The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations present the Pacific story 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 scene 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 The guards to the coast of China My name is probably high on the list of people to be liquidated if the Japanese should win It will probably be higher on the list after this broadcast Call me Winslow. I was the last white man of Formosa You had better leave while there is still time Mr. Winslow That was Fang Shu Li of the Formosa Underground The war will break out any time. Then you will be interned He knew he was a member of the Formosan Revolutionary League Nomura and Kurosu are in Washington only to deceive America I was at sea bombed for the United States when the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor I had been on Formosa since 1937. I went there as an observer to write what I saw One of the first Chinese I came to know was Fang Shu Li There is trouble in the wind Mr. Winslow I was too new on Formosa to know what he meant but I soon found out The object of this new imperial subject movement is to blot out our resistance and to make every Chinese on Formosa loyal to the Japanese Emperor Never! Never! There are more than five million of us Chinese on Formosa Ninety-four percent of the population But the Japanese are well armed They control all the strategic points and all the communications and the arsenal We can take the arsenal Yes, then we will have arms Are we ready or strong enough to attempt anything so difficult? No, we are not! Let us remember that we have rebelled 22 times since the Japanese took Formosa They have put down every uprising They have slaughtered 200,000 of us since 1895 We have paid a terrible price in blood because we rose against them before we were ready Are we to wait until they crush us? Our planes are ready Good, the Japanese are working to make Formosa impregnable They have just finished expanding the naval base and the air base at Mako in the Pescadoras They are building new airfields all over the island Yes, and if we wait the arsenal will be too strong We will not wait! At the same time we attack the arsenal, the railroad workers and the miners will strike! Yes, yes! My brothers! My brothers! I have been one with you in the revolutionary league all the years of my adult life There is a strong Japanese army post near the arsenal at Juran We know about the army post It is garrisoned with well trained and well-equipped men We can win nothing without sacrifices Yes, and have you forgotten, Feng, that Formosa is a Chinese island that was stolen from us along with the Pescadoras? I have forgotten nothing If we are to attack, this time let us make sure that we will succeed We are ready, we have 15,000 active members and 100,000 behind us Only a small part of these can take part in any attack at Juran The hour is set, you will leave the island as soon as possible The hour is set, you will report to your leaders and they will tell you There was no stopping the firebrands, they made their way secretly to Juran They attacked in bands, the Japanese counter-attack with furious force Those who were not killed were captured The uprisings of the miners, the railroad workers and the peasants were put down This is our last failure, Mr. Winslow Now we must go underground and work and wait for deliverance I watched the development of the imperial subject movement in Takao Takao is the big port in southwest Formosa The Japanese undertook a vigorous campaign to win over the Formosan Chinese They tried to get them to take Japanese names A Japanese name will give you priority in getting ship and railway tickets You will be able to buy better food and you will have equal status with us Japanese This was the bait, some changed their names But those who did found they were no better off than before They tried to control every part of our lives What we eat, what we wear, where we go, how we walk, even how we laugh and cry I found it was all part of the plan of Japanization of the island They have changed the names of nearly everything in Formosa For example, the names of the city Kielung, the big port in the north, they call Kielung And Taipei, they call Taihoku And the Sinju air room, they call Shinjuku I was beginning to understand And I was beginning to realize how big and how powerful Formosa was Feng got a job in Taihoku That's the seat of the Governor General's office, really the capital of Formosa Also, it's the place where the Japanese military leaders had headquarters There is little chance now that Formosa can ever be freed without outside help The Japanese are making Formosa, as they say, into a great immovable aircraft carrier How many airfields are there in Formosa now, Feng? I do not know the exact number, but there are dozens of them Dozens? You must remember, Mr. Winslow, that Formosa is a very large island, twice the size of Holland Actually? I didn't realize that Yes, it is nearly as big as your states of Massachusetts and Connecticut and Rhode Island put together That gave me my first real understanding of the size of Formosa Now, looky at this map, you see? It is 244 miles long That's about the distance from Boston to New York And it's 60 to 80 miles wide Wider than the island of Okinawa is long And it has an area of nearly 14,000 square miles 14,000 square miles His finger traced over the map as he talked Now, you see, the eastern half of the island is very mountainous Some of the cliffs rise 3,000 feet from the water on the east