Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0033, 1945-11-27.
Date27 November, 1945
translation numberpolitical-0129
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 33
ITEM 1 A Phase of the History of JAPAN's Collapse - Yomiuri-Hochi - 19 Nov. 45. Translator: WEILLER, T.
Extracts:
A Phase of the History of JAPAN's Collapse; Bureaucratic Fascism.
The Breakfast Party, which we have already dealt with in the preceding series, was
first projected with KONOE as the central
figure, but KIDO replaced him later. In the Array, OBATA, Binshiro, did not consent
to join the Breakfast Party, and NAGATA
finally took his place. This party was indeed a group which combined the essential
power of the militarists and bureaucrats.
The first occasion of the power they wielded was when the recommendation of General
ABE for Premier was brought up before a
council of Elder Statesmen by KIDO. The use of this method was repeated when IKEDA,
Saihin, financial magnate was pushed into
the YONAI Cabinet.
[illegible]roletarians Included.
What is noteworthy here is the reason why NAGATA joined this party. As the big heads
of the bureaucrats had secret designs in
making connections with the militarists, so the letters had their own motive in meeting
the formers half-way. According to
NAGATA's idea, it was essential that the Army, while politically allying itself with
the bureaucrats and peers, also connect
itself with IK[illegible]DA, Seihin, of the financial circle, KAMEI, Kanichiro; ASAU, Hisahi; ASAHARA,
Kenzo, of the [illegible]roletariat Party; and OKANA, Shumei, and KITA, Ikki, of the reactionaries, and then
attempt a chain of coupes d'etat.
This attempt; however, ended in failure and the so called March Incident. Taking
a lesson from this failure, NAGATA turned his
attention to picking up men of new types and added such names to the membership as
TAKAHASHI, Kamekichi, and YAMAZAKI, Seijur,
proteges of IKEDA: TSUSBIMA, Juichi; KAYA, Kosen; ISKIWATA, Sataro; AO[illegible]I, Kazuo, from the
financial circles, KARASAWA, Tashiki, and GOTO, Fumio from the bureaucrats' camp,
in addition to the previously named persons
from the proletariat.
Why was this done? It was to strengthen the internal organization against the stress
of a war which seemed inevitable. A
high-handed control of the organization in every part of the country was the goal.
A national reconstruction plan based on the total mobilization of the nation and
the army was intended, and Naguta was to be
the guiding force thereof. This is why he contemplated a coalition with the bureaucrats
and financial concerns, as well as the
proletariats, who stood diametrically opposed to the others. And it explains why in
spite of his allembracing policy, he kept
the liberal politicians from his fold.
POLITICAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
The bureaucrats thought their only way of defending their power and extending it
was by being in league with the militarists.
In short, they resorted to compromise. In the meantime, the so-called New Bureaucrats
who made their appearance throught
string pulling by the Breakfast Party, were approaching the role they were to play
as the militarists' tools in forming a
total mobilization plan.
The Total Mobilization Law and Board of Planning
At about the time when the CHINA Incident broke out in 1937, the army had already
completed a plan for guiding war-time
politics. Among the most important institutions mobilized for this purpose were the
Economics Bureau of Investigation of
JAPAN-MANCHURIA in MANCHURIA, and the SHOWA Research Association, The Society of the
Study of National Policy, and the Office
for Study of EAST ASIA in JAPAN.
The National Total Mobilization Law passed the Diet, along with the State Control
of Electric Power Law, in 1938, and in order
to know the history of JAPAN's Bureaucratic Militarism it is important to study the
circumstances under which these laws were
passed.
For this purpose we must go back to the ordinary session of the Diet of the previous
year. The TAKAHASHI, Korekiyo, financial
policy was succeeded by FUJII's policy which, as it took into account the current
opinion of the ZAIBATSU in general,
especially of the Monetary capitalists, was an appeasement policy.
The army, however, was dissatisfied and planned to turn the policies toward militaristic
purposes. The result was the entrance
of BABA as Finance Minister, symbolizing the army's activities and its general financial
policy.
These militaristic tones were formed in the reorganization, in May 1937, of the Office
of Planning into the Board of Planning.
