Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0053, 1945-12-11.

Author Supreme Commander for The Allied Powers. Allied Translator and Interpreter Section.

Date11 December, 1945

translation numberpolitical-0216

call numberDS801 .S85

Persistent Identifier
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS
ALLIED TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER SECTION
PRESS TRANSLATIONS
No. 216 Date: 11 Dec 45.

POLITICAL SERIES: 53

ITEM 1 Liberal Party vs. Agriculture Minister - Asahi Shimbun - 1 Dec 45. Translator: J. Paasche.

Extracts:
During a meeting of representatives the Liberal Party in the House of Peers on 30 November, three points came under review. A comittee was formed and the attitude of the Government concerning the food problem was brought to light on the same time as a club of agricultural reporters was formed.
The three points reviewed by the Liberal Party were:
  • 1.The minister for Agriculture has proclaimed that, in case of Allied refusal to import food, unused raw materials in powder form will be handed over to the public for consumption. But the prevailing food situation can not bear procrastination of this kind. Things have come to such a crisis that if no food-stuffs are imported from overseas it is absolutely impossible to save the Nation from starvations. It follows that the statement by the Minister of Agriculture is unsound, it is to be feared that it might even stir up misgivings on an international scale.
  • 2.Regarding the compulsory supply of rice, by the producer, the Minister of Agriculture has declared his intention to ensure re-distribution to the producers. This question is much discussed in the villages at present. If, nowadays, only sweet words are handed out concerning redistribution, which was impossible even under formed conditions, the farmers will be cheated when compulsory supply is boosted.
  • 3.It was published that the intention was to distribute special amounts of fertilizer to producers who gave up over 70 per cent of their stock. But, owing to the scarcity of coal, the production of fertilizer came not be increased, and investigation of fertilizer-producing companies has confirmed that a special distribution of fertilizer is out of the question.

ITEM 2 Members Of The Diet Are Responsible For Defeat - Asahi Shimbun - 1 Dec 45. Translator: S. Kawasaki.

Full Translation:
Since the defeat, war responsibility has been discussed everywhere, and militarists, bureaucrats, and capitalists have gradually been weeded out. However, the guilt of members of the Diet has been neglected. The members of the Diet, who have keenly felt their responsibilities for the defeat and presented their resignations to the
POLITICAL SERIES: 53 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
Diet, number only twelve. The bill concerning the Diet's war responsibility, which the Social and the Liberal parties are on the point of introducing to the main session of the Diet, is not what the people want.
How does the nation feel about the war responsibility of the Diet? Mr. ROYAMA, Masamichi, one of those who presented his resignation, said, "The reason for my resignation is that I have felt keenly the responsibility for defeat. The people responsible for war are those who plan the war or promote it. International law covers this point. The handling of those responsible for war is being managed by the Allied Powers. Therefore, I think that the Diet should take the responsibility for the defeat, but not the one for the war. The responsibility for the defeat is the responsibility which should be taken by the Diet after the outbreak of the war. I think that members of the Diet should see that their responsibilities consist of their having made the Government begin diplomatic negotiations. When I became chief of the diplomatic department, Administration Reserch Association of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, last autumn, I expressed my opinion to leaders Diet that the solution of the war did not depend upon the war but did depend upon diplomatic negotiations. The leaders answered that a diplomatic organization would be established; however, it was not Important problems, like Japanese diplomatic measures, are dealt with by the Administrative Research Association and should be transacted by the organization under the direct control of the President, as in the past. This is one of the reasons and why I resigned from the Imperial Rule Assistance Association.
"At the ordinary session of the Diet, in January of this year, I made some suggestions. I asked that the Prime Minister co-operate with the Foreign Minister, unite the Cabinet members, inform the Nation about the actual conditions of diplomacy, and commence diplomatic: negotiations backed by National support. I thought that the three points were recognized and that they started us toward an end to the war. However, opposition appeared and my ideas were not agreed upon. At that time, however, the atmosphere was one of negotiated peace. Therefore, I expressed my opinions again, and several meetings of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association were held where I must have repeated the same words. Some members agreed and Mr. MIURA co-operated with me. At that time, military circles were split. If all the members had agreed that the Government had been unified, I think we could have overcome, through the exercise of the Imperial authority of emergency, the military opposition. This was a most convenient opportunity for beginning diplomatic negotiations. However, the opportunity was missed and, JAPAN had to end the war by unconditional surrender, under SUZUKI.
We are responsible for the war in that we could not do better than that diplomatically.
"However, since last autumn, when diplomatic negotiations, came to the fore, members of the Diet did not show any interest in them. Moreover, they did not realize the seriousness of the war's condition. They did not understand the military operations of the PHILIPPINE Islands, OKINAWA, and others. Some members were looking on the bright side. Such a lack of understanding shows the shortcoming of statesman, and I think that they are unable to fulfill their duties.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 53 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
In the Diet, here, all the members must ask their own consciences whether or not they have the ability to carry out their duties.

ITEM 3 Freedom of Discussion - Asahi Shimbun - 2 Dec 45. Translator: T. Kitayama.

Summary:
In the House of Peers on 1 December, 1945, Mr. TOYOJI, Takeshita, question the Government, on the limitation that should be put on speeches on the abolition of the Emperor system as well as on the support of Communism.
To this interpellation, State Minister MATSUMOTO replied as follows: "Discussions themselves over the abolition of the Emperor System do not conflict with the extent law. Accordingly, so far as they are not followed by actions which go against the criminal law, they are perfectly free. Let those who would clamor for the abolition of the Emperor System do so. Against such clamorous people, I believe there are the greater part of the Japanese who support the Emperor System absolutely. Thought should be opposed with thought alone and not by force. The Government will not handle thought with the law. Especially since freedom of speech is firmly established in the POTSDAM Declaration it is quite reasonable that discussions over the abolition of the Emperor System also should be permitted."

ITEM 4 Thorough Investigation of War Responsibility Passed the Lower House - Asahi Shimbun - 2 Dec 45. Translator: J. Weiller.

Full Translations:
Deliberation in both Houses centered on the question of a thorough investigation of war responsibility. While in the Upper House Mr. MATSUMURA took the floor on the question, in the Lower House an inter-party discussion concerning thorough investigation into the members' war responsibility was conducted. As a result of the negotiation, a compromise was arrived at on the question of the order of debate on the two similar resolutions respectively submitted by both Progressive and Liberal Parties, A plenary session was held at 14.55 when the two resolutions were simultenously submitted. All the independent members who were apposed to both resolutions, left their seats, with the exception of a few. The Progressive Party's bill was approved by a majority while that of the Liberals was rejected. Thus the question of the day was brought to an end for the time being. However, as the Independents Club which is against the two parties' proposals, is going to introduce a resolution demanding the resignation en masse of the whole House, the question cannot said to be been solved yet.
The plenary meeting went on, however, approving three members' (including Mr. INO) resignations and those of seven members who tendered theirs because of their keen feeling of war responsibility. After these the bill for revision of the Election Law, one of the most important bills in the present session, was submitted. Premier SHIDEHARA and Home Minister HORIKIRI's then spoke on this bill. Interpellations were put off until the 3 December, and the meeting was adjourned.
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