Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0150, 1946-01-07.

Summary:

The Now Year is very important and very significant, I believe. Airplanes are flying over our heads, but neither explosive bombs nor incendiaries drop from above. Even if we hear the shrink of motor sirens, it is no longer an clear to warn people to turn their electric lights. We can continue our work at ease. For this little matter alone we feel quite grateful. The fact that peace has come, following the termination of the world war, really makes us feel grateful and happy.

There is, however a mere important thing. Freedom has been bestowed upon all of us which enables us to speak of bad things as being bad and good thing as being good, and to accomplish the good things more easily by destroying the bad. During the war, everyone had to do as he was ordered, knowing that some of these orders were bad.

You may well understant what I say by your own experience if you recall those days during the war. The time has come, at last, when we can do good things without hesitation, and stop the bad things promptly. The Japanese people must perform only good deeds hereafter. Do them eagerly. There is no need to feel constrained by the Government, the police or the military police. On the contrary, the government officials, police officers or the officials of the prefectural government can do good things together with the average people. Until now, when anybody, for instance a village policeman, wanted to do good things and stop bad things, he could not because he had to obey the chief of police, obey the village office, and obey those who had influence in the village administration. The time has come, however, when he can do the right thing without being bound by anybody. In short, the town people, factory workers, farmers, or primary school teachers, regardless of occupation, can all join the Liberal Party, or the Progressive Party, or the Japanese Social Party, or the Japanese Communist Party. If a village policeman joins the Japanese Communist Party, the chief of police has no power to discharge him from his office, as long as he fulfills his duty as village policeman. If there is any chief of police who would threaten his subordinate with discharge, the policeman can bring accusations against him to the Home Minister. In ease the Home Minister refuses to listen to the policeman's accusation and supports the chief of police, the policeman can then have the Home Minister discharged. This is a very favorable change, I think.

Full Translation:

On 4 January, when the SCAP Directive was issued to banish all militaristic leaders from government and other public offices, the Government and the Progressive Party, were in [illegible]cold sweet. Chief

POLITICAL SERIES: 150 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Secretary TSUGITA, with a look of istress, called on Premier SHID[illegible]HARA, who is sick at his home in SETAGAYA, informing him of the directive. As a result, an [illegible]traordinary Cabinet meeting will be held this afternoon to work out remedial measures.

On the other hand, the Progressive Party was to hold this year's first general meeting yesterday. Only about half of the Party members attached the meeting and were quite surprised at the directive. The meeting was [illegible]t once dissolved. Chief secres[illegible]ry TSURUMI said. "[illegible]y this alone we cannot now how far the directive is applicable. Secretary TSURUMI then went out to find out the original text of the directive. Meanwhile telephones in the office rang continuously, party members asked questions about the directives, and office employees were quite impassive. Chief secretary TSURUMI on coming back said, "The question now is not our party's statement; the persons concerned cannot even make campaign speeches for candidates; of the 15 directors, the remaining; persons will be KAWASAKI, SAITO, and YOSHIOKA. This evening an important general meeting will be held."

Mr. KIUCHI, Kyo, who had come to join the party, was at a loss upon seeing the confusion in the office. "Consulting with President MACHIDA, we have decided on the attitude of our Party toward the directive" said chief secretary TSURUIMI, He concluded his speech, saying "with the remainder and new members we will ultimately [illegible]democratic administrative organization based on our party Platform, 'faithful fulfilment of the PO[illegible]SDAM Declaration.'" But his voice gave a depressing impression.

Full Translation:

The following are the names of the persons who had taken an active role in the formation of the Imperil Rule Assistance Political Society. (Names of these already arrested as war criminals arc excluded):

