Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0053, 1945-12-11.
Date11 December, 1945
translation numberpolitical-0216
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
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.
- 2 -
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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