Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0181, 1945-12-30.

Summary:

Owing to the absence of their doctor in military service, the village-supported dispensary of KIDO-Mura , KAIEE-Gun, and TOKUSHIMA Ken invited an old physician, OKAMOTO, 80 years of age, to minister to them. Willingly working for the health of the village people, he put forth his best efforts to prevent and care epidemics in the village. He was successful. After the war, the former doctor, INAGAKI, who was demobilized returned and resumed his practise. As his last service, OKAMOTO disclosed to Prefectural Governor OKADA the secret of an early cure for dysentery and childeren's dysentery. According to the cure, he washed out the patient's large instestine with sterilized salins solution at an early stage of the disease. He used an ample quantity of RINGERU solution as a substitute solution. OKAMOTO was once a quarantine doctor in the Prefectural Office. Having accumulated much experince during his years of practice, he created his own remedy for infections diseases of the digestine organs.

Though we hear of his suggestion based on experience, we aren't clear as to how it has affected the medical world. At this point, we want to know why epidemics have been prevalent year after year in this Ken. There has always been this tendency; young men who learn new sciences neglect the benifit of experience; old men rely upon experience and do not easily adopt new knowledges. We must remember that experience is good knowledge. There are numerous examples of experience which is not respected.

TEZUME, a port of KOUCHI-Ken is an artificial harbor constructed over 200 years ago at the suggestion of N[illegible]NAKA, Kenzan, a wise majordomo of the T'OSA fendal clan. It proved quite inadequate for ship traffic. Discussions on improvement were undertaken in the later part of the Meiji Era. The old men said to the younger technicians that the entrance of the port must not be changed because it was the will of the late Mr. KANEYAMA. The younger men did not obay, but said that the knowledge of today is different from that of 200 years ago, and changed the harbor to make the entrance face south, However, nature filled the inner part of the port with sand as had been expected. They were surprised at the improved entrance.

Furthermore, in improving KOMATSHJIMA Port, inhabitants of MOTONEI offered to change the site of reclaimed, land to Mr. KAWAKAMI, then chief of the engineering branch office of the prefectural office.

EDITORIAL SERIES 181 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

The reason given warn "because of old folks' folk lore." He flatly rejected the proposal and said that he didn't rely upon old legends. His design was founded upon scientific knowledges and the work was due to sufficient examinations and modern construction processes, so the people need not trouble themselves. He completed the project, but submersion of the land by freaks in the weather in 1934 made the inhabitants angry. In spite of their opposition, he stood on his own plan emphasizing that this flooding was inevitable, as it was due to storm waves. Ordinary freaks in the weather never cause submersions. Another flooding from a weather freak the next year came about to his embarrasment.

These are great faults of those who fail to benefit by experience. Medical science has rapidly progressed and medical findings by research on disease germs have given new benefits to mankind. JAPAN has been suffering from a shortage of medical supplies because of the war and medical treatment is returning to its original ways. At present, if the suggestion of OKAMOTO is proved effective, it will prove a step of great progress and benefit in medical science. Physicans, in general, must not ignore his opinion. We want them to use his cure sincerely with a scientific mind and a creative atittude.

Full Translation:

Our farm villages must be the center in the reconstruction of a new JAPAN. However, to our great regret, farm-villages today have become the hot-beds of black markete [illegible]ring, with the farmers who hesitate to sell rice to the government, thus gradually driving JAPAN into utter ruin. It is true that selfishness and complacency exists in our farming population, but we must not condemn them alone. The question is who is responsible for such lamentable tendencies in farm villages. The Japanese militarist and bureaucrats should be accused of fomenting a losing war. The government authorities committed a great mistake in oppressing the farmers under the pretext of carrying on the war. Both food production and rice sales to the government should be based upon the farmers' consciousness of their mission, Nevertheless, during the war, farmers were required to lend their efforts at the sacrifice of their own interests. Subsequently, the Government management of farm-villages seemed outwardly successful, but the truth was that the farmers became automatons who did not work beyond the orders issued by the authorities, Therefore, the Government was unable to manage farm villages successfully as soon as we lost the war. The Government authorities are so powerless that they cannot force farmers to sell rice to the Governemtn, nor can they investigate the black marketeering of staple foods.

