Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 42



Only Noblemtl

#042

-The ugly face of the Japanese Empire-

-Indiscriminate massacre at a disaster site where public authority has collapsed-

-Is this really the behavior of a civilized person?-

Our Filipino friends did a much better job than we expected.

The Filipino and American soldiers who were dispatched to fight against the vigilantes who were indiscriminately massacring Koreans and the Japanese military and police who were aiding and, if not actively directing, the vigilantes, rescued a considerable number of Koreans and Chinese.

“If it weren’t for the help of the Filipinos, we would all be dead.”

“The Japanese treat us worse than dogs or pigs.”

“There was no hell. How could a person do such a thing···.”

“The police and soldiers who should be stopping it are actually···”

The vivid testimonies of survivors and photos of the horrific scene were immediately spread through media outlets around the world.

Because of this, Japan suffered great embarrassment on a global scale.

First of all, it became impossible to bury the massacre in plain sight as it was in the original history.

“I didn’t know you could do this job so well?”

Manuel responded to my words with a smirk.

“If you don’t do it, you won’t know, but if you’re going to do it, you have to do it right. The Japanese guys’ fumbling around also helped quite a bit.”

“A waste of time?”

“I’m talking about framing that Baku guy.”

“Are you talking about Park Yeol?”

“Oh, you heard that too.”

When the Japanese could no longer hide the fact that they had massacred innocent Koreans and Chinese,

“They are absolutely not innocent.”

“In reality, the crimes committed by Koreans···.”

“The Chinese are originally full of criminals···.”

They somehow tried to accuse Koreans and Chinese people of being criminals, but in the end,

“There was a conspiracy by the Koreans to assassinate the crown prince.”

“Park Yeol, a traitor from Joseon, tried to assassinate the crown prince by procuring a bomb.”

I tried to lighten the mood with a bigger incident.

In the history of Won, Park Yeol tried to prevent other Joseon people from dying and to make Joseon known to the world through trials.

For that, Park Yeol meekly admitted the false accusations against him and went to trial.

However, in a situation different from the original history, Park Yeol never admitted his guilt.

rather,

“I tried to deliver the bomb, but I failed.”

“Our goal was not to assassinate the crown prince.”

“Why would we do something like this?”

There was an uproar here and there, with people saying they would take this opportunity to inform people about the atrocities committed by the Japanese.

Park Yeol’s trial attracted international attention, and as a result, Japan was unable to resort to torture, which was their specialty.

So in the end, Park Yeol was only punished for a few minor crimes and imprisoned.

But that was all.

Japan was criticized internationally, and those who had been praising them as honorary white people suddenly changed their faces.

“As expected, the yellow monkeys···.”

“So I guess there’s nothing that can be done about non-white people.”

I laughed, but that was all.

This incident never led to the defeat of Japan or the independence of Korea.

In any case, Japan had already proven that it had the power to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers.

And to many Western countries, Japan’s mistakes are merely an inelegant exposure of its ugly nature.

But it wasn’t without gains.

For one, the Philippines is definitely one step closer to independence.

There were some people who were displeased with the arbitrarily provoked conflict with Japan, but at least,

“I guess I won’t have to worry about joining hands with the Japanese later.”

“Why only in Japan?”

Although the Japanese were laughed at here and there, the fact that this incident was intertwined with Japan’s colony of Joseon was enough to make many European countries with colonies in Southeast Asia uncomfortable.

Rather, it was because of that that we became even closer to independence.

“Even if we become independent, we cannot let go of your hand.”

“Well, one thing is certain.”

Next, the Philippines could become a hot place for young Asian colonials burning with a desire for independence.

And behind all this, Manuel Quezon was able to solidify his position as the next leader of the Philippines.

But not everyone was laughing at this turn of events.

First of all, it was Japan that suffered the greatest damage.

“Didn’t you say that they had some kind of plan when they said they were coming?”

“That’s why we should have prevented their landing and not accepted them···.”

“No, but if only they had maintained public order better from the beginning···.”

It was Japan that got slapped hard by a neighbor who thought he was coming to help and let him into the house.

