Every day, in many languages and dialects, the propaganda arm of our country beams radio broadcasts to neighboring and far-flung countries of the world. During the war, when I was assigned to the China-Burma-India theater, I frequently listened to these broadcasts, in line with my work and from curiosity.
I wanted to know the reaction of people of India, Burma and China to our propaganda of democratic life and the "American Way of Life." Thus, I talked to people who listened to our radio broadcasts and to those who read our leaflets and other informational material. I asked them what the others, the illiterate and less articulate masses thought of these matters.
Day after day I learned from them. In Calcutta a group of students asked me pointblank: What is the "American Way of Life"? Is it like the British way of life, where natives in colonies and semi-colonies are squeezed by English businessmen who spread a small share of their foreign profits to their working people at home? Or is the "American Way of Life" a movement to help liberate the Indians, Burmese, Indo-Chinese, Malayans, etc., so that the wealth of these countries could be exploited by them?
They asked, what do we think would happen after we defeated the Japanese militarists? Would the imperial powers flood back into the countries of the Far East, to occupy the positions they held before the Japanese troops mauled them and pushed them out? One thing they all agreed—the white man's prestige had suffered irreparably.
They had taxed the people to maintain a garrison force and frequently put on a show of strength to impress the natives. They said the troops were necessary to protect the Asian people, but when the Japanese troops came, the white man's army fled. And in fleeing the British troops turned rifles and machine guns on the natives to clear the roads, to keep them from crowding onto trains, trucks and river barges—so that their troops and civilian businessmen, colonial officials and their families could make their get-away as quickly as possible. They had behaved as they had done all along, using the troops against the natives to protect themselves.
As soon as we arrived in New Delhi in the spring of 1944, my team was assigned to the OWI psychological warfare unit in the North Burma sector. The unit was located in Northern Assam, India.
The British Avoided Digging Their Own Grave
We landed at Chabua airport, a clearing in a drizzling, misty jungle. Indian laborers worked on runways with primitive tools. Rows of women carried baskets of mud and gravel on their heads. And not far from them large transports, fighters and bombers kept roaring off airstrips built by their hands.
What stake did they feel they had in this war? I wondered. No one was telling them anything about the nature of this war. And common sense said there was a strong reason behind this. Any mention of freedom or fighting imperialism, whether Japanese or of any other country, would inspire the struggle for national sovereignty. This would be tantamount to digging a grave for British Imperialism.
The OWI team was located at Powai, on the Lido road which was being constructed to connect with the Burma Road, a supply line to China. We arrived there in the evening and an American missionary who was in charge of administration of the psychological warfare operations assigned us an Indian bearer.
An American Missionary Gives Us the Lowdown
A bearer was another word for servant. The members of my team felt strongly that we had no use for servants. We had never had one in our lives and why should we have one in a jungle clearing to clean our tents and supply us with bathing water? I spoke to John Steves, the missionary, who had lived in India for 17 years. He said we needed servants. It was customary for foreigners to have servants and he insisted that we accept his policy. Finally we gave in.
Early the following morning someone shook me and I looked out from inside the mosquito net. The bearer was there with steaming cups of tea.
"Master, tea," he said.
I did not want any. He insisted that I take a cup. We told him that he need not bother with tea for us the next day and told him he could do whatever he wanted to with his time. And we did not want to be called "Master."
Behavior of White People Closely Watched
My Nisei team met with the American staff of the OWI on our second day and we left the meeting with a deep impression that several white Americans did not know how to behave toward us. We had in the psychological warfare team Burmese, Chinese, Cahin, Shan, Indians and others. Some American civilians, including two missionaries in the outfit, treated these Asians as inferior people. We Nisei were non-white and we looked like them. The natives would watch the social relationship between the Nisei and white Americans.
As days went by we noticed some of our Asian colleagues with lesser responsibilities being trampled on by some Americans. One morning Mr. Steves in a fury threw a cup at a bearer serving him food at the table. One of my team members came to me later and asked that I request a transfer of our team from the propaganda warfare outfit.
A Burmese Printer Speaks Out
Then one evening a Burmese printer said he wanted to talk to me and accompanied me to my tent. He was bitter about the treatment they were getting. He said it was a mockery for any of them to be in a psychological warfare outfit, trying to win over their own people in enemy occupied territory to our side. He said he noticed that some white Americans were prejudiced against us Nisei.
"Look at the Negro soldiers on Lido road who drive trucks " he said. "Why are they given such an assignment? We know. But we notice their conduct toward the Indians and our people" They are good, free of prejudice toward us. Who can propagandize America more effectively than they can? But would the white Americans here invite them into our compound and mix with these colored Americans? And they are supposed to sell America to us!"
The Burmese printer expressed his bitterness until late into the night. Next day I talked to a State Department official who was General Joseph Stillwell's political adviser. I told him how we Nisei felt and how the Asian people felt toward white supremacy.
White Americans Carried the Fight Against Racism
The following day the White American staff held a meeting and it was a heated meeting. The head-on argument made enemies among them. We had a few young former newspapermen who I learned, had been quietly fighting against the racist ways of the missionaries and some other civilians. After that meeting, these writers went out of their way to improve social relationship with the non-whites. They helped Mr. Steves rub off the ingrained racism in him and to his credit, Mr. Steves changed.
Morale improved among our Asian colleagues. Here a group of white Americans took the lead in fighting white supremacy.