Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0177, 1946-01-13.
Date13 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0743
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 177
ITEM 1 Major General Ishii Ordered to Tokyo - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: K. Onishi.
Full Translation:
The Office of Censorship of the UNITED STATES Army Headquarters requested the Japanese
Government to escort Major General
ISHII, Shiro to TOKYO on the grounds that he was to be examined on a technical question
concerning medical treatment. It was
also ordered that he should not be interned at SUGAMO Prison but placed in quarters
where the Headquarters will be able to
find him at their convenience.
ITEM 2 Reaction of The Parties to Cabinet Reorganization - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: Paasche.
Summary:
Whereas the Progressive Party believes in the possibility of surmounting t[illegible]Cabinet crisis through
cabinet reform, the Liberals are advocating general resignation and Imperial Sanction
for a new caninet. The Social-Democratic
Party is opposed to a mere reshuffle and demands immediate en masse resignation of
the Cabinet, while the Communists maintain
that no Government can be regarded as being representative of the people as long as
the Emperor setup exists. As a matter of
fact it aprears that the Liberals as well as the Progressive, are putting up with
a reshuffle since they have many of their
men in the Government and are therefore in a bargaining position.
- 1.Social-Democrats: In line with their former claim that the Government is unable to cope with the situation, the party now absolutely opposes a makeshift solution. Should the Government approach them for help in a reshuffle, they will turn the request down, nor will they tolerate the participation of Social-Democrats in the Cabinet. The party still desires the general resignation of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet infavor of a new Cabinet with Social-Democrats, Liberals, and Communists as the backbone. As long as the handling of the vital issues of food, inflation and unemployment is not entrusted to them, the Social-Democrats will not participate in the formation of any Cabinet.
- 2.According to the Communists the Government plan to reform the Cabinet is the lost struggle of Imperial feudal elements which have no regard for the people's woes: "We want to mobilize the whole Nation for the overthrow of monarchy through a popular front; therefore we have voiced warnings against the reactionary trend of the Social-Democratic Party. Their scheme to form a Coalition Cabinet with the Liberals is a treacherous act against the masses, tantamount to propping up what remains of the Emperor setup and monopolistic capitalism. We want to secure power for the Comunists and left-wing Socialists, i.e. for the workers, the peasants and the people at large."
- POLITICAL SERIES: 177 (Continued) ITEM 2 (Continued)
- 3.Director KAWANO of the Liberals stated on the 11th: "We intend to clarify our attitude during a party conference to be held after we have received a message from the Cabinet, which contains some of our men in important positions. We feel that, on principle, the Cabinet, should wind up after the elections. Should the Cabinet overlook its character as an interim body and remain in office after the election, we will start a drive for its downfall.
- 4.The Progressive Party considers Cabinet reorganization as the appropriate step to take since the Cabinet should, as far as possible, retain its present qualities until after the elections. Even after that event, SHIDEHARA would be the most suitable premier in a new cabinet; for this reason the party continues in its attitude of strict nonintervention.
ITEM 3 Changes In Judicial Circles - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: S. Kawasaki.
Full Translation:
In accordance with the abolition of Offices of Local Inspector-General, the TAKAMATSU
Court of Appeal was abolished on 10
January. The Ministry of Justice made public the following change on 12 January. Chief
public procurator of the TAKAMATSU
Court of Appeals SATO, Shoju was appointed public procurtor of the Supreme Court.
Section Head of the TAKAMATSU Court of
Appeals TAMAI Matanajo was appointed Head of the TOKYO Court of Appeals. Public procurator
of the TAKAMATSU Court of Appeal
NAGATA, Keiichi was appointed public procurator of the OSAKA Court of Appeals. Section
Head of TAKAMATSU Court of Appeals
OKA[illegible]URA, Ren was appointed Section Head of the OSAKA Court of Appeals.
ITEM 4 Secret Devices Planned in the Sickbed - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: J. Weiller.
Summary:
On hearing that the SHIDEHARA Cabinet would resign en masse, excitement in the various
political parties was very noticeable.
While the Cabinet was discussing their final attitude, each one of the parties awaited
the result with abated, breath in vague
anticipation of a windfall, but the Cabinet's decision to carry on with a reorganization
rudely shock each from its respective
dream, which lasted for exactly six hours.
According to the Premier's son, he was getting better though still not seeing callers.
Telephone bells were incessantly
ringing at his private residence, while Agriculture Minister MATSUMURA and Chief Secretary
TSUGITA hurriedly came in by
motocar and disappeared into the Premier's room. Though there was means of telling
what they were talking about, it looked as
if they were drawing near the decision to tide over the crisis by a "reorganization".
However, to decide on the reorganization
in the sickbed, could not be an easy matter.
The correspondents of the Allied countries assemblied at Radio TOKYO, each vying
with another to obtain the first
international news regarding the Cabinet's fate. Resignation was considered likely
by the correspondents, and Reuters ventured
so far as to cable the first report of "the resignation en masse of the SHIDEHARA
Cabinet". The AP TOKYO office received an
urgent inquiry from SAN FRANCISCO demanding, "Reuters announced resignation; what
are you doing?" The report of the
"reorganization" vas received by them with mixed feelings, but all were in accord
in saying, "In the present SHIDEHARA case it
is not that the papers were forward, but that SHIDEHARA was behind the papers."
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POLITICAL SERIES: 177 (Continued)
ITEM 5 Unprecedented Readjustment in Justice Department - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: S. Kawasaki.
Full Translation:
In accordance with the administrative arrangement of the Government, the All-JAPAN
Judicial Official Conference was held at
the meeting room in the Ministry of Justice at 0930 on 11 January. Great emphasis
was placed on reform of the judicial
circles. Vice-Minister SAKA and chiefs of various boards and sections. President of
the Supreme Court SHIMOYAMA, Public
Procurator-General NAKANO, President of Court of Appeal OMCAI, seven presidents of
courts of appeal (President of MIYAGI Court
of Appeal KOBAYASHI was absent), Chief Public Procurator of TOKYO Court of Appeal
KUROKAWA, and eight public procurators were
present at the conference.
To begin with Justice Minister IWATA greeted the group, and soon they consulted on
various matters. The object of the meeting
was the dismissal of about 400 high officials, such as judges, public procurators,
governors of prisons, commissioners,
secretaries, and more than 1,000 persons who are in lower positions than officials
of hannin rank, such as clerks, government
employes and servants. It is the greatest adjustment since the construction of the
judicial world. Every chief official
proceeded to consult in a grave tone on dismissal of their officials with each written
resignation on hand. The Conference was
continued until 1700 and will be continued at 0930 today.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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