Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0276, 1946-01-21.
Date21 January, 1946
translation numbereditorial-0868
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 276
ITEM 1 The Great Power Held by Newspapers - Magazine: Kyo Ryoku Shinbun - 1 Jan 46 Issue. Translators; Mrs. Asaka & T/5 Kawata.
Full Translation:
In a previous issue we discussed the difference in the methods of reporting employed
by the MAINICHI and the ASAHI newspapers
on the same subject. In the case of the ordinary reader, just reading the newspapers
seems to exert no influence; however,
when regarded from the standpoint that newspapers have an important mission of giving
correct information, their potential
influence is extremely great.
Major IMBODEM, who is the head of the newspaper section in General MacATHUR's headquarters,
called all of the journalists in
the TOKYO Area and demonstrated how to write up a news story. It would be well for
the general public to read his speech and
an outline of it.
Major IMBODEN, who runs a small newspaper in the UNITED STATES, when introducing
the policies of the newspapers there said,
"The newspapers in the UNITED STATES hold to the principle that everything they write
in the newspaper is a true report." As
an example he cited the handling of the war-criminal trial of General YAMASHITA. The
American newspapers patented every detail
of both sides of the testimony. However, there are some Japanese newspapers that printed
only the favorable sides of the
YAMASHITA trial and omitted the unfavorable, which is a very poor form of journalism.
This indicates one method of influencing
the public, and ho warns that this form of reporting will lead to misunderstandings.
He said next that it is the principle, of all American newspaper to report all shades
of opinion. For example, they give
considerable amount of space to contributions from people expressing their opinions,
people such as factory workers, miners,
farmers, housewives and. Others Even in the case of elections, they give their opinions
on the characters of each individual
candidate, and also on the good or bad policies of the political party to which they
belong. The American newspapers assume as
their responsibility the duty of reporting the truth about every social picture to
their readers.
Major IMBODEN says, "Couldn't the Japanese newspapers help start the great movement
in releasing the farmers, who compose the
majority of the population, from the land laws and plan the raising, of the standard
of living?" and also, "couldn't the
Japanese newspapers help in carrying out the important mission of organizing the labor
unions?" Whether a problem is important
or not the American newspapers print everyone's opinion as in a public discussion.
The radio stations always broadcast public programs and give the facts General MacARTHUR
gave the Japanese people freedom of
speech, but can the journalists shoulder their responsibility of leading the people"?
The journalsits should lead the people
in discussing public affairs freely and report these discussions from every point
of view. They should lead the people in
abolishing militarism, in dividing the
EDITORIAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (continued)
national income in a democratic way, end in respecting the rights of the individual.
If the journalists strive to correct the egotistical character of the Japanese and
make them respect one another's rights,
JAPAN will become one of the leading nations in creating world peace.
ITEM 2 The Fate of the peers in JAPAN - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Jan 46. Translator: T. Unayama.
Full Translation:
The Government decided to submit the first bill for the reformation of the House
of Peers to the special session of the Diet,
before submitting the bill for the revision of the constitution. The bill was agreed
upon in a Cabinet conference; but it was
an extremely half-hearted one, drafted under the limitations of the present Constitution.
Consequently, the people took little
notice of it. However, as the general election is to take place after 15 March, the
government's plan concerning the
reformation of the House of peers will be changed. According to MATSUMOTO, Minister
without Portfolio, we presume that if the
bill for the revision of the Constitution is brought up for discussion in the session,
after the special session of the Diet,
it will be too late to satisfy the people. Therefore, the bill for the reformation
of the Upper House, as well as the bill
revising the constitution, will be discussed in the special session, and, in consequence,
the reformation of the Upper House
will be finally decided by the bill.
From what we know of the bill, the members from the Imperial Family and the peerage
will he considerably reduced, and the
representatives of the highest tax payers are to be abolished. "But to wipe the feudal
influence out of the Upper House, all
of the members from the Imperial Family and the peerage must, at the very least, be
expelled. If this is not done, the people
will be disappointed.
