AN ESTIMATED EIGHTY THOUSAND PEOPLE YESTERDAY COMPLETED A TWO-DAY MARCH ON OKINAWA, IN SUPPORT OF DEMANDS FOR UNION WITH JAPAN. THE MARCHERS MOVED OUT FROM TOWNS AND VILLAGES ALL OVER OKINAWA ON WEDNESDAY AND HEADED FOR THE BEACHES ON THE NORTH TIP OF THE ISLAND - THE CLOSEST LAND TO THE 27TH PARALLEL OF LATITUDE WHICH DIVIDES THE AMERICAN AND JAPANESE CONTROLLED RYUKYU ISLANDS.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR REUNIFICATION WITH JAPAN HAS STEADILY BEEN GAINING MOMENTUM SINCE THE TREATY OF SAN FRANCISCO IN 1951, WHICH CEDED CONTROL OF OKINAWA AND THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF RYUKYU ISLANDS TO AMERICA. THE NORTHERN SECTION REMAINED UNDER JAPANESE ADMINISTRATION.

THE MARCH WENT ON WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT IT WAS NOISY AT TIMES AS THE GROUPS OF MARCHERS KEPT UP A STEADY CHANTING OF SLOGANS DEMANDING REUNION WITH JAPAN. THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS UNDER AMERICAN CONTROL IS 870,000 ALL OF WHOM ARE JAPANESE. EXCEPT FOR OKINAWA, FEW OF THE ISLANDS HAVE ANY STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE - ALTHOUGH OKINAWA HAS EMERGED AS THE BIGGEST AMERICAN BASE IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC.

WHEN THE MARCHERS REACHED THEIR DESTINATION LAST NIGHT (THURSDAY) THEY LIT A CHAIN OF BONFIRES ALONG THE BEACHES. A FEW OTHERS MANNED SMALL BOATS AND SAILED TO THE 27TH PARALLEL, FESTOONING THEIR BOATS WITH JAPANESE FLAGS AND BANNERS.

(SINCE THE 1951 TREATY, JAPAN HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO NEGOTIATE THE RETURN OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. THE AMERICANS HAVE DECLARED THAT THEY WILL RETURN SOVEREIGNTY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO BY STAGES, BUT ACCORDING TO THE OKINAWANS THERE HAS BEEN NO TIMETABLE SET FOR ANY OF THE PHASES OF RETURN TO JAPAN ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL.)