PLANS FOR A STRONGER JAPAN
![[ Dominion Day, Tokyo, 1947 ]](../../images/site/366021_2.jpg "[ Dominion Day, Tokyo, 1947 ]")
Dominion Day, Tokyo, 1947, Unknown, 1947-07-01, University of British Columbia Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, BC2124-060, Norman, as Head of the Canadian Legation in Japan, was an enthusiastic host for Dominion Day (later Canada Day) celebrations. In 1947 the guest list included General Douglas MacArthur (not shown), his wife, and Col. Sidney L. Huff, MacArthur's aide de camp
The United States News—World Report, 12 March 1948 p. 20-21
Reported from TOKYO and WASHINGTON
Build-up of Japan is under way. [...]
Peace terms and reform programs are to wait while the United States gets recovery started. [...]
Long-range goal is to cut U.S. relief costs, make Japan a self-supporting ally to resist Russian expansion in the Far East.
Japan now is to be rebuilt into a strong nation. The defeated enemy is becoming the key to U.S. plans to get recovery started in Asia and to stiffen the Far East against Russia. [...]
The new program means that Japan, instead of China, has been selected by the United States to play the main role in Asia. The State Department’s chief policy planner, George Kennan, is in Tokyo now to lay the groundwork for the new program. [...]
Direct U.S. controls are being imposed over Japan’s Government in economic matters for the first time since V-J Day. Occupation officials used to insist that the Japanese run their own economy and take responsibility for it. Now U.S. officials are moving in to see that action is taken.