It vas expressed clearly by the spokesman of SCAP that the Supreme Commander does
not support any political party, and that
the freedom of selecting the political leaders of JAPAN belongs to the Japanese people.
Hearing that, the conservative
elements would have felt relieved.
The peerage of JAPAN has a fatal weak-spot in that it makes no contribution towards
the development of democracy. It is unlike
the peerage of ENGLAND. The peers in JAPAN, who have no real ability in politics,
unlike the peers in the conservative party
in ENGLAND will be unable to do anything but leave their fate to the current trends
of democracy. The present Labor Ministry
of ENGLAND will literally make peers of laborers, as the two Cabinets in the past
did, and from this fact, we may conclude
that the peers in ENGLAND have a firm social basis. It is at least presumable that
the abolition of the Upper House will not
be placed before the Diet, and it is in this respect that the communist party is unable
to develop in ENGLAND. The Social
Democratic party in JAPAN, even though it forms a cabinet, will not give the title
of baron to Mr. ABE, Isoo, and pr. TAKANO,
Iwasaburo, even though they would, of course, refuse it.
ITEM 3 Scandals of Agricultural Associations - Yomiuri Hochi - 19 Jan 46. Translator: Y. Ebiike.
Full Translation:
I have some connection with a Town and village Agricultural Association. I want to
appeal to the public, revealing some
outrageous
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (continued)
scandals carried out openly throughout the war, and even in these days of the extremely
critical food shortage. When Town and
Village Agricultural Associations allot the amount of compulsory food supply, few
of them allot, fairly, an exact share to
each producer (that is the farmer). A greater part of them tell each farmer to supply
more than the amount fixed by the
provincial office of the Agricultural Association, such is the well-worn device of
the egotistic and bureaucratic Agricultural
Associations. Then how do they dispose of the surplus supply of provisions, gained
by exploiting farmers who are ignorant of
the actual facts?
First, those driven by the desire for fame sell more rice than is alloted by the
Government, in order to obtain a gratifying
result. This was the factor that tormented farmers so much during the war. Often many
of them were at a loss to explain the
meaning behind the fact that the amount of their village supply exceeded more than
100 percent, despite the fact that they did
not supply more than their share of the allotment.
Second, the Agricultural Association sets aside a sufficient amount for the purpose
of bartering for necessary items.
Third, supplied crops are offered to the police when the association has some political
interest.
Fourth, the association makes good any shortages in case the quantity of rice in
storage, which is entusted to them, happens
to become insufficient because of their carelessness.
Fifth, all the clerks of the association divide surplus amounts among themselves
by mutual consent, or, some managing staffs
usurp it secretly.
They complain of their small, salaries, yet if the truth were known, they are secretly
very contented, because of the reasons
mentioned above. In fact, they enjoy unofficial incomes several times as much as their
salary.
Every fact mentioned above is scandalous, but of all five, the last is the most vicious.
Yet they are inclined to revert to
such a state in those days of low morality. What rascals they are to commit irregularities
at the expense of simple-hearted
farmers. It almost makes us shudder, when we consider its influence upon the farmer's
supply.
For cases when the supply happens to fall short of the allotment, there are many
loopholes prepared in advance. They take off
a percentage from supplied crops, and sell the rest to the Government. They can contrive
to hold rice easily and freely.
Though food examiners are dispatched to every town end village, and the president
of the association reports in detail
concerning the allotment, most of the presidents are robots who have very little business
sense, and the food examiners are
easily bribed. I think a great amount of provisions are consumed by such unlawful
means, all over the country and its baneful
influence, visible as well as invisible, on society is beyond conception. The rage
of democratic revolution is surging in
every class of defeated JAPAN. Yet those impudent and shameless persons who rendered
their sevices and were at the beck and
call of the military cliques and ZAIBUTSU during the war, still play leading roles
against farmers. Unless they are expelled
from their present positions as leaders of farmers, the food problem can never be
settled, nor can the democratization of
agricultural villages be achieved.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Letters on Radio programs - Asahi shinbum - 19 Jan 46. Translator: I. Hotta.
