19-J-1

一将…

One general’s…

一将功成万骨枯

One general’s fame, tens of thousands of withered bones.

米軍フィリピン上陸敢行以来諸君は良く奮戦せるにもかかはらず僅か二ヶ月の短時日にしてフィリピンにおける戦局の大勢も決せられたばかりでなく戦局は北へ北へと推移しつつある。

Even though you have fought well since the U.S. forces decisively landed in the Philippines, not only has the war situation in the Philippines been decided in a short period of two months, but the war is also moving northward.

フィリピン会戦の勝敗は如何に将来の戦局を左右し重大な意義を有するものかは旣に諸君の御承知の通りである。

As you all know, the victory or defeat of the Battle of the Philippines will have a great significance in determining the future of the war.

日本軍部当局はこの難関を打開突破せんが為め時の名将山下大将をしてこれにあたらしめたが何ら効を奏し得ず徒らに数万の犠牲の山をつくったのみである。

The Japanese military authorities tried to overcome this difficulty by sending General Yamashita, a famous general of the time, to take charge, but he was ineffective and only resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of casualties.

山下大将が最初より策戦企図の周到を期し且兵を思う情があったならばかかる莫大な犠牲の山を築き平然としてはいられない筈である。

If General Yamashita had planned the battle carefully from the beginning and had any consideration for his troops, he would not have created such an enormous mountain of sacrifices without a moment's hesitation.

一将功成り萬骨枯ると言はれし如く将軍自己の野望の前には諸君の尊き生命も何等價値がないものである。

As the saying goes, “One commander succeeds, ten thousand bones dry ...” Your precious lives are worth nothing in the face of the general's own ambition.

それ故かくも乱暴無謀な作戦が遂行し得たしまた自己の失敗も恰かも他の責任かの如くうそぶく事が出来るのである。

This is why he was able to carry out such wild and reckless maneuvers, and why he was able to lie about his own failures as if they were the fault of others.

諸君はなぜソロモン、ニューギニア戦線と同様軍部の無能無責任の為め異郷の果にて淋しく犬死を待たなければならないだろうか。

Why should you all wait in vain for your deaths in foreign lands due to the incompetence and irresponsibility of the military as on the Solomon and New Guinea fronts?