Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0146, 1945-12-26.
Date26 December, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0473
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 146
ITEM 1 The direction of the farmers' advance - Provincial Newsp[illegible]per [illegible]NiPPO ([illegible]IIGATA) - 18 Dec 45. Translator: K. Nagatani.
Summary
Allied Headquarters has ordered the Government to enforce farm land reform in order
to insure a democratic structure in
Japanese farming communities. For ages the land problem has been an abstacle to Japanese
agriculture. Much has been said about
the matter in vain. Some people have insisted on the status quo. The ever rising tide
of democracy throughout JAPAN today has
eliminated the opposition of the status quo[illegible]groups to our great satisfaction. This must be
considered as an advance for Japanese agriculture.
It cannot be denied that in our NIIGATA-Ken there still remain some lamentable vestiges
of feudalism. These feudalistic
vestiges in the farming villages of our country accounts for the power of the GUMBATSU
and bureaucracy in the past.
Accordingly, if our farming villages are to be made democratic, steps should be taken
to uproot these vestiged. For this
purpose we have stressed re-distribution of land along demo[illegible]ratic lines.
The present farm land reform is surely a revolution in the land system, frankly speaking,
however, this only means that vent
has been given to farmers pent-up desires for the creation of democratic farming villages.
This bill is by no means the one
for which tenant farmers have fought, but it is a present to those who have been practically
in slavery, Democracy in the
farming villages of JAPAN will be realized only through mere severe fights in the
future.
It must be noted that the mere emergency of numerous[illegible]peasants with smell holdings doesn't mean the
thorough democratization of farming villages, nor the solution of the food problem.
Under the present agrarian conditions, who
can say that number of tenant farmers have become independent, self-supplying peasants
simply because lands measuring less
than 1 Chobu have come into their possession? Feudalism still remains in our farming
communities.
The present land reform came to farmers una[illegible]ps[illegible]tedly, It is in the
future that the younger generations in farming villages are expected to fight for
more.
Farmers of NIIGATA-Ken! It is up to you to understand clearly your position and the
conditions surrounding you and to carry
out a democratic revolution in the old feudalistic farming communities. Of course
there are many problems before you [illegible]so far as agriculture is concerned, you should acquire all rights in your hands and
construct
autonomous villages in the true sense of the word.
In fastering independent, economically-established farmers, you have
EDITORIAL-SERIES: 146 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
much to do; namely, learning better technique, mechanization, utilization of animal
newer, reclamation of waste land,
establishment of cultural institutions, as well as the amassing of farm land and improvement
of the land.
These steps are considered essential for the complete democratization of Japanese
farming communities. According]y, not only
farmers but also all laborers in farming villages are expected to lend every effort
for this grand achievement.
ITEM 2 Let Candidates from Imperial Rule Assistancy [illegible]Barred - Yomiuriri-Hochi - 21 Dec 45. Translator: Y. Ebiike.
Full Translation:
Candidates are now fighting for Diet seats in every electoral district. The largo
number of candidates may be considered a
distinct feature of the forthcoming general election campaign. It cannot be denied
that in the provincial constituencies the
campaigns are confused because all the political party was established have but recently
been established. The Communist
Party, though it has a fairly long history, has only had a short period of preparation
after gaining legality. Thus every
party's unpreparedness for the electoral campaign has induced confusion in provinces.
Confusion of this kind may be inevitable in the process of reconstruction, and we
have no idea or how to avoid it. To our
regret, many of those considered war criminals are taking advantage of the newly revised
Election Law, which is inconvenient
for [illegible]vandidates, in order to maintain their clannish constituencies under cunning disguises.
According to the International News service dispatch on 19 December, Supreme Headquarters
intends to forbid any man who was a
leader in the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, from registering as a candidate.
We heartily agree with this, and hope, as
we mentioned several times before, that any leading member of that Association and
the several parties connected with it, such
as the (YOKUSO) Imperial Rule Assistance Machoidasoeicty, Imperial Rule Assistance
political Party. (YOKUSYI) and JAPAN
Political Parts, will refrain from candidacy. Due to the fact that they have played
such leading roles in the political
fiel[illegible], their voluntary refusal to be candidates will exert a great influence on the people's
minds, and he think it will inevitably accelerate their political awakening, At the
same time this voluntary and conscientious
behavior will atone for their political vices, and certainly hasten their rebirth.