Full Translation:
Monotonous Broadcasts
Recent radio programs are not for popular amusement, statesmen's speeches in which
they flatter themselves, street corner
interviews, talks, listeners' opinions, the week's events, and so forth, are extremely
dull. They may he intended to enlighten
us, hut they are still exactly as they ware during the war. The radio cries out day
and night as it used to do during the
war.
what we want in radio broadcasts is pleasure and not politics. Announcers, too, are
still at war. Why do they have to
emphasize each word? They should stop that affected way of speaking and speak more
naturally and smoothly.
Listen to the radio broadcasts for the Allied Forces. Someone said, "Have we ever
heard a Japanese announcer laugh on the
radio?" That is really worth thinking about. Formal broadcasts, like political speeches,
lectures, and so on, should be given
on the secondary frequency. In any case, make the radio programs more pleasant.
(MORIYAMA, Kei - TOKYO. A clerk of L.Y.K.)
Thirty Minute Broadcasts
What are the authorities of the broadcasting Association thinking about? Broadcasts
change every half hour like school hours.
English conversation used to be broadcast after 2100 hours and everybody could listen
to it. However, it is now broadcast at
1830, when off ice-workers are on their way home, or having supper.
The authorities should plan their radio programs, especially the schedule and contents.
A discussion meeting is good, but it
must be on subjects in which the general public is greatly interested. If those who
make programs would make them pleasant, it
would be more of a credit to their abilities. There must be some other way than to
divide the broadcasts into half hours.
(YAMAOKA, Takuo - KANAGAVA Clerk.)
Radio for the people
I wonder for whom the recent radio programs are being made. I don't ask them to exclude
foreign music, but the programs should
be more popular if they are for the general public. If there is a foreign word which
people cannot understand, it should be
translated into Japanese. Is it not their duty to inform us of matters in an easy
way so that everyone can understand?
(YOSHIMURA, Hajime - SHIZTJOKA. Clerk)
Protest From Girl Students
I was [illegible]oked when listening to a radio drama "The Zelkova-Tree on the top of the slope",
broadcasted at 1800 hours on 13 January. I think it insulted students. In the drama,
students participated ' with a bourgeois
who was a war criminal. They gave the listeners the impression that students were
worse than laborers. We students willingly
vent to factories and worked for our country at the risk of our lives during the war.
The war is over, and tyranny of the militarists, and dishonest acts in some factories,
have come to light. We could not help
crying our hearts out with mortification. Everyone can easily see whether or no we
take sides with those persons who made
unserviceable things, or th[illegible]militarists who deceived the people. I wish the writer of the
drama
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (continued)
would think again, and rewrite it, considering our feelings. (IWATA, Sachiko and
many other students of MATSUMOTO Girls' High
school, NAGANO.)
Bitter About Amusement Broadcasts
I have three children who study at a girls' college, a high school, and a boys' middle
school. It used to "be my pleasure to
listen to the radio with them every night. But, how dull and vicious the recent programs
have become! They do not give us
pleasure. I think it is indeed deplorable for the future of our culture if they try
to gain popularity with such vulgar
amusements. We want entertainment that will make us laugh heartily, now that the war
is over. I think that this is
indispensable under the present circumstances in JAPAN and it would help along the
new culture. We desire broadcasts which
will give us true pleasure.
(KUDO, Kikuko - CHIBA.)
From the Editorial staff:
Concerning broadcasting matters, we have received a. letter questioning whether or
not Radio TOKYO is the organ of the
communist party, and another letter saying that Radio TOKYO is a cat's paw of the
bureaucrats of the Government. About ten
letters criticized "Now It Can Be Told."
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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