Reischauer Claims Formosa Action Could Increase Red China Agitation

One of the University's leading Far East experts took sharp issue with President Eisenhower's Formasa decision in an interview recently. He further speculated that in the event of a Korean armistice, South Korea will have to tie itself economically to Japan to survive.

Edwin O. Reischauer, professor of Far Eastern Languages, stated that closely associating ourselves with Chiang Kaishek only increases Red China's fear of our imperialist aims. China entered the war ostensibly because they feared an aggressive pincers movement he said.

Contrary to Secretary of State Dulles' well publicized opinion that we can handily end Korean hostilities by making the war "unprofitable for Russia," Reischauer feels that (1) we have practically scraped the bottom of soldier potential in South Korea, and (2) Russia avoids trouble with the nationalist-minded Chinese only by keeping them at was with us.

China now "hates our guts," he said. "Once the Red Chinese begin to forget about the United States, Russia will have a major problem on its hands."

South Korea's Only Hope

Reischauer agreed that recent hush-hush talks between political leaders of South Korea, Nationalist China and Japan may well foreshadow an Asian economic pact. Also included might be Siam, Burma, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, he indicated.

South Korea, for instance, is primarily agricultural, North Korea having the great share of industrially vital water power and minerals. "Their only hope," he maintained, "is a close integration with the economy of Japan."

Japan, the overpopulated workshop of the East, needs foodstuffs, raw materials and foreign markets. It must, however, vonvince its former bitter enemies of its peaceful insertions.

Two-Party Japan

"I am deeply impressed by Japan's relatively mature parliamentary system," Reisehauer said. Noting that election laws foster splinter parties such as exist in Italy and France, he said that signs point to the development of a virtual two-party system--one conservative, one socialist.

Democracy is not new to Japan, he was quick to add. "It was an almost inevitable result of an industrial society." Democracy was remarkably advanced in one 1920's.

"The fine work started in '45 by MacArthur had a solid base on which to build," he declared.