the North Atlantic and elsewhere, not to mention North and West Africa, she is establishing her foothold and taking successive steps to prepare for world hegemony sometimes, it seems, even at the expense of the British Empire. Evidently she plans to reoccupy the Philippines to make the islands their base for acquiring the mastery and disturbing the tranquility of the Pacific. Thus, it is growing clearer than ever that the true intention of America and Britain are to place the world under the control of America, Britain, and their satellite nations.
Far away from home, sons of America and Britain are now engaged in a desperate fighting with the pick of our Army and Navy in the North and South Pacific and in Southwest Asia, on the Solomon Islands direct under the equator, and in the jungles of New Guinea. Why must America and Britain so cruelly allow their young men to fall victims to our shells and bullets in distant lands of savages and of epidemics? Why must they dispatch ever more forces to wrest East Asia from the peoples of East Asia? It is all because of their vain ambition to reconstruct or build anew a world-wide colonial empire. Being determined to realize this unwarranted ambition at the sacrifice of the nations of East Asia, they have declared that they will continue the current war until our "unconditional surrender becomes a fact." Such a declaration on their part is a blunt confession of their sinister designs. It should be noted that the idea behind that declaration is identical with that absurd idea which was once theirs to conquer Japan and reduce it into a colonial status similar to that of other countries of East Asia.
Since Japan has demonstrated unmistakably her spirit of neighbourly
amity, by putting into practice a series of the greater East Asia policies beginning with the so-called "new China policy," the American and British policy toward Asia appears to have undergone unaccountable alterations.
They now count China under the Chungking régime as one of the few Powers who are supposed to govern the entire world—something that they had never dreamed of doing before. In order to pevent [sic] a change of heart on the part of Chungking owing to Japan's new China policy they are busy trying every means to curry favour with Chungking and to persuade and urge upon that régime to continue its resistance against Japan. They refuse to give up their time-honoured policy of making use of Asiatics to check Asiatics. No sooner had Japan begun to put in practice the various measures in pursuance of her new policy, than they hastily tried to bribe Chungking with a promise for a solely nominal abrogation of unequal treaties. Their sense of racial prejudice is so strong that, at the Paris Conference of 1918 which met after the first World War, with a view to ushering in an era of enduring peace, the principle of racial equality, accepted by an overwhelming majority, was cast away like worn-out shoes because of opposition by America and Britain. Strange enough, as the war situation develops, their attitude changes. America now seems to show her esteem for Chungking by revising her Immigration Act exclusively for the sake of the Chinese. The independence of the Philippines, which had long been promised by America, was not granted under one pretext or another during the American occupation of those islands.
It was after American soldiers have been driven out from the Philippines by Japanese forces, that its independence was prepared for and realized. It is Japan's policy always to value deed above word. As if competing with Japan, President Roosevelt is now reported to have requested Congress the authority to grant the Philippines their independence at once, which America refused to do when she could have done. Such is the way of the Anglo-Saxons. Nothing could save East Asia but the resolute efforts made by the peoples of East Asia themselves.
British aggression in Asia has a long history. As to India, whenever Britain found it impossible to exert sufficient pressure, she would patch up for the moment with fine promises only to ignore them as soon as she was in a position to renew her oppression. This is exactly the method which she employed at the time of the last Great War, and which she is employing at present.
Now that the Provisional Government of Free India has been established under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose, it is not improbable that Britain will offer India, as in the case of Chungking, some kind of promissory note which she has no thought of redeeming. The restoration of India to its proper status as an independent nation cannot be realized by any means other than by the awakening and self-exertion of the Indian people themselves.
To America and Britain, East Asia may be a convenient colonial territory for aggression and exploitation. But to us, East Asia is our native land—
our home and hearth, which we must certainly defend at all costs.
The current war, having originated in the American and British attempt to seek destruction of this country economically as well as militarily, is for Japan a war of self-defence and self-preservation. Should we, together with our brethren of East Asia, fail to defend East Asia, Japan as a great Power would cease to exist. Moreover, all the other subject peoples of East Asia would be deprived forever of an opportunity to regain their sovereignty and independence. It is obvious that they would never be restored to East Asia, but they would be made forever helpless victims of exploitation as so many colonies of America and Britain. To East Asia and to its peoples, this is a war of racial awakening—a war for the renascence of East Asia. No wonder that all peoples of East Asia have risen en masse to join in this supreme and stupendous enterprise.
China is being already restored to the Chinese. Thailand has regained its old territories which she had lost due to a series of British aggression. Burma and the Philippines have declared independence, while India has answered the clarion call of fight for freedom. The day of East Asia's renascence has dawned. We will all defend our homeland from the aggression of evil powers, guard it from their exploitation, and lead it on the road of common prosperity. Such is our war aim.
The present war is to us a war of national emancipation, while to our enemy it is nothing but a war of aggression. To us, it is a war for the defence of homeland, while to him it is only a colonial war for world hegemony. Rarely in history has an imperialistic war waged for aggressive purposes proved successful. The Opium War is an exception. And even that war has after all served no other end than to expose the infamy of Britain. America has a record of having won her freedom from British tyranny after a terrible war of several long years. Americans, in whose mind the memory of Valley Forge is still alive, should know better than anyone else that justice prevails in the end. Factors of victory are not simply the number of weapons of war or the volume of industrial output. The power of our fighting forces and the strength of our national morale are, indeed, rooted in the justice of our cause.
The war of greater East Asia is a war for justice to combat aggression. It is a war of liberation, to defend East Asia, our home, and to redeem it from exploitation, to establish peace and stability and to bring about common prosperity throughout the vast region of East Asia. We strive for construction, while our enemy aims at destruction. This is the reason why the kinded [sic] nations of East Asia, confident of the final victory, are firmly resolved to fight to the last man.
The construction of greater East Asia on the basis of the sovereignty and independence of all the nations therein and for the common prospeirty [sic] and well-being of the entire region will be made possible only through the establishment of fraternal relations of mutual aid and amity in accordance with the principles of equality and reciprocity. Of course, East Asia, waking up fully to the situation, must put forth vigorous efforts. It must cherish its
traditions and enhance its culture and regain confidence in itself. However, East Asia is not exclusive. Common prosperity and well-being in East Asia is part and parcel of world peace. While we will deal decisively with any attempt at aggression against East Asia, we shall be ready to extend welcome to all those who grasp the meaning of the New East Asia. In fact, East Asia wants to enter upon cultural intercourse, abolish racial discriminations, develop reciprocal economic relations, and promote free traffic and free access to resources throughout the world so as to contribute to the peace and progress of mankind.
Our East Asia policy is being put into practice, and it is making progress. Its consummation will come with victory.
All the nations and peoples of East Asia, including those who have newly attained their independence, are full of bright hope for the futuer [sic]. What they ask of the world is nothing but the common prosperity and well-being of all in accordance with the principle of equality and reciprocity.
Today the nations and peoples of East Asia are marching on hand in hand as trusted friends and good neighbours to fight this war to the finish for the emancipation and enhancement of East Asia.