Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0082, 1945-12-12.
Date12 December, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0289
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 82
ITEM 1 Census Registration of Deposits - Asahi Shimbun - 8 Dec 45. Translator: T. Unayama.
Extracts:
"The enforcement of taxation on war-time profits is a pleasant affair. But, hearing
the counter-measures planned by the
authorities, I am afraid that big flies will break through the spider's web!
The authorities are planning to issue new bank notes, and by exchanging the old notes
for the new ones, through the windows of
banks, they want to catch the old notes which are now concealed. The rich man does
not deposit his money in his name only but,
splitting the sum, deposits it in the names of members of his family. This may be
permissible. A more cunning man deposits his
money under pseudonyms in the main office and the branches of a bank. According to
the calculations of a specialist, half of
the nation's deposits may be so concealed. Measures to catch these tax-evaders must
first of all be taken up.
"then, I recommend the census registration of deposits. That is, to register every
depositor's name in the bank, based on the
register for the distribution of staple food, and to confiscate deposits in names
not listed in the book.
"Democratic policy starts by gouging out war criminals. Democratic finance must step
forward with a thorough collection of the
war-profit taxes." (From a clerk working for a company in TOKYO.)
ITEM 2 A New Type of School Strike - Tokyo Shimbun - 8 Dec 45. Translator: B. Ishibashi.
Full translation:
School strikes have not been an uncommon thing in our country since the end of the
war. But, the one which occurred in a
private college recently is unique. Its chief objectives are the abolition of examinations
and the refund of school fees
during holidays.
If these demands are met, there will be a situation in which students can graduate
easily, without bothering to study or even
attend school, the only requisite being the payment of school fees. The reason for
the demands is epitomized in the following
words: "We, as students, can be trusted to do the work we are given; therefore, it
would be better for the school and the
students if such a troublesome and restrictive requirement as that of examinations
were abolished."
EDITORIAL SERIES 82 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
However, it must be recognized that it is only himan nature to take things easy whenever
possible. If these demands are put
into effect, there will be more students who will gradually begin to ease up in their
work than there will be those who
continue to prepare their lessons so that they could, if necessary, pass an examination.
Freedom from restraint is a
characteristic, and even a merit, of the younger generation. But before this freedom
is given, it is necessary for students to
recognize the disadvantages of looseness in teaching method which would arise from
lack of restraint. Teachers, educational
authorities, and even the Ministry of Education have long coerced and oppressed the
students. Now that the war is over and
freedom and democracy are to be extended to schools, the authorities concerned have
immediately adopted an attitude of
non-interference with students' activities. Some of the teachers, particularly those
of professional schools, are inclined to
take the students' viewpoint.
Thoughtful students are at their wits' end. Others are followers of the crowd and
are beginning to stray from the right path.
In, addition, it is likely that political parties intend to form a students' lobby
by taking advantage of the fact that higher
students are being given the right to vote. Students are destined to shoulder responsibilities
for the building of a new
JAPAN. It is needless to say that this responsibility should be reflected in their
conduct. But it cannot be said that the
duties of teachers, educational authorities, and especially of the Ministry of Education,
are being fulfilled satisfactorily,
considering the present situation.
ITEM 3 Farce and Reality - Tokyo Shimbun - 8 Dec 45. Translator: B. Ishibashi.
Full translation:
While a farcical resolution concerning the war responsibility was being discussed
in the Diet by the members to cover up their
own errors, suddenly several members were named as war criminal suspects. Among these
was OTA, Masataka, whose arrest was as
surprising to the people as to himself. At any rate, this suggests how strictly the
Allied Powers are trying to go into the
question of war criminals.
It goes without saying that all the members of the present Diet are, directly or
indirectly, and at least in a moral sense,
responsible for the war. But as yet, no one has intention of acting. They are only
trembling with fear. Even those of whom
such conduct is commonly expected, seem to have no intentions of acting in this direction.
They themselves might believe that
they have succeeded in putting on masks, but we can see clearly their true character.
