THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

290 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
General Umezu summoned all the Japanese Officers within the office
to bow to me, a mark of respect for my courage. He commended, “Here
is a fine example of a brave Malay who is willing to continue fighting!”
Upon my insistence, they relented and handed me a small automatic with
a faulty safety catch and fifty bullets.
Japanese Officers’ Analysis of Their Defeat
I had to wait for the veil of twilight before I could leave the Hodosho
Office undetected. The Japanese Officers and I spent the time discussing
many aspects on the just-concluded war and on Japan’s future. Despite
the grim and wrenching sense of defeat, these Japanese Officers were
still spirited enough to analyse the defeat. The following are some of
their observations.
Japan lacked sophisticated weapons and radars like those owned by
the Americans. Thus, Japanese submarines could not avoid detection and
destruction. The Japanese secret intention of overrunning Australia under
the leadership of Admiral Yamamoto was found out. Had the Japanese
landed in Australia, the Pacific War would have concluded with a Japanese
victory and Australia would be in their grasp. One of them asked
me, “If a very brave soldier is given a not too sophisticated weapon while
a coward of a soldier carries a much better weapon, who would win?” I
tried to help by answering that the coward would win, giving them my
own reasons. They nodded their heads in unison.
They next concluded that Japan lost because it had yet to invent the
atomic bomb. Their research went astray. At that very instant, in those
moments of abject defeat, Japanese Officers at the Hodosho Office made
a vow to step up research in science and technology and resolved to
continue atomic bomb research along Mount Fuji’s foothills. In my heart
I told myself, “You have just lost a war! You are already thinking of
another one!”
Japan, they said, had only 120 million people. America had more.
But according to statistics, a defeated nation would produce more children.
Victorious America would become more prosperous, but its population
would not increase rapidly. So, within 25 years, Japan’s population would
be equal in number to America’s. I sensed it was as if they were planning
another war against America within 25 years. Finally, the number of
Japanese soldiers who died since Japan went to war with China was small
– only one million. Destruction to Japanese industry was also negligible
– not more than 25 per cent.
Listening to their analysis, I realised how strongly committed and
loyal the Japanese were to the future of their people and nation. But, what