coast I see But the western side is different It is a large plain, and it goes right down to the water You see? How high are these mountains along the east side here? This one here, this is Mount Morrison It is 13,000 feet high And there are 15 other peaks more than 10,000 feet high I went up to the northern port of Kee Loon Nine years ago, we could accommodate only 15 ships at the docks here When we finish our expansion program here, we will be able to accommodate about 40 ships at one time This was a Japanese port commissioner Are you expecting to step up your shipping here at Kee Loon? We must look to the future Of course I see you have both an inner and outer harbor We must have a safe anchorage against the typhoons Kee Loon is the northmost port in Formosa, isn't it? Tansui to the west of here is a little farther north But it is not as good a harbor as Kee Loon here How far is it from Kee Loon to Japan? It's just over 600 miles to Nagasaki But of course it is 15,000 miles to Tokyo And you seem very interested in Kee Loon here That was the tip-off I knew when I boarded the train that a secret police would be on my trail The main railroad runs down the western side of the island over the broad western plains As we headed southward toward the airdrome at Sinju or Shinchiku as the Japanese call it I had the feeling that I was being watched Just before we got into Shinchiku, a somber young Japanese in civilian clothes came up and sat down beside me You'll have a match, please? Oh, yes, I ought to have There Thank you Smoke? No, thanks, not just now I determined to find out if he were a Japanese agent Oh, I was just about to ask the conductor for some information Perhaps you can help me Perhaps I'm going to Shinchiku When will we get there? Shinchiku? I knew the way he said it, but he knew I had bought a ticket for Takau way down to the south of Formosa We will be in Shinchiku in about one hour Thank you He looked at me quizzically After a while he got up and walked down to the conductor When the train stopped at Shinchiku, I picked up my bag and headed for the door He had already got off I could see him out there smoking apparently unconcerned and walking up the platform I didn't get off The train pulled out without him The train was about to leave Around Shinchiku I got a good look at the airdrome with its many fields Shinchiku on the northwestern part of the island was the strong air base in the northern part of Formosa As the train rolled southward over the western plains, I began to realize how densely settled Formosa was with its population of more than six million And more and more I realized that Formosa was not only a gigantic immovable aircraft carrier but equally important was the supply base for the army which was looking to the south That branch that we just passed leads over to Rokuko on the west coast A Portuguese merchant was sitting beside me If you want to go to Rokuko, you would transfer at the last stop How far is it over to the coast? Oh, perhaps fifteen miles Is Rokuko a fair sized port? Well, yes, yes, not as big as Kiruna up in the north, North Takao in the south, but a good sized port I see You see, it is just about in the middle of the west coast Yes, I was just thinking about that All of the good ports are on the west side of the island There are three ports on the east side, but it is so mountainous over there, there are not very good harbors there I made a mental note, I would have to see all those harbors Soon we will be in Kaghi, there is an air base there A big one? I don't know, about almost as big as the airdrome up at Shinchiko Yes, you will see many airplanes around Kaghi, very interesting Very interesting The railroad ran along ten to twenty miles inland from the west coast, connecting all the important ports and airdromes I turned to the Portuguese again Seems the Japanese have developed a good system of communications on Formosa In some ways, yes I wondered what he meant Well, this railroad runs the length of the island on the west coast here And there is another railroad down on the east coast, but there is no railroad connecting between them Is that so? There are highways across the island of course, but no railroads Why do you suppose that is? Perhaps building a railroad across the mountains to the east coast is too difficult Kaghi was like Shinchiko, many flying offices around, many airfields and many planes in the air Down here in this part of Formosa, the Japanese have the greatest air strength I watched the planes wheeling overhead Almost directly west of here, in the Pescadero Islands, there is a big airdrome at Macau I had heard of Macau, there was a Japanese naval base there besides the airdrome And south of here, ten miles from Takao, there is a big airdrome at Okayama I could picture the setup, three strong airdromes like points of a triangle, two of them on Formosa and one at Macau in the Pescadores This is very interesting, this part of Formosa, very interesting We rolled southward, Takao was busy construction work, ships and the harbor I walked down to the waterfront Takao is a better port than Kiruna on the north coast This Japanese was obviously proud of Takao Ah, you see those new breakwaters out there, they protect the outer harbor Yeah? Ten years ago, we had room for only seven vessels at the wharf and for seven more in the harbor Now we can take care of thirty or more And construction was still going on Are you expecting a great increase in traffic through this port? We are only a little more than 200 miles north of