Leaflets from the Southwest Pacific Area

During World War II, the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), a joint Allied command, fought to liberate the region from Japanese occupation. Commanded by General Douglas MacArthur, the SWPA’s area of operations included Australia, much of the Dutch East Indies, the western Solomon Islands, Papua and New Guinea, East Timor, the Philippines, and Borneo. Consisting of land, air, and naval forces, plus logistical elements, the SWPA’s ground combat units included the U.S. Sixth and Eighth Armies and the First Australian Army.

In June 1944, the SWPA added a Psychological Warfare (Psywar) Branch (PWB) to coordinate the theater psywar campaign, and to gather, collate, and provide intelligence to SWPA headquarters and field units. Led by Brigadier General Bonner F. Fellers, the PWB’s many efforts included the design, production, and plans to disseminate millions of leaflets and other printed products to demoralize enemy soldiers and induce surrenders and desertions. Historian Allison B. Gilmore challenges the frequent assertion that Japanese soldiers always chose death over surrender, writing: “Large numbers of Japanese soldiers did seek to surrender, and American GIs, along with their Australian counterparts, did take many prisoners, an estimated 19,500 in the [SWPA] alone.”1 Psywar played an important role in this.

The leaflets on this site were provided by the family of the PWB’s Executive Officer (XO), J. Woodall Greene. Born in Denton, Maryland, in February 1892, Greene graduated from law school before enlisting in the Army in April 1917. Serving in France with the 42nd Division during World War I, he earned promotions up to captain and had been combat wounded before returning Stateside in 1919. A lawyer between the wars, Greene received an appointment as a major early in World War II. He served on MacArthur’s staff as a liaison officer to the Australian propaganda agency, the Far Eastern Liaison Office, before becoming XO of the PWB and earning promotions up to full colonel. He later served as Chief of the Psywar Section, Far East Command (FECOM), during the Korean War, before passing away in June 1959.2

(Retranslated from Japanese) General MacArthur, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in the South Pacific, recently paid high tribute to the brave actions of the Japanese soldier. We cannot help giving our sympathy to you, promising Japanese soldiers who have been forced into such a miserable condition as today’s.

Your wild eagles, upon whom you depended so much, hardly show their faces, leaving you unprotected against the never-ending bombing of our air force.

Also, the Japanese Navy is withdrawing its ships from their bases and U.S. troops are successively pouring into the Japanese naval bases. As a result, you are cut off from supplies and reinforcements and now you cannot even expect to be evacuated, if you attempt to establish yourself in the mountains and make a last stand there, all that can happen is that disease will eat your flesh and hunger gnaw your bones, and your plight become worse and worse.

Your comrades-in-arms, who were left behind in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, died hoping that friendly ships and airplanes might come to their rescue.

Why must you also die a futile death with this vain hope in your hearts?

HEADING: Yesterday we were enemies; today we are friends.

Text on reverse: Your comrades who came over to our side are guaranteed food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and recreation, in accordance with the International Law. (Eyes are covered to protect their families in Japan.)

(Retranslated from Japanese) In a speech before the Diet on September 7th last, War Minister Marshall Sugiyama stated:

“It is most regrettable that the various Japanese front lines are being handicapped by the deterioration of our supply lines and bases.”

This statement was made before the American landing in the Philippines. But what is the situation now?

Allied planes, ships and submarines based on the Philippines surround the islands and are able to search out and destroy Japanese ships from the southern regions laden with oil, rubber, tin, etc.

What chance do vital materials such as these, which are needed in your war industry, have of arriving in Japan?

The condition of Japanese supply lines and bases has deteriorated further since the War Minister’s speech. It is still deteriorating, and as time goes on the situation can only become worse.

However hard you try, how is it possible to fight properly without adequate supplies?

(Back) Quotations from Japanese publications, Captain KURIHARA, ETSUZO, Chief of Naval Information Bureau IHQ, says:

The loss of the Dutch Indies would be a matter of much concern to Japan. It would make it extremely difficult for Japan to carry on modern warfare—the so-called “War of Production.”

Consequently, the japanese struggle to retain the Southern Regions is one of our most important tasks in the GEA War. (Magazine HINODE, Dec. 43)

American forces are now firmly established in the Philippines. How will this affect the war of supply?

Admiral NOMURA, KICHISABURO, says:

Japan’s great strength is due to her possession of the petroleum and other vital military raw materials of the former Dutch East Indies.

In wartime, these distant regions are not just a southern extremity, but the vital “heart” of Japan.

If this “heart” should be lost, Japan Would be attacked from the air; it would be the “death blow” to Japan. (Magazine Japanese Youth, Dec. 43)

“In this supreme hour the great need is unity among Filipinos. It was unity that saved the cause of Philippine freedom after the surrender of our revolutionary comrades in 1901. It was unity that consolidated the forces of the Filipino people in the halls of the First Philippine Assembly, making that assembly a success. It was unity that made possible such great progress during the regime under the Jones Law, convincing Congress that the time for granting independence to the Filipino people had arrived. And independence was actually granted.

“It was unity that also enriched and consecrated the sacrifice of our soldiers on Bataan and Corregidor and opened for Filipinos the door to international recognition. It was unity that definitely sealed our spiritual alliance.

“Founded on the basis of the same Christian culture and civilization and common democratic ideology, we can achieve victory in the struggle in which we have become embroiled between the slave world and the free world. With victory assured, our day of liberation is inevitable. The forces of desolation and brute force cannot stay it.”

PRESIDENT OSMENA
ADDRESSING THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

FRONT:
The New Year’s gate decorations are but a milestone on our road to Hades.

REVERSE:
Yearning for the native land,
Forget-me-not stuck on my sleeve,
Reminding me not to forget my dear old
Homeland near the Kagu mountain.

(Japanese text prepared by a POW)

I am a prisoner of the Americans, but everyday I receive warm treatment from them. With tears in my eyes I am grateful to them.

I was astonished to see the new types of tanks, warships, planes and guns. I realized for the first time that we are losing the war to the Americans. At present what hopes are left for you? Be at ease and think of the future—the new Japan.

Surrender immediately and let us wait for peace.

HEADLINE: American Forces Land on Morotai and Palau

51 Japanese planes, 173 Japanese ships sunk near Philippines by U.S. Carrier Task Force before Landings.

STORY: The U.S. Carrier Task Force launched its first air attack on Sept 8. The assault was followed up by air strikes on Sept 11 and 12.

The Japanese forces were on the defensive throughout. They made no effort to find and attack the American Naval force, which consisted of battleships, carriers and several hundrer smaller naval craft. Japanese ships fled before the onslaught, but with little avail. Japanese planes took to the air over the Philippines, but only to defend their bases.

By Sept 12, Japanese air power in the Philippines was demolished, and no further resistance was made to the final American air attacks.

On Sept 15, hundreds of American ships landed combat troops on Morotai and Palau.

Morotai is 300 miles south of Davao. Palau is 550 miles east of Mindanao.