The characteristic of this Board gave the impression that it had been set up in advance.
Its antecedent, the Bureau of
Investigation, was created by the OKADA Cabinet for the serious purpose of stemming
the then prevailing panic, with YOSHIDA,
Shigeru, a leader of the new bureaucrats, as its chief.
Originally this office was quite a fit place for the new bureaucrats, who liked assiduous
routine work, but now as the Board
of Planning, it suddenly showed its hand, demanding total mobilization, and, in order
to enforce its policy it assembled the
choicest bureaucrats from each government department. Almost all the investigators
of the Board were military and naval
officers, or those closely connected with them, and they occupied the key positions
of the office. There were numbers of
changes in the personnel but there were none who did not belong to this group.
The group was in league with ARIMA, Raine; SENGOKU, Kobaro, and others of the Industrial
Associations, and was connected with
the ZAIBATSU influence of IKEDA, Seihin, through GOKO, Kiyoshi, and FUJIYAMA, Aiichiro.
There were also connections with YUKI,
Toyotaro, who, as the Governor of the Bank of JAPAN, was a leader of the industrial
capitalists.
There are many episodes telling how such connections had been achieved. As an example,
NIPPON SODA was snatched from the hands
of NAKANO, Tomomaro, and put in the hands of MITSUI. This was done by a conspiracy
of the militarists-bureaucrats-financiers'
combination. As MITSUI had no interests in the industry, they planned to utilize MITSUI's
capital,
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POLITICAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
and at the same time, push up O[illegible]DA, an old bureaucrat of the Communication Department, the
company's presidency throught the reccomendation of OKUMURA, Kiwas, backed by [illegible]UTO and others of
the Army.
When the Technical Board was made under the pretence of the total mobilization of
Science, it was planned by MIYAMOTO, the
vice-chief, that while INOUYE, Kyoshiro, of the Upper House, would be nominated for
the Presidency, OKOCHI, Seibin, of the
Laboratory of Physics and Chemistry, together with experts from private sources, would,
compromise the principle personnel.
However, what the Fascist camp in the Board of Planning realy wanted was political
power rather than scientific control, and
in order to get the power they deemed it necesssry to humour KIDO who was influencial
in the Imperial Palace, Therefore, they
dismissed MIYA[illegible]OTO And put in his place ABE, Gonki, one of KIDO's henchmen. They also put INOUYE
into the Board of Technics as a puppet president, and WADA, Koyuku, KIDO's brother,
was given the post of Vice-
President.
It's indeed unprecedented in the history of JAPAN's bureaucrats that the Pareaucratic-Militarist-Financier-Technician
combination of this kind was acheived under the very eyes of the nation and was never
questioned.
The Army Pushed Through the Total Kobilization Law
With the outbreak of the CHINA Incident, the Board of Planning commenced activities.
In the meantime the incident was steadily
growing more serious and soon the total mobilization plan was submitted to the Diet
in the following year as the Total
National Mobilization Law and was passed by the Diet.
With vast power behind it the Total Mobilization Law was a double-edged sword, a
menace to both the "haves" and "have
nots".
During the debate in the Diet fierce opposition was raised by a certain section and
a compromise was finally reached which
appeased the opposition at no cost to the power of the Mobilization Law. Passing of
the bill by the Diet further strengthened
the posttion of the bureaucratic militaristic fascists.
ITEM 2 Strife Between Nationalist Troops And Chinese Reds Enters Critical Stage-Mainichi Shinbun - 19 Nov 45. Translator: H. Takahashi.
Summary:
Now that the common aim of co-operative resistance against Japanese agressions has
reached an end, we can say that Chinese
Nationalists and Communists seem destined to oppose each other. Scarcely had the tie
unifiing the parties been cut down when
both forces fell into violent combat, and the strife has spread all over CHINA.
In the taking of MANCHURIA, the situation has reached the worst possible stage. The
CHUNGNING Government, concluding on 14
August 1945, the Friendly Alliance Treaty with the SOVIET UNION, sought to regain
complete control of MANCHURIA. But,
according to CHIANG's YENAN Government, has been working for the destruction of Communist
CHINA, not the unification of CHINA.
