Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0367, 1946-02-06.

Full Translation:

The Sanitary Section of our ken warns that as it gets warmer the prevalence of infectious diseases is to be feared, especially this year. Therefore all our prefectural people must pay special attention to their own hygienic conditions and be careful about their health. Of course, the authorities can take measures to prevent epidemics, but cannot develop a movement for increasing sanitary knowledge because they are short-handed. Therefore, each person must take core of himself, and cautious to guard against disease. Indeed, our people the ken, especially war-sufferers and those who reside with them, are living under terrible conditions, crowding together in small rooms, with scattered bedding, clothes and what little things they have.

Before the war, however, the lived neatly, no matter how poor they were, and their environment was in good order however small their houses might have been. They are now quite different from what they were in pre-war days. People have built their houses among war ruins with the feeling that it is enough if these houses could keep them from rain and dew. They did not take ventilation or lighting into consideration, and seem to have neglected outside arrangement, attention to personal appearance, or sweeping and cleaning their houses. Even it the prefectural authorities do not warn us, any layman should be sufficiently aware of the fact that epidemic diseases prevalent because of heat and lack of cleanliness.

Already the number of those who suffer from lice or itch has increased among those who live in barracks, in the halls of temples and shrines, and even among those who are not war-sufferers. If this tendency is left to take its own course, the possibility of its being the cause of eruptive typhus and gangrenous disease may be increased. Further, some policemen in OSAKA suffer from eruptive typhus because of the lice in police cells, and smallpox rages in KAGAWA-Ken, our neighboring prefecture. If the propagation of preventive knowledge and measures to eradicate epidemics is not carried out thoroughly, the health of our prefectural people is expected to be affected. This is all the more true with present food conditions, and judging from the current conditions in farms, banks, streets, and houses which have rapidly turned into hot-beds of disease since the latter part of the war.

As for measures to be taken against epidemic diseases, there are such methods as the increase of sanitary knowledge which has been often advocated by the authorities in addition to the warnings issued by them frequently. But these commonplace steps can help us no longer, because no effect can be expected from the warnings or posters.

ITEM 1 (Continued)

Fundamental measures are most necessary, e.g. to provide the people with housing comfortable enough to make them feel the joy of living so that they will improve their way of living so not to breed germa. Another is to guide the people in building healthy houses, and to spread knowledge about preventive medical science. Besides, there are such positive preventive measures as eradicating the uncleanliness of their bodies which are the source of the spread of lice and the outbreak of the itch.

Plans for thirty municipal dwelling houses and a plan for 100 houses to be rented by the TOKUSHIMA municipality to revise the city from war ruin and to help war-sufferers are well suited to the situation. But this plan cannot satisfy the masses because engineering work is not progressing for the time being. We went this work done as soon as possible. The opening of municipal bath service is desirable along with the settlement of the housing problem, because the citizens complain that though they wish to keep their bodies clean there are few public baths to serve them.

The plan for municipal bath service has already been recommended to the city authorities at the meeting of the presidents of the city's united neighbors association. Why does the city not carry out this plan? Most citizens do not take baths for a month or longer. The authorities must not condone such unsanitary conditions. If the city authorities make excuse that this plan may hinder the revival of public bath managers who have the right to run them we recommend the following plan.

The difficulty of opening public baths in cities is due to the lack of boilers rather than the fuel shortage. Hence when the unhealthy condition of keeping citizens waiting till boilers are availables, and the oppression of the public bath managers! vested interest as running them are compared, the latter is preferable, viewed from the general situation.

The plan we advocate is to run municipal public baths with electricity as the source of heat. In this way we can avoid the scramble for boilers, while surplus electric supply may be utilized and skin diseases prevented. Suppose the municipality take the initiative in running these public bath houses, if the enterprise proves to be a paying one, the municipality can turn it into a limited liability company which can be established by public bath managers.

The municipality is going to establish a medicine bath in the TOKUSHIMA Medical Office. However, the plan to run at least two or three public baths in each town must take priority over the plan to establish medicinal ones which are useful only after the disease exists.

Full Translation:

Will of the People

A great obligation is imposed upon the representatives who are to be selected at the coming general election. The Government says that it will propose a Constitutional Revision Bill to the extraordinary Session of the Diet after the general election. Then new representatives must deliberate on this bill. It goes without spying that revision of the Constitution is an important problem not only for the country, but also for the people. Some think that the revision of the Constitution is revised, has no direct connection with the life of the people. It is very wrong to think so. It is a serious problem

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 367 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

which must he considered by everyone. Therefore, the people must he aware of platform of each political party and opinion of each candidate regarding this issue, and must criticize them.

Furthermore, the new representatives will deliberate on a War-Profit Tax Bill and Property Tax Bill, etc., which will directly affect the lives of the people very much. The people must know also what policy each political party is advocating and what opinion each candidate has in connection with these bills, and must give its own judgment on these problems. Hence, great meaning is involved in the will of the people which is to be manifested in the coming general election. It is quite unpardonable to renounce the right of franchise. Moreover, if we vote for someone merely for our private considerations or under the influence of the tactics of the candidates, it will lead to mistaken results.

The nation must raise its level of criticism and judgment. Moreover, each man must have his own opinion. The problem of the Emperor System is to be determined by the free will of the people. "Free will" has been defined as meaning a "Diet composed of representatives selected by a free, democratic election with as many eligible people as possible participating in the voting "From this point of view, it is obvious how important the free will of the people is. The criticism and judgment of the people must be strengthened, thus enabling the nation to manifest its firm will.

What is Desired from Seamen

How do seamen of our country feel when seeing the advertisements "Seamen wanted" in newspapers everyday. We have been furnished with many ships through the good will of the Allied Powers. There remain so many disarmed soldiers and civilians abroad who are longing fee repatriation, Their families and relatives are eagerly awaiting the homecoming of their fathers, brothers, etc. We hardly need mention these facts hero. If the seamen of our country will consider these facts, they will voluntarily get aboard these ships. We all remember that our seamen performed their difficult tasks during the war without complaint. In fact, their tasks were even more difficult than those of soldiers. It is natural that every seaman hopes to exercise his ability on a ship under the flag of his own country. But in the present shipping situation of our country, our seamen must do their best even under the flags of other countries. This may be said also for the future situation.

Our seamen were hardly rewarded for their efforts during the war. We are sorry to demand anew this difficult task from them, yet we hope that they will be stirred by those circumstances end exert them-solves to the utmost under the flag of a foreign country. At the same time, we must be sure to give these seamen as much support as possible.

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