• 1.Members of the House of Peers: ARITA, Hachiro; ISHIGURO, Tedaatsu; IWAKURA, Michitomo; ISHIWATA , Sotaro; ENDO, Ryusaku; OGURA, Masatsune; OHARA, Naoshi; KAWARADA, Kakichi; KIMURA, Naosato; KURODA, Nagakazu; SENGOKU, Kotaro; TAKI, Masse; TSUGITA, Daizabure; YABUKI, Shozo; YAMAOKA, Mannosuke; YUKI, Toyotaro; YOKOYAMA; Sukenari; YOSHIDA, Shigeru; HASHIMOTO, Seinosuke; and HORIKRI, Zonjiro.
• 2.Members of the House of Representatives: UCHIGASAKI, Sakusaburo; USHIZUKA, Toratare; OKADA, Tadahike; OASA, Tadao; KATSU, Masanori; KOYAMA, Masatoshi; ODAIRA, Gonichi; KOHDO, Eijiro: SHIMOIDE, Yoshio; SAITO, Shintare; TOGO, Minoru; MAEDA, Yonezo; MATSUMURA, Kenzo; YAMAZAKI, Tatsunosuke; KAWAKAMI, J[illegible]t[illegible]ro; TANABE, Shichiroku; KIYOSE, Ichiro; and CGUCHI, Kircku.
• 3.Financial circles; IZAKA, Takashi; and TOYAMA, Aiichiro.
• 4.Journalism: KOMORI, Shichiro; TANAKA, Tokichi; and TAKAISHI, Shingoro.

Meanwhile the number of those who agreed to enter into the scheme on the invitation of the af[illegible]re mentioned amounts to one thousand, including almost all members of both houses. Further the name of those who took active posts after the formation of the Society are as follows (the above mentioned excluded): KANAMITSU, Yasuo; TSUGUMO, Ku[illegible]itoshi; and MIYOSHI, Hideyuki.

After the Society changed its name the JAPAN Political Association the following persons were in executive positions: KOIZUMI, Matajiro; SAKURAUCHI, Yukio; SHIMADA, Toshio; MACHIDA, Chiuji; ASANO, Ryozo; NAKAJIMA, Yadanji; KAWASHIMA, Masajiro; KODAMA. Hideo; ISUTSUMI, Kojiro; TAKAHASHI, Morihei; ISURUMI, Yusuke; NAGANO, Mamoru; NAZAKI, Katsuji; and YASUMI , Saburo.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 150 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Thus, with the resignation of the members of the House of Peers and the exclusion of the members of the House Representatives, together with the exile of the chief-executives of the provincial offices of the Society, a drastic change in the political field of both cities and provinces is expected. In connections with the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, the prefectural governors now in office, with few exceptions, have assumed concurrently the post of head of the local branch of the Association, and will probably be the cause of whole scale reorganization of the staff members of the Home Ministry, when the directive is interpreted to include the removal of the head of branch office of the Association. These who are unaffected by such a directive are the following prefectural governors: CHBA; MIYAGI Ken; HAYASHI; SHIMANE Ken; KOIKE; WAKAYAMA Ken; TANIKAWA; YAMAHASHI Ken; and IHADA; SHIGA Ken.

In the head office of the Home Ministry: SAKA, Vice-Minister; KOIZUMI, head of the Bureau of Peace Preservation; OSHIMA, head of the Bure[illegible]r of Control; and IRIE, head of the Bureau of Provincial Affairs are expected to be exiled; the first three under the sane char[illegible]o, of being ex-governors, and the fourth of being ex-chief of the military government in MAOCASSAR.

Full Translation:

Upon receiving the new important directives from Allied Headquarters on 4 January the Cabinet was scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting the next afternoon to discuss pertinent measures. However, this has been postponed until the Foreign Minister, YOSHIDA visits Headquarters on 6 January. On the other hand, since the Cabinet, which is responsible for realizing the latest orders, must add some changes to such laws as the House of Peers Ordinance, the Election Law, the Civil Service A pointment Ordinance, and the Civil Service Limitation ordinance and since it is also necessary to make a rule about the dissolution of militaristic organizations and about dis[illegible]osition of their property, the Cabinet has been preparing an Imperial decree at the Legislation Office. It is going to be referred to the extraordinary Cabinet Meeting on 6 January at 1000, and to be pronulgated as one of the emergency Imperial Rescript that are indispensible according to the POTSDAM Declaration.

Therefore, the extraordinary Cabinet meeting will be held at 1000 to decide on the ordinance pertinent to carrying out the directives, and after the Foreign Minister's visit to Headquarters, which is expected to take place this afternoon, another meeting will be held.

If the minister must submit a full report of his visit in advance, the meeting may not be opened today.

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