Peace is Restored

It was on 2 September, 1945, that General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of Japan, aboard the USS Missouri.  On this occasion, MacArthur would deliver a memorable address to those gathered, which he began by saying:

“It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice.”

The words made a profound impression on the young diplomat Toshikazu Kase, who had attended Harvard as a research fellow and was part of the delegation representing the Japanese Empire (pictured above), he remembered,

“For me who expected the worst humiliation, this was a complete surprise…For the living heroes and dead martyrs of the war, this speech was a wreath of undying flowers…This narrow quarter-deck was now transformed into an altar of peace.”