Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0171, 1946-01-11.
Date11 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0720
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 171
ITEM 1 Evasion of "Recommendation Responsibility" - Tokyo Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: T. Kitayama.
Summary:
The political instability resulting from the directive issued by General MacARTHUR's
Headquarters for expelling the
Militaristic elements, still continues because of the failure of the intended interview
of Foreign Minister YOSHIDA with
General MacARTHUR to take place and because of the uncertainty of the scope of the
directive. Six days of confusion in the
political, Government and financial circles have already passed, and during that period
the Cabinet has decided to remain in
office on the basis of reorganization. With this object in view, Transportation Minister
TANAKA, Welfare Minister ASHIDA,
Chief of the Legislation Bureau NARASAKI and other bureaucratic Government officials
connected with political parties, are
worrying, trying to find measures necessary for tiding over the situation, and are
keeping in touch with various parties. On
the afternoon of the 7th, the President of the Liberal Party, HATOYAMA, consulted
Foreign Minister YOSHIDA at his official
residence, and on the evening of the same day MAKING of the Liberal Party, and KAWASAKI
and MIYOSHI, of the Progressive Party
called on Vice-Chief Secretary MIYOSHI at the Premier's official residence. This indicated
political changes.
The ground on which the Cabinet decided to remain in office is, as follows:
- 1.Though the change of some of the cabinet members, which is expected by General MacARTHUR's Headquarters, may become unavoidable by a directive from the same Headquarters, there arises no need.
- 2.Though we should resign in a body now, with the general election not here yet, a cabinet which meets the people's will cannot be expected. Accordingly the cabinet should remain in office as an entium measure until the general election is over.
This is the basis for Cabinet's self-complacent attitude, revealing its bureaucratic
tendencies. The present Cabinet, has, in
the past, always clinging to office on the ground that there was no satisfactory successor.
But suddenly on the 7th, a foreign
dispatch reported the view of the American State Department to the effect that the
right of nominating JAPAN'S next Prime
Minister and his cabinet members is in the hands of General MacARTHUR. The Government,
however, has not yet brought this
problem up for discussion for the reason that it has not received any official information.
Actually, it is obvious that it is
contradictory to the Emperor's right of appointing Government officials, and that
the Premier's political faith in the
maintenance of our national policy becomes fundamentally shaky. The Government's callousness
to national politics will surely
be censured, and reconsideration of their intention to remain in office will be requested
by the nation at large. Thus the
development of the political situation will show important changes about 10 January,
when the Premier, recovering from his
illness, will be present at his office.
POLITICAL SERIES: 171 (Continued)
ITEM 2 Cabinet Session Still Pending - Mainichi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: R. Ochiai.
Summary:
In spite of the clamor from political parties for a wholesale resignation, the Cabinet
has not yet given up the hope of
carrying on. The Cabinet's final decission will be made known after Premier SHIDEHARA
recovers from his illness, since the
discussions with the Foreign Minister, the Cabinet Chief Secretary and the Councillor
of the Legislation Bureau on the 9th at
the Prime Minister's residence were not conclusive.
After making a call on the Premier Mr. TSUGITA, the Cabinet Chief Secretary and Mr.
NARAHASHI, Director of the Legislation
Bureau, had the following to say:
Mr. TSUGITA: "The Prime Minister will be well enough to attend his office in several
days, and then the Cabinet will state its
attitude. He, and not the Foreign Minister, should make a formal call at General MacARTHUR's
Headquarters."
Mr. NARAHASHI: "With the general election now in sight, the Government's attitude
remains obscure and undecided. I asked the
Prime Minister to think the matter over carefully. In my opinion, no particular political
party should take over the Cabinet
before the election, I told him to consider his action carefully because of the gravity
of the situation."
ITEM 3 Chaos Because of Cabinet Irrespossibility - Mainichi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: R. Ochiai.
Summary:
The Cabinet's undecided attitude in this political crisis has been severely critisized
by the people, for six days have
already passed since the latest MacARTHUR directives were issued on 4 January. Such
irresponsibility has cut all the
bureaucratic and financial circles in a chaotic state of mind. Though faced with a
crisis, they do not know what to do without
any directives from the Government. Time is money; however, it has been wasted as
urgent problems are still unsettled, while a
sweeping change of prefectual governors, which will interrupt the system of KYOSHITSU
(TN: Farmers' remitting their produce to
the Government at a fixed price) must be undertaken. Because of the Governments' lack
of responsibility, every political party
is demanding the resignation of the entire Cabinet.
ITEM 4 Premier's illness and, the Cabinet Crisis - Asahi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: S. Sano.
Full Translation:
The political situation is expected to continue in a state of darkness for a few
days more pending the Premier's full recovery
from his illness. The surface developments were the individual visits of Foreign Minister
YOSHIDA Justice Minister IWATA, the
Cabinet Chief Secretary TSUGITA and Director NARAHASHI of the Board of Legislation
to the home of Premier SHIDEHARA.
The Premier's condition is improving and his temperature has already become normal,
but it is expected that four or five more
days will be necessary before he can tend to his affairs. Irrespective of the Premier's
condition. The Government is speeding
up definite measures concerning the important directive from MacARTHUR’s Headquarters.
