Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0167, 1946-01-10.

Full Translation:

The Government, which received the important directive issued by SCAP on 4 January, intends to remain in the same position until the general election has taken place, even if it should change the ministers who are liable under the directive, and Foreign Minister YOSHIDA and others concerned, are to get in touch with, and ask consent of SCAP. On the other hand, the Government decided on "Prohibition of the organization of parties, associations and other bodies based on the Imperial Ordinance No, 542 in 1945 at the regular cabinet meeting on 8 January in order to take legal measures quickly in accordance with the directive. This is concerned with the dissolution of right wing bodies, and will be promulgated and enforced as soon as it is approved by SCAP. The cabinet meeting did not debate on "Prohibition of entrance into office, retirement from office and from service, etc., based on Ordinane. He 542 in 1945", the same day, but decided on the points of the bill revising the House of Peers Ordinance, and discussed other urgent and outstanding problems. This I perial Ordinance bill, too, soon to be decided upon at the cabinet meeting, well be promilgated and enforced after having been referred to the Privy Council for deliberation and approved by SCAP. The Government has dissolved the House of Representatives in order to make an epoch making revision of the Lower House Election Law and to execute the general election according to this revised Election Law. Moreover, it is necessary to reform the Diet system on a large scale in order to establish or democratic government. The Government has been hastening to prepare for the reform of a most feudalistic upper house in addition to the revision of the Upper House Election Law, and, having formed definite plan, decided on "The elements of a bill for reforming the House of Peers Ordinance" at the cabinet meeting on 8 January. The Government will rapidly arrange the draft in accordance with these essentials and introduce it to the Diet after the general election.

Extracts:

As a result of the latest SCAP directive ordering the expulsion of certain leading elements, each political party is now making frantic efforts for party reorganization and replanning, election countermeasures in order to prolong the life of the original bodies. Meanwhile, the Progressive Party which had prided itself on being the leading party before the Diet was dissolved and was expecting to attain political power as result of the forthcoming general election, is obliged to be eradicated, but is again revealing its scandalous state by attempting reorganization. The part thinks, however that or president MACHIDA will

POLITICAL SERIES: 167 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

not be affected by the directive and, with his as the base it is prepared to undertake the party's reorganization. On the other hand, younger members of the party are going to insure themselves by appointing a new president and strengthening its leading position, but disovering a suitable president in the present circumstances will be very difficult.

Construing the latest directive as bringing about a revolutionary change in the political situation, the Social Democratic party is aiming at complete destruction of the progressive and Liberal parties and calling for the general resignation of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet. With view of becoming the loading party after the general election, the party has seriously taken up the Question of who shall be presedent. Among other candidates for the presidency Mr. KATAYMA. Tetsu, Chief Secretary, and Mr. MATSUOKA Komakichi are being considered as the most suitable persons, but the former is more likely to be selected. This question will be settled within a few days. Furthermore, the party will put up for 200 seats in the House in addition to the 190 official candidates already announced.

Presuming that only Messrs, MATSUNO Tsuruhci, AFDO, Masazumi, and USHIZUKA Torataro will be affected by the directive, the Liberal Party as a whole has welcomed it and hopes to be the leading party in the next Diet by re-examining the party's election countermeasures. Before the issue of the latest directive, the Liberal Party expected put up 200 - 300 candidates, whereas now it is going to increase this number to 350 - 400. The party is calling upon the independent members who were to oporizing and also to the new stratum of the intellectual class in order to aid against the rise of Communism.

Full Translation:

The political world is at a standstill, and there is an increasing uneasiness. Chief Secretary of Cabinet, TSUGITA, demands the reformation of the Cabinet, and on the other hand, Director of the Bureau of Legislation, NARAHASHI, Welfare Minister ASHIDA, and others who belong to the Liberal Party, are responding to the idea of reformation with a demand for resignation en masse. These members are thus advising Prime Minister SHIDEHARA, who is still sick.

Judging from opinions in the Cabinet, support of arguments in favor of resignation on masse comes mainly from these who belong to the Liberal Party. It is obvious that this is the intention of the president of the Party, HATOYAMA, Ichiro who is supporting Messrs. M NARAHASHI, and ASHIDA. Mr. HATOYAMA also deserves that all Cabinet members should retire from politics because of the present political situation.

The movements to overthrow the Cabinet wag gradually started inside and outside the Cabinet and are now being revealed.

Though SHIDAHARA's Cabinet has been in office several months, it has had no positive policy for the solution of food, and inflation problem. At the present time, when anxiety in JAPAN proper is becoming deeper day by day, Mr. HATOYAMA seems to be bent on an immediate solution of the problem of the political situation, in order to tide over this crisis as soon as possible. Moreover, according to the recent directives issued by SCAP, the fall of the Progressive Party, which was the most powerful political party, is assured. Therefore, it is thought that Mr. HATOYAMA has been encouraged more and more.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 167 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Accordingly, if the SHIDEHARA Cabinet resigns in a body, and Mr. HATOYAMA is given the Imperial Command for the formation of the succeeding Cabinet, it will be difficult to form a cabinet of Liberal alone. Therefore, Mr. HATOYAMA intends to ask for co-operation from the Social Democratic Party.

Summary:

Owing to SCAP's order of 4 January the leading groups of JAPAN's political world can have no share in rebuilding the country on democratic lines. Democracy means that the liberated masses are determining and controlling politics. Production and consumption must be organized, and in so far as such organization of the masses is a bulwark against the capitalists and bureaucrats, it can be called a people's front. JAPAN is in the throes of unrest and despair and at the mercy of sabotage by the opitalists and the passivity of the Government.

