5.2 Who Jew?/Anti Semitism in Pre War Japan

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2. Who Jew?

Kimi gets a pamphlet from Harumi. When Tommy comes home; they read it together.

  The Prussian Connection: Why the Militarists Hide Certain Facts from the People

  The present military leaders claim to follow the 2600-year tradition originated from Sun Goddess Amaterasu but isn’t it odd they chose music written by the German, Franz Eckhardt for the National Anthem? And what about Emperor Meiji’s Constitution for which the late great emperor was said to have received divine guidance? By a strange coincidence it is a close copy of Bismarck’s constitution for Germany! And why are we not told that the ‘sacred’ bridges across the Imperial Palace moat were actually made in Hamburg Germany? Perhaps the militarists fear revealing their Prussian connection because it will show their patriotism not to be Japanese but Nazi?

Kimi throws the pamphlet to floor. “I not believe my countryman write this.”

   “Undoubtedly anti-militarist agit-prop,” says Tommy. “The news is that War Minister Tojo will take over as prime minister. If that happens, Japan is going to collide in war with America.”
   Kimi puts arms about Tommy “I so uneducated. Don’t know history. Don’t know geography. Don’t know politics. Don’t know nuthin’ fum nuthin.”  And Tommy can tell she is joking as she mimics his funny accent. She continues, “Germany and war in Europe so far away. What we worry?”

   “Doll, you’re a scream! Not ‘What we worry’? but Why should we? You just sounded like a funny-face guy I once knew, A. Edward Neuman. Later he went stark raving mad.”
   Tommy looks at his watch. “OK, young woman! By the way, forgive me for calling you ‘Doll’. I forgot you just gave me a little woman’s lip for that. Now, get yourself together and be ready for a most interesting outing.”

Thirty minutes later she follows Tommy into a Department Store. On wall between floors 1 and 2, a color cartoon mural depicts a common character, “Mr. Judaiya,” a big-nose, long-beard fat European in funny old clothes, pockets stuffed with Japanese yen, who, in box sequence, is laying his hand on a terrified schoolgirl in student sailor-suit, is stealing sacred relics from the Yasukuni Shrine, is scribbling slogans against the Emperor on a city wall, is buying up rice from farmers and selling to city people at inflated prices at a black-market stall, and in final scene sits at desk stacked with gold and silver coins behind which a caricatured Josef Stalin stands smiling and before which two typically dressed and looking national personifications, England’s John Bull and America’s Uncle Sam bow slavishly while holding out hands palms upturned for payment in coin. Above the murals is written:

THE JEW, USING COMMUNISM, IS IN A SECRET CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE JAPANESE PEOPLE. HE HAS IN HIS PAY, IN ADDITION TO ENGLAND AND AMERICA, THE REUTERS NEWS AGENCY, THE MASONS, THE INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF P.E.N. WOMEN, THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES, THE PEACE SOCIETIES, AND THE LABOR MOVEMENT. HIS AIM IS TO ENSLAVE OUR NATION UNDER COMMUNISM AS HE HAS ENSLAVED EUROPE AND AMERICA. BEWARE THE JEW! HONOR THE EMPEROR! PROTECT OUR WIVES, SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS BY SUPPORTING THE ARMY AND NAVY IN OUR WAR TO LIBERATE ASIA FROM THE WHITE RACE.

   The mural is not attracting the shoppers’ attention: most pass without a glance.
   Kimi asks “Who Jew? Funny European grandpa? Where Jew country?”
   Tommy takes her downstairs to café where over steaming coffee with chocolate cake pyramids he answers, "Everyone, Hon; we are all under suspicion.”

   “Under suspicion?”

   “Well, something in the way someone talks or walks or gesticulates or looks, or something about his parentage makes others suspect he is Jew. And, since being Jew is not consistent with loving country, one who comes under suspicion often becomes Jew-hater just to show he can’t be Jew. Take Adolf Hitler?”
   “Hitler?”
   “Well, no one knows exactly who his dad’s dad was and there is a heavy rumor that his dad’s mom lay with a rich Jew of Graz Austria for whom she worked as personal maid during the summer, ‘bout 40 weeks before Adolf’’s dad’s birth.”
   “Your theory interesting even if it joke. But I happy we here have no problem about Who Jew?" She leans across the coziest table for two and breathes in Tommy’s ear “Now we go home and let me love you.”

   “That’s a non sequitur;. Remember? It means a reply or comment that is not connected with the conversation.”

   “I knew that, Tommy. I just try show how smart you make me. So let’s do it! In the road!”

   “Baby, you are too, too – as Madam Olga says, ‘trop’!”

   They leave and spend all night non-sequituring.
              Read on; click 5.3 Dissent Against the War/Introduces General To...