I tried all sorts of things to try to fix it, but they all failed.

He is in a position where he may lose the title of honorary white man that he had barely earned through all his hard work.

Naturally, a huge dispute broke out over who was responsible for this situation.

“Then why did you let such a ridiculous rumor spread?”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military raised their voices in criticism of the Ministry of the Interior’s actions in allowing or encouraging the spread of various rumors related to Koreans.

Moreover, all efforts to appease the discontent of the Korean people since the March 1st Movement in 1919 have gone down the drain.

The change from military rule, which had harshly oppressed and discriminated against Koreans, to cultural rule was intended to embrace Korea in some way.

However, as this incident was widely reported in North Korea,

“Look, there’s no way those bastards will treat us like human beings.”

“This is why we must become independent.”

“Long live Korean independence!”

Because the desire for independence began to burn brightly again.

And there was another person who was just as embarrassed by this situation as Japan, and that was none other than U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.

Last month, President Harding died of a heart attack in San Francisco while on a tour of the West, allowing Coolidge to become the 30th president after only two years and four months as vice president.

And the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred about a month after he took office as president.

“A massive earthquake occurred? In Japan?”

It was surprising news, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Wasn’t this a place where disasters like earthquakes and typhoons often occurred?

This time it’s said to be quite large in scale, but it’s not America or Europe.

It didn’t concern him how many yellow monkeys had died.

But the look in President Coolidge’s eyes changed as a result of the report that followed.

“Rescue team?”

“Yes. They say that the Navy stationed in China and the Philippines sent relief supplies and rescue teams.”

“Relief supplies? From the Philippines?”

“Local Filipinos said they would help fellow Asians···.”

President Coolidge was impressed when he was briefed on the contents announced to the public.

“Is that how Filipinos act?”

He knew very well that the Filipinos were desperate for independence, for he had seen the delegation they sent to Congress.

However, Wood, the Governor-General of the Philippines, was also well aware that the report was premature.

“Hmm. I guess they’re hot for independence.”

“I guess that’s true, right?”

“Hmm.”

Calvin, who remembered that there were many rebels who did not follow Governor Wood’s orders, became troubled with a hardened face.

“I can’t help it. I can’t just sit still.”

That’s why he came forward to spread awareness about the Great Kanto Earthquake and called for humanitarian aid.

“Then, the budget bill to the National Assembly···.”

“No, no. We don’t have the budget to do it, so what? And wouldn’t it be better to raise funds nationwide to make it meaningful?”

“What the President said is right. It would be better for the private sector to do this rather than the government. Mr. President, please help us with publicity.”

In this way, President Coolidge joined hands with the Red Cross to help with large-scale fundraising efforts.

Thousands of Americans participated in the fundraising effort.

First of all, Japan’s image in the United States has not been bad.

“You say all the poor Japanese are dying?”

“Oh my. I guess I have no choice but to ask the great American for help.”

“That’s right. There must be only us.”

There were many people who, still engrossed in the excitement of being a citizen of the United States, a powerful nation that had won the Great War, eagerly participated in raising money for the poor Japanese.

However, before the money and goods raised could be sent to Japan, something happened.

Wasn’t the Japanese guys who asked me to help because they were poor?

“What? Jabs were these assholes?”

“oh my god.”

“Have you ever seen such uncivilized monkeys?”

The devastation of the Great Kanto Earthquake in the Philippines was enough to outrage Americans.

And the one who directly felt the wrath was, of course, Calvin Coolidge, who led the fundraising.

“He must know nothing since he became president through luck after being vice president.”

“Yeah. What about humanity…”

“Give me my money back. I have no intention of helping those beasts.”

“That’s right. I’ll go back right away···.”

“I knew this would happen from the beginning.”

After Japan’s atrocities were revealed, not only those who had participated in fundraising but also those who had been displeased with it all came forward and criticized President Coolidge for being hasty.

“Damn it. Why on earth wasn’t this properly reported to me?”

“that is···”

In particular, he was not elected president from the beginning, but became president after Harding’s sudden death.

“Am I doing this because I am not a proper president?”

“Surely that can’t be true.”

“Fucking yellow monkey babies.”