In order to construct new democratic villages, it is first necessary to make drastic reforms in past policies and to make the farmers fully realize the importance of selling rice to the Government. In this connection our authorities must bear in mind that controlling farm-villages in the future should begin with the improvement of cultural institutions in the villages. Farm-villages without cultural institutions cannot be the center of a new JAPAN. Of course, I do not deny that during the war, as well as before the war, there

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EDITORIAL SERIES 181 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

were cultural movements in the far villages. However how much did they contribute to the improvement of culture in villages? Most of those who inspired culture in farm-villages were likely to be united with the privileged classes there. Especially since cultural movements were controlled by the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, the prominent cultural bodies in this ken were replaced by official ones, resulting in virtual emasculation of cultural movements in the farm-villages. The fact that few cultural bodies in this prefecture are taking the initiative to inspire farmers with the importance of rice-sales to the Government clearly indicates that the past cultural movements in the villages were poor. The past cultural movements in JAPAN used to deal too much with the aspects of our life. This is the reason why our cultural movements were not realistic. In view of this failure, our future movements must be realistic. If a good library or newspaper is established in a village, and the villagers read good books, then the situation of village administration will be truly realized by all the villagers.

In this way farmers in that village will understand the importance of the current rice allotment system. They will consider production not a mere aim but a means through which to empress their fellowship. In this event, farm villages will acquire the pivotal position in leading the new JAPAN. For this purpose, the intelligent people in villages are expected to do their best in co-operation with the leaders of farm-villages. The latter in the past were apt to be indifferent to this kind of movement. However, in order to construct a democratic structure in the villages, the leaders are expected to officiate with the founders of cultural movements.

Full Translation:

On 15 December the yen note issue amounted to above fifty billion yen and was further increased on 24 December to fifty-two billion four hundred million. This indicates an increase of two hundred and fifty million per day. The aggravation of this tendency is feared. Presumably the amount will reach as much as sixty billion yen by the end of the year, which is far above the amount anticipated by the Bank of JAPAN authorities. On the other hand it is reported that bank deposits in TOKYO have been gradually decreasing since November due to the increased withdrawals by people who are in need of money for purchasing food and daily necesities.

The above condition means that vicious inflation is advancing. If the situation is left uncorrected, our national economy is sure to collapse before long and lead the masses of the Nation to a most miserable state of hunger. In TOKYO conditions of the public peace have become worse, and black market dealings and illegal bartering prevail. This will lead only to confusion in the economic order. Furthermore, the people are eager to secure and retain staple food for their own use in excess of that necessary for living. In other words it indicates economic dissolution.

The situation is difficult enough, and immediate measure is necessary. However, the Government as usual is looking on, with folded arms.

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EDITORIAL SERIES 181 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

What measures is the Government going to take against this crisis? Since the end of the war the Government has been relying upon Foreign food imports to be financed by property and war-profit levies designed as an equilibrium between currency and goods. However, as to often pointed out by us, as well as the Allied Headquarters, the existing shortage of food is not absolute, but a relative matter due to defects in the ditributing machinery. Therefore, the Government should improve the machinery so as to directly unite in distribution farmers and urban workers, rather than urge farmers to increase production by preaching or hope for food imports from abroad, which cannot be expected in time to meet the urgent situation.

On the other hand, the Government policies on currency and prices have been inconsistent. The property and war-profit levies are based on a deflationary policy, while the payment of indemnities to war industries and the lifting of control restriction on fresh vegetables and fish prices are based on an inflationary policy. Apart from war indemnities, the latter can he compared with the New Economic Policy by SOVIET RUSSIA. However, the social conditions of the SOVIET UNION at that time were entirely different from JAPAN's current state of affairs. Therefore, the Government should have taken further steps regarding distribution and currency as soon as it was able to judge the extent to which goods would appear on the market and prices would rise as a result. Lamentably, the Government failed to do so. Therefore, nothing can be known from this policy as to whether or not the Government is really sincere concerning the maintainance of monetary value. Now we are fully convinced that we can expect nothing from the present no-policy Government as regards, the securing of food, the stabilization of prices, the resumption of production, or the improvement of distributing facilities. Nevertheless, there is not time to be lost. Therefore, we demand that withdrawals of bank deposits be forcibly put under control prior to the new yen note issue, as the only Government policy against checking the advancing inflation. At present, black market transactions, on a large and small scale, are being conducted by means of the withdrawals of bank deposits. Needless to say, such withdrawals of deposits must be controlled so drastically that only fifty yen per person per month will be permitted. Recently the movement demanding higher pay has been generally active among the working class. However, this may produce a vicious cycle if not supported by checking purchasing power, by limiting the withdrawals of deposits unnecessary for living or production.

Lately, the movement for the distribution of goods and food by the people's own hands under an autonomous organization has been active. This also will end in failure if not supported by monetary measures. We earnestly hope that the Nation as well as the Government will not fail to take precautions on this respect.

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