ABSTRACT
DEMILIT ARISATION At the beginning of the Occupation, the elimination of Japanese militarism constituted one of the paramount aims of the post-surrender policy. With the exception of the facilities used by the Occupation, whatever had been left of Japan's military installations was thoroughly demolished. In order to forestall the organisation of paramilitary forces, even the police force was broken up into 1605 small independent units. For localities without a police force, the so-called National Rural Police of 30,000 men was organised and put under the supervision of the National Public Safety Commission. In the early days of the Occupation, the idea that a neutralised Japan would serve as a buffer between the United States and the Soviet Union was frequently mentioned as America's basic policy towards Japan. In an interview with J. P. McEvoy, editor of the Readers' Digest Japanese edition published in the May 1950 issue, General MacArthur was quoted as having said that Japan should become the 'Switzerland of the Far East' and remain neutral in any future war.