At first, Coolidge was angry at the Philippines for blowing up the incident without properly reporting it to him, but as time passed, his ill feelings toward Japan began to build.

The decisive blow was struck in 1923.

A presidential election was scheduled for next year.

“I don’t think we can just let this situation pass. I heard there is talk within the party of replacing the presidential candidate.”

“what?”

In the United States, where re-election is possible, unless a president has committed a serious misdeed, re-election is a given.

Coolidge became president by accident, but he still thought he could do it again because there were no particular problems.

“Of course, this is a story coming from some within the party···.”

The argument that it would be better to nominate a new presidential candidate now that the negative image of the candidate has been created despite the fact that he has neither fame nor outstanding ability was plausible.

Coolidge, more than anyone else, knew that such an argument was plausible.

“I can’t just sit still.”

If he is pushed out here, what else is left for him but retirement from politics?

Coolidge has only one choice,

“It’s unfair. I was just tricked by that evil yellow monkey.”

It was the Philippines that put itself in such a difficult situation, but in the current situation, it was much better to make Japan, a pure philanthropist, look like the worse guy.

Fortunately, his argument resonated quite well with the public.

This was thanks to the yellow peril theory that was widespread in American society.

The so-called Yellow Peril, a collective fear, has long since fallen out of favor as a political rhetoric in its home country of origin, Europe.

However, after crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States, it became a huge trend.

And Coolidge’s strategy had another butterfly effect…

“Fucking Americans.”

“There must be those guys behind the Philippines too.”

It became the starting point of boiling anti-American sentiment in Japan.

##

That wasn’t the only thing that changed.

Throughout history, Japan had a pretty good image in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asians, who were colonies of great powers, regarded Japan as their role model.

But this incident has shattered that illusion.

At the same time, the Philippines began to emerge as a new hope.

“I heard that the Philippines might soon gain independence?”

“There is a governor, but the cabinet is entirely Filipino.”

Additionally, America’s image has improved considerably.

Until then, they were on a similar level as the imperialist powers in Europe, but this incident has made them different.

“Filipinos can get into the U.S. Military Academy.”

“Still, I think America is a little better than Europe···.”

Thus, a large number of young Asians began to flock to the American Philippines.

The largest proportion of these were, of course, Koreans.

Until now, most people who fought for independence overseas went to nearby Manchuria or Shanghai across the sea.

Most people who studied abroad went to Japan, with the occasional one going to the United States.

But things have changed since this incident brought the Philippines to light.

especially,

“They said that if you go to the aviation school in Manila, you can become a pilot.”

“I heard that the Filipinos fought against Japan and actively supported the independence of their colony?”

“It is a protectorate of the United States, but it is fighting for independence.”

“I heard we’ll be independent soon?”

The Philippines, a former colony that seemed destined to soon achieve independence and a modernized nation second only to Japan in wealth, was a perfect example for Joseon youth to emulate.

And the one who was most delighted with this trend was none other than Mitchell.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Your face looks nice.”

“My worries have been resolved.”

“Is that so?”

Mitchell’s ultimate goal was to organize a Philippine Air Force, and to do so, he urgently needed to train pilots.

“You can get support for the aircraft from the US, but what about the pilot?”

especially,

“There is a severe shortage of instructors.”

There were many people who came to me saying they wanted to become pilots.

However, there were too few capable pilots to train them.

But after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the situation changed completely.

“Please call me An Chan-soo, no, Charles.”

The person who laughed awkwardly, saying that he usually had difficulty pronouncing his real name, was a Korean.

Besides them, there were quite a few Korean pilots.

“There are some people like me who learned at a Japanese flight school, and there are also friends who learned step by step in China and other places.”

In this way, people who had been active individually in various parts of China and then disappeared throughout history gathered in one place.

“Pilot training will no longer be a problem.”

“That’s right. Honestly, isn’t it true that airports and airplanes are all you need to have money?”

“Isn’t money always the biggest problem?”

“Isn’t that something you can solve?”

I was shocked by Mitchell’s shameless words.

────────────────────────────────────

────────────────────────────────────

No news is good news