Economic Ruin under Japanese Exploitation

Published in Netherlands News (New York, 1942–1943), this cartoon depicts a Japanese soldier towering over the islands of Java and Borneo. Heavy weights strapped to his legs are inscribed with “economic ruin,” symbolizing the destructive impact of occupation. A sarcastic caption reads: “Indies so joyous amid co-prosperity of honorable Tokyo exploitation company,” critiquing Japan’s exploitation of colonial resources under the guise of the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”