the Philippines here I remembered they called Formosa Taiwan and that Taiwan was supposed to mean the stone aiming at the south Our commerce is growing, that is why we must have more port facilities I looked around as we stood there, new warehouses, oil tanks and military installations Oh, what is that they're working on over there? Oh, that is our naval base I had come to Formosa in the first place to observe and to write At that time I had little interest in Formosa's political problems But the more I learned about it, the more I sympathized with the Chinese underground Through Fang Shuli, gradually they took me into their confidence And through them I learned about Formosa Hello, Mr. Winslow It was the same Japanese who had asked me for a match on the train Last time I saw you, you were going to get off the train at Shinjuku Oh yes, yes, what are you doing down here in Takau? I have business here Yes? Yes What are you doing down here? Oh, I'm interested in this commercial development, all this construction The progress here is very encouraging Yes, are you in the salt or soda or fertilizer business here? Not exactly, no In the paper business or the canning industry? No, perhaps I could be of some service to you You are a stranger on Formosa, are you not? Yes, I'm a stranger Is there anything you would like to know about or see? Oh no, I'm just sort of taking it easy Of course, well perhaps we will meet sometime? I hope so Good day to you, Mr. Winslow Good day I knew that from that time on I would be watched That meant I could not be seen with any member of the Chinese underground The Japanese knew most of the underground leaders and kept a close watch on them Information filtered into the background headquarters from every part of the island Very soon now, the Japanese will announce that all Formosans between the ages of 20 and 24 Will be conscripted to work on the highways and railroads Leave their homes to work for the Japanese? Yes, Fang They tried to conscript us for the Japanese army in 1938 But we forced them to give up that plan They are going to make all the railways double track Oh, that will take years We have to draft our young men for four years That means that they are planning to improve the North-South military highway And the highways across the island that connect the two railroads Yes, and probably to build more airfields No, no, no, no, no, no, no That's the way the information came in By the time it was publicly announced The active underground workers were ready to sabotage the plan The project was undertaken The railroads were double tracked The highways were improved And new roads were built in the North, the Central, and the Southern parts of the island But the plan to conscript the Formosan youth for slave labor failed And on the elaborate maps kept by the underground The new roads and the old improved roads were carefully charted Here you see, here is the North-South military highway And here are the new roads crossing the island All possible information about the roads was noted on the maps All these roads have been built for the rapid movement of heavy tanks and armored units You see, that will give you some idea of the plans the Japanese have for Formosa This was a well-educated, experienced Chinese military officer They have developed this system of communications So that no matter where the island is attacked They will quickly be able to move units to that point Of course, from what I've seen of the island With the steep cliffs going right down to the water on the east side It seems to me that the place most likely to be attacked would be here on the west coast That is right All the invaders of Formosa have attacked along here But they first took the Pescadoras Islands Here in the straits between Formosa and the China coast How far are the Pescadores from the west coast of Formosa? About 20 miles The straits are 90 miles wide But the Pescadores are very close to Formosa The conquerors occupied the Pescadores and used them as a base for their attack on Formosa I decided to go to the Pescadores Now that the Japanese have your name You will never be able to get permission to visit the Pescadores, Mr. Winslow Feng has been there many times The only way you will be able to go is in a small boat Why, there's stormy weather in the strait nearly two-thirds of the time I will go with you We headed out from Formosa in the black of night Feng and I and two other Chinese We should be there in a few hours The seas battered us unmercifully It is very difficult to tell one island from the other in bad weather like this They are so much alike Well, wouldn't it be better to wait until daylight? No They might discover us before we could land Oh But trying to land in the dark we might go in just where there are some Japanese All right, Lou, jump off Down into the furrow and tarry in this line Yes, Feng We pulled up on the shore of Panhau Island while the sky was still gray Now, Lou, you and Wang, stay here with the boat We may not be back for a week Yes, Feng, we will be here, Feng We're going to be back in a few days We'll be here, Feng We walked inland That is the old castle over there It charted into the sky over the village Soon we will be able to see the administrative offices and the naval yard My greatest surprise came when I saw the naval yard This has been a Japanese stronghold since 1901 It is so important that it is one of Japan's sixth naval districts I could see standing there why the early travelers had established harbors first in the Pescadores