They are comparable to a blind man
quibbling that his clothes are not burning in spite of the fact that others are pointing
it out. They are bound to perish by
fire. Are there no means except further orders by the Allied Powers to make them take
the consequences of their mistakes?
Their general resignation and prohibition from entering the coming electional campaigns
might be adopted. With these members,
the passage of the three big democratization bills is very doubtful.
ITEM 4 On Reparations - Mainichi Shimbun - 9 Dec 45. Translator: M. Kato.
Full translation:
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 82 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
Ambassador PAULEY said that JAPAN's reparations for the Allied Nations will not cause
the lowering of her standard of living.
This statement has given us a faint ray of hope for our future.
To us Japanese, the reparation problem has hitherto been considered oppressive because
of indistinctness of its intentions. To
be sure, our living depends upon our choice of Government, which will decide our destiny.
If it is a good Government, we shall
be able to look forward to being raised from our present starvation. If bad, we shall
lose that hope. The goods carried from
JAPAN will be surplus of the articles to enable us to maintain a moderate standard
of living. The loss of thi[illegible]surplus is not a blow which prostrates us or drives us into misery unless we scheme
to arrange our
country along the lines of militarism.
Ambassador PAULEY's statement further reveals that ther is left in the war devastated
area a considerable amount of industrial
capacity. This is so unexpected a fact to most of us that it makes us doubtful even
of the Allied Nations' estimation of that
industrial capacity. The reparation will not make of JAPAN an agricultural country,
nor does it mean the denial of JAPAN as an
industrial country. However, the article presented by JAPAN in reparation will be
enough to make our neighboring countries and
others industrialized. Our production capacity in steel, left after the fulfillment
of our duty, will be a little more than
that before the Manchurian Incident. After the reparations are made, we will have
but half of our engineering machinery. All
the 20 shipyards will be dissolved, but will retain some of their repairing capacity.
The chemical industry and the light
metal industry will be thrown into a miserable condition. As to power plants, those
of steam will be half their present
figure, while those of water will remain intact.
Since the financial combines will be first sacrificed for reparations, the Government's
statement on the plants and works
remaining intact for utilization is contradictory. The burden shouldered by ordinary
manufacturers, however, will not be
great. Ambassador PAULEY added in his statement that reparations would promise a bright
future for JAPAN in her productive
field. This bright future will be created by our own efforts, not by previous measures
of exploitation in Asiatic and other
agricultural countries. In this scheme, the unity of the whole nation should be established,
eliminating all idle people or
the lazy privileged class.
The present situation in which, although there are plenty of unemployed, the shortage
of labor is keenly felt. The fact that
the black marketeer have become open street vendors, is nothing short of social collapse.
Bright prospects for us is, in such
a situation, doubtful. In conclusion the question is whether the industrial capacity
is allowed to exist after the fulfilment
of our duty to the Allied Nations. If it is in discord with real conditions, we are
confronted with a grave situation that
threatens our very existence.
ITEM 5 The Position of the Emperor - Tokyo Shimbun - 9 Dec 45. Translator: S. Inoue.
Summary:
It seems that the present free speech results in finding fault with others, attacking
individuals, and transferring
responsibilities to
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 82 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
others. Mr. TOKUDA and Mr. JHIGA you are big men in the Communist Party. You well
know that we have accepted the POTSDAM
Declaration unconditionally with the single hope for the stability along the lines
of the unchanged state constitution. We are
devoted only to the protection of the present state constitution from any transformation,
conquering, with a pathetic
determination, any temptations of freedom, haven't we? We were fortunate enough to
get freedom of speech as a result of the
broadcast of the surrender speech by the Emperor.
Even the militarists whom you must hate were honest enough to abandon their principles
and dignity and prostrate themselves
before the Emperor, weren't they? So long as you cannot understand the reason, communism
and militarism are equally
autocratic, and both of them must be rejected. We hate despotism and prefer democracy.
Freedom of speech must be used
prudently and bring about the highest forms of brotherly love, never violating any
divinity.
Distribution "X"
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