The Imperial Ordinance regarding the
expulsion from public offices of the militaristic leaders is expected to be decided
on at the Cabinet meeting on the 11th, the
political situation will make a rapid development upon its appearance which is expected
early next week.
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POLITICAL SERIS: 171 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
Premier SEIDEHARA is adhering to the policy of going through the present crisis by
means of Cabinet reorganization, and after
his appearance at his office he is expected to call at MacARTHUR's Headquarters. Since
it is maintained that there is no
reason for Foreign Minister YOSHIDA to visit MacARTHUR's Headquarters before the Premier's
visit, it is considered that the
Foreign Minister should refrain from visiting the Headquarters regarding such an important
topic, as it might seriously
influence the outcome of the political situation; therefore the visit by the Foreign
Minister will not take place .
It is clear that Premier SHIDEHARA in view of the mission of the present Cabinet,
intends to hold, on by means of the
Cabinet's reorganization, carring out a free and fair general election and determine
the outcome of the political situation on
the basis of the election results. However, because he can not return to his office
for more than four or five days, in spite
of the gathering of food and many other important problems, the situation is becoming
more disadvantagous to the
Government.
Moreover, the criticism of the various political parties of the Government is growing,
and every Government official is taking
it easy, only watching the attitude of the Government closely. What effect will these
situations have on the mind of the
Premier? The development of the political situation will not be unknown before his
full recovery; however the situation before
and after his recovery will be worthy of the closest attention of the people.
ITEM 5 First Create Union Of Government Offices, Support The Social-Democratic and Communist Parties - Yomiuri Hochi - 10 Jan 46. Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
The Supreme Allied purge order has dealt a severe blow to the SHIDEHARA Cabinet and
the upper strata, of officialdom in the
Ministries. The Home, Agriculture and Forestry, and Justice Ministries are now particularly
threatened. The removal of
governmental officials, the expulsion of militarists, and the overthrow of feudalistic
machinery and secret personnel
administration.
The Labor Unions in the Governmental offices and persons concerned with principal
metropolitan unions are concerned with
problems of the food crisis and the sabotage of Governmental officials, and are pursuing
officials suspected of war
responsibility. The Communist and Social-Democratic Parties conceive the democratization
of Government offices to be as
follows:
The Communist Party: According to the speech of Chief Clerk KUROKI, the party is
shaping the course in this matter: 1. Removal
from Government offices of war crime suspects, including those who infringed upon
people's rights; 2. Abolishing the Imperial
University cliques, which form the foundation of the official system; 3. Supporting
the attempts of the lower strata of
officialdom toward the democratization of Government offices; 4. A fight by Government
officials alone cannot be expected,
outside labor unions and press employee unions must join with them; 5. This strife
has little significance insofar as it is
under the TENNO system, but it will bear fruit under a people's Government.
The Social-Democrat Party: According to the speech of Chief Secretary KATAYAMA, the
move by the lower section of officialdom
to overthrow the upper section is of deep significance. Up to the present there prevailed
the lamentable custom of making much
of the Government and nothing of the people. Sweeping away such abuses of the official
system is to be carried out by the
power of the labor unions of Government offices. It is the aim of the Party that officials
become members of a majority party
in the future and receive socialistic education so as to create fully-democratized
Government offices. It is not considered
possible for this to be realized under the T[illegible]O system.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 171 (Continued)
ITEM 6 Resignation of Messrs. Toyama And Funada - Asahi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: S. Kawasaki.
Full Translation:
In accordance with the issue of the SCAP directive concerning banishment of militaristic
leaders, Mr. TOYAMA, Aiichiro,
President of TOKYO Metropolis Commercial, Industrial and Economic Association, who
is liable under the directive as being the
Secretary-General of the Imperial Rule Assistances. Association, Manager of the Rule
Assistance Political Association and
Inspector of the Formosan Colonization Company, submitted his resignation to Mr. SHIMADA,
Katsunosuke, Vice-President of the
Association on 9 January .
At the same time, Mr. FUNADA, Naka, Chief Director of TOKYO Economic Association
of Commerce and Industry, also submitted his
resignation. The TOKYO Economic Association of Commerce and Industry is to bring up
the resignations at the official meeting
on 10 January, and will consider remedial measures.
Moreover, Mr. TOYAMA also has determined to resign his post as President of the A11-JAPAN
Economic Association of Commerce and
Industry. On the other hand, the resignation of Mr. GODO, Takuo, President of the
Central Commission of the Commerical and
Industrial Union, who has been listed by SCAP as a war criminal suspect, and who is
liable under the present directive as
being the Secretary-General of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, manager of
the Imperial Rule Assistance Political
Association and Director of the South Manchurian Railway Company, has been decided.
It seems that Mr. MATSUMOTO, Kenjiro, President of the Economic Joint Association
and President of the Heavy Manufacturing
Industry League, who was once the Secretary-General of the Imperial Rule Assistance
Association has also decided to resign his
posts. The movement of the Upper classes of the financial world in the future will
be watched with great interest.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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