That is to say, if the nationalist army advances into NORTH CHINA, where YENAN's influence
prevails, the YENAN government will
be in a precarious position. If INNER MONGOLIA is brought under the control of GAINA's
Central Government, the connection
between YENAN and MANCNURIA or OUTER MONGOLIA will be cut off.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
The industries of MANCHURIA will afford a great deal of superior equipment to the
Nationalist troops, and the Reds will suffer
from a severe shortage of arms. Also, complete nationalization of the SHINKYO District
(WESTERN CHINA) will enable CHINA's
Central Government to make the anticommunist blockade stronger and will impose a great
threat on the Chinese Communists from
their rear.
Against such possibilities, the Chinese Communists took immediate action. They occupied
every important city and port
throughout NORTH CHINA, and at the same time, advance a considerable distance into
INNER MONGOLIA. By establishing the 16th
Military French District, including a great many regions, they were prepared thoroughly
for the Nationalist army's invasion of
MANCHURIA, either by land or sea. No soldier of the Nationalists has yet been able
to step into MANCHURIA.
According to a United Press report dispatched from CHUNGKING on 4 November, the Reds
now possess a large part of 10 districts
of NORTH CHINA, SOUTH MANCHURIA had INNER MONGOLIA, as well as one half of the whole
coast line of CHINA, 4,000 miles, six
important ports, seven mountain ranges, and over 19 airbases constructed by the Japanese
Army. These wide areas are divided
into 18 free districts and 16 military districts. Thus the administrative ability
of the Chines Communists came to present the
semblance of a great independent state.
The Soviet army will be gone from the whole of MANC[illegible]by 3 December and some troops have already
left. Vacant regions from which the Soviet evacuated have been occupied one after
another by the Reds. In consequence, since
it is impossible to transport the Nationalist troops by air to CHOSUN till 20 November,
when the Soviets end the evacuation
from all districts in the south of C[illegible]O[illegible], every principle point
throughout MANC URIA will come into possission of the Chinese Communists.
Formerly both the SOVIET UNION, and the UNITED STATES stated that they would not
interfere with the C[illegible]S[illegible]civil war lest they should be involved. However, Y[illegible]NAN feels that the Arms Lending Agreement between AMERICA and CHUNKING means that
the UNITED STATES
intends to assist CHUNGKING. On the other hand the SOVIET UNION is regarded as assisting
YENAN by CHUNGKING. So, for fear of
causing dangerous situation, one of the public officials of AMERICA emphasized "It
is not till the UNITED STATES, the SOVIET
UNION and [illegible]TIAN intervene in co-operation, that the civil strife in CHINA can be settled." Also,
a
statement of the Soviet Embassy in CHINA resorted that Generalissimo STALIN sent a
letter in relation to some important matter
to Generalissimo CHIANG KIA-S[illegible]K.
ITEM 3 Japan's Code Telegram on the Pearl Harbor Attack - Asahi Shimbun - 19 Nov 45. Translator: J. Kitayama.
Extracts:
Rear-Admiral INGLIS, Chief of the U.S. Navy Department Information bureau made the
following statement on 17 November before
the Congressional Committee investigating the PEARL AR[illegible]attack.
"A code telegram "Climb Mt. NIITAKA" dispatched from TOKYO on 5 December 1941, ordering
a Japanese task force to attack
[illegible]EARL HAR[illegible]. News of the coded radio message reached me that
night.
"The Japanese task force sailed from the Southern [illegible]ILE Islands on 25 November. When the task force
received the command they were located more than 1,000 miles from the HANAIIAN Islands.
On 7 December, while the Japanese
naval squadron was still 200 miles from PE[illegible]
[illegible], 361 planes took off for the attack.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
The plan is credited to Admiral YAMAMOTO who worked on it between January and September
of 1941. The objective was to deliver
a death blow to the American fleet, and then, in case the attack failed, a decisive
battle was to be fought by combined naval
forces of JAPAN and the UNITEI STATES. The Japanese were under order to return if
they were discovered."
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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