Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0243, 1946-01-14.

Summary:

Words kill not only men but also kill the state and the nation. It is now common knowledge that the beautiful sound of the words, "The establishment of the Greater Far Eastern Co-prosperity Sphere" misled JAPAN to destruction, but this was not known until men had been killed and the country destroyed. And now the beautiful word "Freedom" is going to kill the Japanese nation again. Freedom of printing non-convertible paper money without material backing, freedom of preaching democracy at the Diet by an ex-minister of education who forced the resignation of professors because of their free-thinking, freedom of carrying off materials to the private homes of militarists in the "Emperor's Truck," freedom of disposing of an egg for five yen in the black market—are all freedoms of politicians, militarists, and black marketeers.

Thus many crimes are being committed in the name of "Freedom." We can not help thinking that the Japanese people are not yet fully trained to understand the meaning of "Freedom."

Full Translation:

Prime Minister SHIDEHARA, who has been ill with influenza, has carried out the reorganization of his Cabinet from his sick bed, without thought of himself or fear of developing pneumonia from this illness.

In the politically moral sense, it was thought that his Cabinet should resign en bloc. The Cabinet, therefore, must show a reason why it has adopted the easy way of cabinet reorganization, When we look at the people who have been newly appointed to the vacant ministries, however, we can expect nothing, except that the new Minister of Education, ABE, will continue to develop the secular education policy of the former Minister of Education MAEDA. Therefore, it may be said that the Cabinet, as well as the Prime Minister, is developing symptoms of pneumonia, and it has no reserve power with which to inject a penicillin cure.

In ENGLAND, although former Prime Minister CHURCHILL was defeated in the general election, ENGLAND had the present Prime Minister ATTLEE as a substitute. In JAPAN, however, who can satisfactorily fulfill the responsibility?

The Railway Department has published a raise in train fares—passenger rates being raised two and a half times their former cost, and freight

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rates increased by three times. If this step increases the revenue to cover the present deficit and proves effective in restricting traffic, it is a very good step. On the other hand, even though there was a mass meeting of railway workers, the fact that they rode to the meeting place in a special train, regardless of the prevailing coal shortage, deserves official censure by the authorities.

Full Translation:

It was the capitalists who took the lead in the economic reconstruction of GERMANY, which was on the verge of collapse after World War I. The Social Democrats, who had been in opposition during the war, came into power directly after the war and took charge of the situation, advocating their socialist doctrine.

The Party's economic policy armed in general at practicing socialization, intending to realize social democracy and planned economy by absorbing all fields of industry in a trust which was managed by the laborers. At the beginning of 1919, only four months after the war, a socialization investigation commission met for that purpose, and active discussion took place among all German intellectuals. Despite such a powerful attack by socialists and defeat in the war, German capitalists were still unshaken and were even powerful. Labor and capital seem to have been nearly equal in their influence.

The conflict between these two influences caused social and political troubles directly after the war. The development of inflation, aided by the failure of the tactics of the Social Democrats, however, resulted in the victory of the capitalists. Thus there was economic reconstruction along the lines of capitalism, which rejected the program of socialization. Some big trusts were formed by STINNES and other capitalists, and they took charge of economic reconstruction.

The present situation prevailing in JAPAN is so extremely miserable that she may well be envious of GERMANY'S position after World War I. We are not, however, envious of that storm of confusion in GERMANY directly after the war, nor of the victory of the capitalists over the socialists. It is the activity of the social classes, which aimed to lead GERMANY, that we are envious of. We are also envious of the existence of powerful influences which were able, in practice, to lead the Country. At present JAPAN has no leading influence, political, economic, or social. The military and the nationalists have collapsed completely. Political influences since the defeat have been completely powerless, which can be proven by the Government's inefficient policies for five months.

We ask, then, what is the matter with the capitalists? They apparently don't know what to do and tremble at the present situation, marked by the dissolution of ZAIBATSU, the imposition of the property tax, and the advance of labor unions. In them can be seen no spirit which could take charge of postwar economic reconstruction by organizing big trusts, such as that of STINNES, and it can not be considered objectively possible in view of the situation. Are the Social Democrats able, then, to assume responsibility for the political and economic reconstruction of JAPAN? To our regret, we can not regard the Social Democrats nor the Communists as capable of this. Their social influence is still too weak to take charge of this task. Therefore, we have no leading power or influence by which the politics and economics of JAPAN can be guided progressively.

If there existed any driving force, the situation should certainly

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be somewhat better, whatever the character of the force might be. In GERMANY confusion existed as a result of conflicting forces. Confusion itself is never pleasant. It is better, however, than a dormant condition due to inaction, since the very existence of confusion proves the existence of some forces. The social unrest in JAPAN today is caused only by robbers or murderers, who have no principles or ideas.

Under such conditions as exist today in economics, politics, and society, the most dreadful after-effect is the paralysis of production. As long as production is paralyzed, the inflation problem cannot be solved, and it is of course impossible to save the people from privation, and the economic reconstruction of JAPAN is out of the question. We must, therefore, take some measures to extricate ourselves from the present, paralyzed condition as early as possible. The present confused situation does not offer enough profit for the capitalists to bring them to activity. By reconstructing economy forcibly, however, the profit can be yielded in the future. The capitalists grow so inactive that they cannot see such manifest reasons. So some outside force, other than capitalists, is required to revive the present paralyzed situation. The participation of laborers in the enterprise should surely be one of these forces. It is reported that the laborers' power is very effective in restoring production.

We earnestly hope that such a power as the laborers will become more active and resurrect production from its paralyzed condition. We cannot suppose, however, that matters will improve by this alone. The solution of this problem will be impossible unless powerful political influences arise, but where are we to look for such political influences?

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