Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0165, 1946-01-11.
Date11 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0691
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 165
ITEM 1 Clearing Offices of Personnel, Autocratic Administration [illegible]ASAHI SHIMBUN - 8 Jan 46. Translator: A. Kido.
Extract:
The latest directive to oust militaristic leaders has given a severe shock to Government
circles. The staff of the Agriculture
and Forestry Department yesterday held a committee meeting. Chief executive committeeman,
SATO, handed to Mr. MATSUMURA,
Minister of Agriculture, a note to be answered by 1000 on 10 January. The following
items were requested:
- 1.The establishment of a personnel Control Committee composed of the minister, vice-minister, President and bureau-chiefs as well as the same number of representatives from the staff association.
- 2.In case a union of Government and other public officials should be set up, permission in the Agriculture and Forestry Department should be granted.
It is thought that the feudalistic traits of the authorities are due to secret autocratic
personnel administration. Therefore,
as the first step toward democratization of the Government, preparations should be
made for the formation of a labor union.
The staff association, which is closely following up the Government, attitude on the
latest Directive of MacARTHUR's
Headquarters, is also going to issue a statement, appealing to public opinion in order
to achieve its ends.
At 1400 on the same day, an interview with the representatives of the employees of
the Transport Department, Communications
Bureau, Food Operation Association, and Farmers' Association was held with a view
to form a united, front and take active
measures. The staff association of the Agriculture and Forestry Department was first
set up in 20 December last year. It was
composed of about 2000 members.
Mr. KAWAI, vice-minister of the Agriculture and Forestry Department, said, "To dispose
of the Government personnel affairs by
a Control Committee Meeting, as demanded in the statement, is to disregard the existing
right to appoint Government officials.
Will that not be difficult to carry out? Provided it is possible, it is still difficult
to know what to do with each one of
the Department. It is quite right to say that the Government's feudalistic traits
are due to personnel administration. They
should ask for permission for an independent union."
POLITICAL SERIES: 165 (Continued)
ITEM 2 The [illegible]iheral Party Has Reached Complete Agreement On the United Front With the Social Democrats" Says President HATOYAMA - YOMIURI-HOCHI SHIMBU - 8 Jan 46. Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
The Prime Minister maintains a firm intention to do nothing more than reorganize
the Cabinet. However, under the present
political situation, importance is attached rather to the possibility of successful
reorganization in the Cabinet than to the
mere intention of the Cabinet. Meanwhile, in case of the failure of the Cabinet reshuffle,
can an interim Cabinet, with the
mission of enforcing a general election, afford to come into existence? Will a reported
coalition Cabinet with the Liberals
and the social Democrats be formed and be given the political power? These two points
may be a matter of concern in the coming
political situation. Regarding this matter, HATOYAMA, president of the Liberal Party,
expressed the noteworthy announcement
Monday afternoon that the Liberals and the Social-Democrats have agreed to form a
united front.
The SHIDEHARA Cabinet, despite several Ministers affected by the new Allied purge
order, appears singularly confident of
coping with the political crisis by a reorganization of the Cabinet. Greater ignorance
in politics probably could not be
displayed. It is the present Cabinet that has shown inactivity and lack of policy
on internal problems. Furthermore, the
Cabinet can last only until the time of the general election. The people's lives are
in danger because of the long worry about
food and inflation difficulties. Who will join the Cabinet under such handicaps? The
Social-Democrats have already demanded
that the Cabinet resign en masse, while the Liberals also advocate resignation. I
cannot help doubting the political
conscience and common sense of Baron SHIDEHARA in venturing to reorganize the Cabinet
in defiance of this situation.
I believe firmly that if SCAP desires to form a new cabinet with Baren SHIDEHARA
and YOSHIDA as nucleus, the formation of the
Cabinet should be undertaken by an Imperial mandate. The Liberal Party will take common
action with the Social-Democrats. I do
not think another interim Cabinet can come into existence in case of the collapse
of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet. Therefore, as the
SHIDEHARA Cabinet is the last interim one, there is no other coalition Cabinet than
one made up of the Liberals and the Social
Democrats.
