Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0030, 1945-11-30.

Summary:

Facing a dire crisis in coal production, Goverment authorities are now taking up the subject of a raise in coal prices and of the Compulsory Capital Accommodations of the JAPAN. Industrial Bank. Coal prices will be raised on 1 December. In this case we must consider the difference between the original cost for coal production and a raised price. But the Price Adjustment Subsidy System and the Compulsory Capital Accommodations Fund will be applied to monetary difficulties in coal mines. The amount of 300 million Yen, which is in the Compulsory Capital Accommodation Fund for the rehabilitation of storm damaged areas in KYUSHU would be divided among the various areas and then be loaned to coal mines at the recommendation of local committees.

Because of the coal crisis, the Commerce and Industry Ministry decided to commandeer the necessary labor and dispose of stockpiles at coal mines. Mobilization of labor to supply coal for Allied Forces engineering troops is also planned. Stockpiles of coal ready for shipments, compared with scheduled production for December, are as follows:

Extracts:

Following is a list showing [illegible]in food items of this year, the [illegible]being 42,270,000 koku as estimated above.

(of which 2,800,000 koku is omitted as the consumed amount since October, 1945.)

ECONOMIC SERIES: 30 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The demand list is as follows (being rationed 2.1 go per capita):

As may be seen there will be a shortage of 18,920,000 koku to meet the demand, and if rationing comes back to 2.3 go per capita, the demand will be 56,900,000 koku. Consequently there will be a shortage of 24,010,000 koku of rice. Then, when will this shortage of approximately 20,000,000 koku appear? When will it be possible to eat rice and wheat? What sort of food can we eat after the rice and wheat have been completely consumed? Again, when can we eat next year's rice? All these questions may be made clear by the supplementary list. What we can learn from this list is as follows:

• 1.This 2,170,000 koku of rice is a total of both the remaining part of last year's rice crop and the early consumed part of this year's rice crop. Three million nine hundred sixty thousand are to be consumed this December is the actual supply for December. Thus, there must be some remaining amounts each month until March, 1946.
• 2.The reason why the unused food items and miscellaneous cereals are involved in the rice problem is that these food items are to be delivered, as in the case of rice. The considerable decrease in the amount of rice from March onward shows that we must eat substitute foods during this period.
• 3.The wheat and barley will be consumed completely by the end of November and will not appear until July of next year.
• 4.The sweet potato will be consumed by the end of December and will reappear as flour or dried sweet potato in April or May, and then we will be able to eat it again in early September. The figures appearing in the supply for July and August are the figures involving the availability of potatoes.
• 5.The growing figures in the demand for basic foods near the end of the rice year are due to the fact that, at this period, the farmers have run short of their own rice, and consequently they must be rationed rice in their turn. In addition to this, the demand of demobilized servicemen will have been increased.
• 6.Wine will be produced at the early part of the rice year, and the soy bean and bean paste will be produced monthly with a fixed amount because of the nature of the product.
• 7.If we go on the 2.3 go or 330 gram main food ration system, we will have another shortage of rice beginning in May of next year, but if we take the 2.1 go or 297 gram ration system the shortage will not appear until June.
• 8.This list is made under the assumption that there are present the ideal conditions such as prevail during normal distribution of main food among nations through their government. But, in reality, - 2 -

•   ECONOMIC SERIES: 30 (Continued) ITEM 2 (Continued) there may be such difficulties as the break down of transportation, which is most likely to disturb the rationing of food. According to this list, it can be said that the real food crisis will appear near the end of February of next year.

Since we must make up this shortage, both the Government and all nations have to exert frantic efforts for the realization of food importation in these three months. Now that the permission for food importation was granted by the Allied Headquarters, what we have to do is to prepare shipping and payment for the importation of goods.

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THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY LIST OF MAIN FOODS FOR 1946

(The rationing amount per capita being 2.3 go per capita)

(TN Sic.)

YEAR (1945 - 1946)

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 30 (Continued)

Full Translation:

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (NO-RIN Tokyoku) explained the course of wood control for the future as follows:

Recently MacARTHUR'S Headquarters ordered action in regard to wood supplies, about 400 Koku of which lumber yards in TOKYO, YOKOHAMA and other cities had stored up for the Japanese array as the war ended. The Authorities made The Transportation Ministry and The TOKYO Lumber Yard take action in this matter and about 200,000 koku of wood remains.

It is not intended to abrogate The Wood Control Law at the coming Diet session; rather, this law should be revised to make it suitable for peacetime, During the war the law brought much pressure upon civilians. For instance, if a simple problem arose the permission of the Agriculture and Forestry Minister was required. Such problems could have been solved much more easily by the prefectural governors. Now a reform measure is being planned at a conference of The Forestry Section in regard to better distribution of lumber. The Authorities intend to do their best to solve the problem.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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