In connection with the coming general election, we cannot refrain from looking back
at the last election, which was, strictly
controlled under the recommendation system supported by the Imperial Rule Assistance
Association. At that time, striving to
insure political power and taking advantage of JAPAN's victory in the beginning of
the war, the TOJO Cabinet held the Imperial
Rule Assistancy Political conference on 23 February, 70 days prior to the general
election, and deliberated on plans for the
election to de held on 30 April, 1942. The conference was attended by 33 persons including
OASA, Tadao, OKADA, Tadahiko,
KATSU, asan[illegible]ri, [illegible]Kotaro, TAKI, Masao, FUJIYAMA, Aiichiro, MAEDA,
Yenezo, [illegible], Tatsunosuke, YUKI, Toyotaro, and YOKOYAMA, Sukenori. [illegible]for
General ABE, Nobuyuki, and Lieutenant-General
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 146 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
ANDO, Kisabur[illegible], who have both been arrested as suspected war criminalss all these men are
stil[illegible]active behind the scenes, though not appearing in the limelight.
Many of these 33 are working in the back ground of the new [illegible]olitical parties now rapidly growing,
By their support those connected with the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, Imperial
Rule Assistance Manh[illegible]ed Association, and Imperial Rule Assistance Political Party are old enough to be
candidates. They are
eager to preserve their feudalistic powers by moans of money and fixed constituencies,
under the pretext of asking the
people's judg[illegible]ment in the election. Therefore, we, the mass of the people, should determinedly
banish such candidates because they do not have enough good sense to voluntarily assume
conscientious behavior regardless of
how much we may advise them to abstain from dandidacy.
In the coming general election we are apprehensive of the trend of now voters, such
as women or young men who generally
speaking, have little political knowledge. Ignorant of political affairs, and of each
candidate's political conduct in the
past, they might be decoived by cunning political pretenses and fascinated by the
fame of well known people. Therefore, we
fear they might make mistakes when voting. The more guilty the [illegible]of the candidates, the more
eagerly they will try to increase their in[illegible]
[illegible]these now voters. This is the tendency we observe at present.
Considering these situations. we believe that political democratization would be
greatly promoted, if we could expel such
candidates, political careers were in some way connected with the war responsibility.
Though the SHIDEHARA Cabinet's political
power is actually too weak to be expected to war such candidates, we ardently hope
that this movement may be realized through
the exercise of authority by supreme Headquarters or by the people themselves
ITEN 3 The Essence of Our Economic Strife - Tokyo shimbun - 21 Dec 45. Translator: K. Hirata.
Full Translation:
Labor trouble, which was expected after the termination of the war, has now increased.
According to statie[illegible], 41 strikes took place during last two months, with str[illegible]
[illegible]above l6,000. This is an increase of four times the number of strikes and eighty times
the number
of strikers in comparison with the sight-month period before the termination of the
war. No doubt it may be somewhat unjust to
compare wartime with p[illegible]condition. It may be safely asserted that these figures do not ne[illegible]
[illegible]arily show a [illegible]frequency of strikes when it is considered that JAPAN
is [illegible]
[illegible].
However, we need to pay more attention - to the a[illegible]ravatingttendencies, which are evidently caused
by the edi[illegible]ination of the so-called ultra-nationalistic spirit in [illegible],
as well as the encouragement of union movements in labor.
According to statistics, the causes of the prevailing strikes can be summed up as
due to the deficiency of materials, high
prices of
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 146 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
commedities, unemployment, and so on. These facts show that living conditions of
the working classes are totally
unsatisfactory. Therefore, in most cases, it is not surprising that we have unrest
on the part of employees.
As the Union movement becomes more and more active under the new Labor Union Law,
a struggle to secure cue rights of labor is
sure to assume more serious propertions. To this strung we shall be willing to offer
whatever support is necessary. We must
not forget that the situation confronting present-day JAPAN is, in a sense, far more
critical than it was in wartime. However
fair and just it may be to fight to safeguard the rights of labor, yet we must not
fail to fulfill, not only individually but
also collectively, the various responsibilities which are charged upon us as a result
of defeat.