rather than in Formosa You see, that is the shipbuilding yard down there And there is the big dry dock The dry dock was big enough for large warships You see, Mr. Winslow, this is an advanced naval operating base I had no idea as I stood there looking it over that from here and from the southern ports of Formosa the powerful Japanese attack would be launched on the Philippines about a year hence So that is triumphant point over there, Mr. Winslow Throughout the days we were on the island there were warplanes overhead Torpedo bombers, dive bombers, fighters, and some heavy bombers You can see, Mr. Winslow, that the Japanese think of Formosa and the Pescadores not only as an outpost for defense but also as an advanced base for attack That was clearer than ever before These islands control the straits between Formosa and China And Formosa, with its many airfields, controls the sea lanes from Japan to the Philippines and the Netherlands in the east And one more thing on my co-serve to impress me This is the tomb of Admiral Colbert He was the commander of the French fleet when the French came here to fight the Chinese With the Japanese here now, this grave is like a symbol of the defeat of the white man and the dominance of the Japanese in this part of the Pacific When we got back, Japanese troops were pouring off transports into Kao War vessels were standing off outside the harbor and cargo ships were coming and going Tanks and armored cars rumbled up the docks in a grim procession that led northward out of the city I stood there with a deep foreboding within me The Japanese Oh, Mr. Winslow It was the Japanese I had met on the train Hello there I have not seen you for some time No Very interesting this harbor, is it not? I decided to take the bull by the horns Could all this activity here in Takau be related to the discussions of Mr. Kurosu and Admiral Nomura in Washington? This activity began long before Mr. Kurosu and Admiral Nomura went to Washington He was being cagey Perhaps I could show you around Takau? This was a trial balloon Thank you very much Perhaps you can do that when we meet again He got the point Well, good day to you, Mr. Winslow, good day One of the Formosan Underground had watched the Japanese talk to me From now on you can expect to be watched constantly You're American They will regard every move with suspicion I decided to stay and watch I went up to Taihoku Fang went with me You see, thousands and thousands of troops are being brought in It looks as if they mean business They do Look, look, look, Mr. Winslow, there's the Japanese They want to talk to you the other day down at the house I just caught a glance of them as he turned and hurried away through the crowd You had better leave for most of while there's still time, Mr. Winslow The war will break out any time In the underground headquarters we talked for days They have established 100 centers for the training of Formosans We have information that they have already registered 450,000 Formosans to be sent to these centers I took the first ship out of Kirun The arrangement was that Fang, by way of his underground connections through China, would keep me informed on what was going on inside Formosa The Japanese make such unexpected gains in their drive through Malaya and the Indies and the South Seas that they are now increasing the fortifications of Formosans They are converting Formosa into a bristling fortress and reservoir of raw materials Fang is being closely watched All able-bodied Formosans between the ages of 19 and 43 are being conscripted But due to our work, they are only being admitted into the Japanese ranks in small groups and then mixed with the Japanese troops Fang has been in hiding for six weeks With the American successes in the Southwest Pacific, the Japanese are now conscripting nearly all Formosans between 14 and 40 They fear an invasion A great part of Shinjuku Air Dome is in ruins as a result of the big American air raid November 23, 1943 No one has seen Fang for months The messages came in month by month Takao had been bombed, and Okuyama Air Dome, and Mako, and Kirun, and a dozen other strong points And the Japanese were bringing in more equipment and constructing a maze of fortifications But not one word from Fang, not one word for months, then just a few words The same Japanese agent who watched you has been assigned to watch me, but I shall not stop One more message came, but not from Fang The copies of the messages Fang sent to you have fallen into Japanese hands That was the last word that I received out of Formosa But on Formosa there are still tens of thousands of others like Fang Yes, they have waited a long, long time to be liberated And they will rise out of the underground when the invasion of Formosa comes You have been listening to the Pacific Story, presented by the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated independent stations As a public service to clarify events in the Pacific and to make understandable the cross-currents of life in the Pacific Basin For a reprint of this Pacific Story, send ten cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California To repeat, for a reprint of this Pacific Story, send ten cents in stamps or coin to University of California Press, Berkeley, California The Pacific Story is written and directed by Arnold Marquess The original musical score was composed and conducted by Thomas Peluso Your principal voice was that of Lou Merrill This program came to you from Hollywood This is the National Broadcasting Company