The united front of the Liberals and the Social Democrats has become important in
Tokio, owing to the political crisis. An
implicit agreement of co-operation between them has already been made. The Social-Democrats
issued a statement on 5 January.
saying that the present Cabinet should resign en masse. That was issued in connection
with the Liberals. When the Liberals
were moving actively in preparation for their inauguration, I had a few secret meetings
with several leading spirits of the
Social-Democrats. Both parties have had intimate relation since then. Now both parties
have different opinions only on
economic policy, and these differences will be solved by mutual understanding.
ITEM 3 Recommendation of the Succeeding Premier - TOKYO SHIMBIN - 8 Jan 46. Translator: S. Ono.
Extracts:
With the Government facing a crisis due to the new directive of the Allied Powers
ordering the exile of the advocates of
aggressive militarism, there exists an increasing concern among the public on the
procedure of the recommendation of the
succeeding premier.
- 2 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 165 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (continued)
Before the formation of the current cabinet, the Lord Keeper of Privy Seal was held
responsible for the task. Now, after the
abolition of the Office of Lord deeper of the Privy Seal, the job goes to a joint
conference of the president of the Privy
Council and the chaimen of both Houses.
This, however, has become unworkable, owing to the disqualification of both SUZUKI,
president of the Privy Council, and
TOKUGAWA, chairman of the House of Peers, bu the issuance of the last directive, while
the chairman of the House of
Representatives at present is non-existent, the latter being dissolved. The procedure
of recommendation, therefore, is to
suffer a drastic change hereafter, which we divide into the following two cases.
- 1.If the resignation is made before the execution of the directive —- If the Government resigns at present, the president of the Privy Council and the chairman of the House of Peers, being nominally still in their posts, the following means are supposed to be effective: a) The president of the Privy Council, at the request of the Emperor, will recommend the succeeding premier after holding conference with the former premier, the chairman of the House of Peers, and, if necessary, heeds of various political parties; b) The decision by the Emperor himself, as in the cases of HIGASHIKUNI and SHIDEHARA; c) Consultation of the Emperor with the elder statesmen such as WAKATSUKI, Reijiro, and OKADA, Keisuke, who are not affected by the recent directives.
- 2.when the Cabinet resigns after the execution of the directive—-In this case, the Emperor will cosult the former premier, president of the Privy Council, and the chairman of the House of Peers, and if the latter two are not yet appointed, the Grand Chamberlain, at the request of the Emperor, will hold joint conference with the heads of various political parties to recommend the successor.
Throughout the two cases, it is clear that the procedure of recommendation is subject
to drastic change so as to comply with
the democratization of the Country. The era of old powers and political cliques is
gone.
ITEM 4 Application of the Recent Directives - The TOKYO SHIMBUN - 8 Jan 46. Translator: S. Kawasaki.
Full Translation:
Facing the banishment of its militarists, the SHIDEHARA Cabinet is the cynosure of
all eyes. It is clear that Home Minister
HORIKIRI, Minister without Portfolia, TSUGITA, and Education Minister MAEDA are within
the scope, of application of the
directives of SCAP. It is proper that the Minister of Agriculture, who had been the
head of the Imperial Rule Political
Assistance Association (Political Affairs Investigation Board), should not evade the
directives. It shows only, a lack of
political sense that special interpetations of the directives will be demanded of
SCAP.
Prime Minister SHIDEHARA seems to have decided to have the Cabinet resign in a body.
As a result of the directives, the date
of the election will be delayed, but it must not be delayed too long, lest next year's
budget suffer from the delay. Even if
the preparations for the general election should be hurried, the new extraordinary
session of the Diet will not be convened,
before the middle of February. Therefore, the term of the session necessary for passing
the budget, will become too short.
Therefore, it will be useless to assert that next year's budget must be approved by
the end of this year.
- 3 -
POLTICAL SERIES: 165 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
There seems to be a fear that the conduct of the general election will be disturbed.
Judging from the spirit of the
directives, it is natural that the directives should be applied to those who are in
the positions of leadership. It is said
that the Cabinet must resign in a body as soon as possible to open ways for the promotion
of democracy.
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