Take the reparations problem as an example and you will see how difficult it is to
reconstruct our economy. There is no escape
from this h[illegible]rdship which is sure to affect [illegible]workers seriously. In this
sense, the demand to preserve the rights of labor cannot always be mot unconditionally.
The development of a fair union
movement must no doubt, be encouraged However, there is a limit to this Development.
How can this restraint be consistent with
a [illegible]ken movement?
One of the[illegible]eans to this and would be to place the management of business partially under workers'
control. Of late, opinion prevails that such partioi[illegible]tion on the part of workers, in the field of
management, serves as a check on economic strife and on the growth of a union movement.
However, this opinion originates only
a theoretical and vague sense. In short, the royal road to the democ[illegible]atization at our of our
economy, is to establish a new organization which would be charged with the industrial
responsibility to adjust the relations
between labor and capital.
ITEM 4 Atrocity in Our Own Country - Nippon - Sangyo Neizai - 21 Dec 45. Translator; M. Kato.
Full Translation:
The atrocities committed by the Nazi toughs and by the Japanese militarists are beyond
description. We as a new and peace
loving nation, should scrutinize this [illegible]Indifference to these evils in distant countries should be
cende[illegible]. Their acts may be termed brutal, and there still remain a great [illegible]
[illegible]of such brutes in JAPAN, who are trying their utmost to keep their [illegible]-doings secretly. Such vicious elements should be stamped out by own hands so that
repetition of such evils may not [illegible]and so that we may be allowed to participate in the international [illegible]as a
peaceful nation.
A golden o[illegible]has new presented itself to clear out such elements as the war [illegible]but a [illegible]effort in taking measures against these [illegible]is [illegible]by the Government's part. without this, international faith in our country could not
be
hoped for Mere [illegible]for our respectable tradition as peaceful nation would, be in[illegible]vain. The common feelings of all the nations of the world would be inclined not to
let the Japanese
eat even a grain if we let such brutes go unpunished.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 146 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
The Nazis have massacred millions of European people regardless of sex or age in
a most cold-blooded manner. A report in the
[illegible]FARHEN company investigation reveals that civilians were experimented on in testing
poison
gas. According to the written accusation against the Nazi leaders by the Allied Powers,
numbers of innocent women and children
were sacrificed in experiments by making women sterile, or used for research in uterine
cancer, in scraping marrow or, in
cutting muscles. Hunger, floggings and rape, were ordinary occurrences.
Many cases of violence in MANILA and NORTH CHINA by some of our troops have been
of a very similar nature. Tens of thousands
of cases in common with these brutal acts have been committed repeatedly in broad
daylight. For instance, in a. forced march
at the foot of Mt. FUJI two victims among the soldiers in a certain regiment were
reported, soldiers were beaten on their
heads with shovels in a district regiment. Many relatives of ours have suffered from
such evils by the militarists who, in
their arrogance, thought our beloved fathers, husbands, sons and brothers were animals.
The barbarous acts inflicted upon
pacifists, scientists, and rationalists by the assistants of the militarists and special
police are more than mere
fables.
KOBAYASHI, Takiji, a writer, recently described a dead body covered with bruises.
Are the people to be unmoved by such
atrocity? The eases of infringement upon our fellow countrymen's rights were too numerous
to be mentioned. we must at the
first opportunity sweep away these cold-blooded elements - the sooner the better.
By this time the emaciated American war
prisoners back home are presumably telling of their sufferings in the prisons in JAPAN
to the people there. The American
people who hear this must hate the Japanese as brutes. Seeing is believing. They must
now[illegible]saying
also, "No helping hand should be offered these brutal Japanese who mistreated our
loved ones." It is most foolish to let such
brutes, as well as the war criminals, alone. In doing so, the disclosures of the atrocities
will be made just at the time when
the other nations' hatred toward JAPAN has been pacified. The earlier we sweep away
the brutes the earlier the time will come
when JAPAN will [illegible]
[illegible]ceful atmosphere of the world. We must carry out this step to gain trust-worthiness
as a peaceful
JAPAN.
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