It appears that the despair of the people is becoming over greater and only the people themselves can save JAPAN. The political powers behind the working masses are the Social Democratic and the Communist parties. The latter has repeatedly proposed a united front with the Social Democrats. Communists SHIGA and EUROKI have explained that they want to solve the problems of food supply and food administration through co-operation, but they were turned down by the Social Democrats on 7 January. The Communists have publicly attacked the Social Democrats, branding their leading groups as "fascism", and TOKUDA has told representatives of the press that the Social Democratic party does not really think of the needs of the people but refuses the confidence of its members and affiliated groups. This shows that nothing less than hostility has developed between the parties. According to MIZUTANI, the Social Democrats had the following reasons for turning down the Communist offers;

"We know that twenty years ago the Communists proposed collaboration with the workers and peasants party of that day, that the Communists use such-maneuvers in order to gain exclusive control of the masses. Although the Communists have, stressed their sincerity we scented their dangerous tactics and refused on the grounds that both parties were still insufficiently organized. Mere co-operation of the leading groups in both parties is not enough, and the tine is not ripe for the required blood-brotherhood of the rank and file of the parties. However, it would be rash to conclude that the last chance for unity was lost after the communists had gone through the motions of their thrice repeated offer. NOZAKA Sanji is on his way to JAPAN and his return is generally regarded as an epoch making event for our Communists."

In SEOUL, NOZAKA fired his first soot, and what he has to say on the united front is taken very seriously by the Social Democrats. The Communists offers have placed them in a predicament, since refusal has induced leftists in the party to oppose the party leadership group for this reason, it is possible to assume that the Communists were skilfully aiming at a split within the Social Democratic party.

The fight between the two leftist parties will probably continue unabated, and the mass movement of the future will be born of strife. The people expect both parties to seriously reflect upon the popular front issue. The offers of the Liberal party were virtually refused by the Socialists but will be taken up for discussion at the party convention of 16 January. No alliance proposal was received from the Co-operative Party.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 167 (Continued)

Full Translation:

In order to become adjusted to the aftermath of the storm caused by MacARTHUR's Directive, the New JAPAN Party has checked up on its 66 Candidates, at the same time expanding the list to 85 by nominating 19 new candidates. The total of Candidates shall net exceed 300, to be nominated not later than 15 January.

Summary:

Local branches of the Progressive Parties are threatened with disruption, owing to central office classitude, Representatives of the branches came to the capital to consult with the leaders of the party on the measures relating to the Allied purge order. They met on 8 January in their temporary office in the SAIWAI Building. The headquarters of the party gave instructions to the effect that though there is still ambiguity on the extent of the application of the Allied purge order the party should fight its way to power in the general election, achieving the objectives of the party. Chief Secretary TSURUMI reported the details on Monday's talk with Chief Cabinet Secretary TSUGITA. They are as follows:

"After I listened to the view's on the part of the Government on the new Allied purge order, I requested the Government to ask MacARTHUR's Headquarters for a full explanation as to weather the new order makes a distinction between the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, the Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association, and the Japan Political Society, as they are all different organizations. The party agreed to carry out various policies which have been pledged publicly. Because of the granting of woman suffrage, the Progressive Party is expected to concentrate its efforts on the women in the forthcoming general election."

With YOSHIOKA, Yayoe in position of general director, a woman's department, which has MURAOKA, Hanako as chief and MURAKAI, Hideko as vice-chief, has been organized. The party informally decided on eleven women candidates on 8 January as follows:

TAKARA, Tomiko (GUNMA) KIUCEI, Kyo (TOKYO-TO) NURAMATSU, Toshiko (NAGANO) SAMTO, unknown (HOKKAIDO) ARISUE, Yaeko (HOKKAIDO) KAWAI, Michiko (OSAKA) KOMAI, Shizue (KYOTO) HIRANO, Ririe (NAGASAKI) MIZOGUCHI, unknown (FUKUOKA) BAW, Tatsuko (FUKUOKA) (MURAJIMA, Kyoko (NIIGATA)

Full Translation:

The ordinary cabinet meeting on 8th January was opened at 1000 at the official residence of the Prime Ministers, expect which all ministers, except Prime Minister SHIDEHARA, who is confined to his bed, were present. The Imperial Ordinance regarding the prohibition of the formation of political parties, associations and other institutions issued in compliance with the Imperial Ordinance, No. 542 in 1945, was submitted for discussion after making its decision, the meeting was suspended at 1230 and was reopened at 1300. After its re-opening, the Imperial

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POLITICAL SERIES: 167 (Continued)

ITEM 7 (Continued)

Ordinance draft for the revision of the House of Peers Law was submitted for discussion and was decided upon. After the decision were made, the ordinance for transferring the duties of the Financial Superintendant regarding allowances for members of firms, and companies which are included in the Control Law of Firms Finance, to the Welfare Minister, was submitted for classification. After the ministers had gained a full understanding of the ordinance, the following ordinances; revision of the organization of the Pacific War Investigation Committee, abolition of the enforcement of the Petroleum Institutions Law; revision of War Special Case in the Sand and Mining Industry Law; and revision of regulations of the Fuel Board, were submitted for discussion. After decisions were made on these ordinances the meeting was adjourned at 1530 on the same day. The deliberation on the ordinance of the prohibition of change of job and retirement based on Imperial Order, No. 542 in 1945, which was to be discussed at the cabinet meeting in the same day, was postponed for certain reasons, to the next cabinet meeting.

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