Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0178, 1946-01-13.

Summary:

The SHIDEHARA Cabinet which faced the problem whether to resign en masse or reorganize, decided to resort to Cabinet reorganization at the Cabinet meeting on 12 January, and part of the work will be done today, if early actions are indicative.

The Government, which accepted the important directive issued on 4 January, found that some of the Cabinet Ministers fell under the directive, and the public watched what action would be taken by the Government. Premier SHIDEHARA expressed his decision to carry on by means of Cabinet reorganization at the Cabinet meeting of January, but he was confined to his bed. Moreover, some of the Cabinet Ministers had demanded general resignation. However, at the Cabinet meeting on 11 January all the Cabinet Ministers expressed their opinions and Agriculture and Forestry Minister MATSUMURA and others strongly urged reorganization.

Some of the ministers involved in the directive, including Home Minister HORIKIRI, have already tendered their resignations to the Premier, and all ministers have entrusted the Premier with their fate. The Cabinet reorganization will be carried out according to the Premier's intention. He was expected to begin this work last night, and the outline will be completed on 12 January.

The Premier will go to his office on 15 January and visit GENERAL MacARTHUR Headquarters to consult on the scope of the application of the directive. If the reorganization work is accomplished, the general election will be carried out by the SHIDEHARA Cabinet, and the Government will be expected to try to fulfill the demands of the directive and the preparations for the coming general election.

Full Translation:

It was decided that the sentence of the Second Military Commission of the Eight Army of the United States on First Lieutenant FURUSHIMA, Chotaro, former commander of the KAMIOKA and FUNATSU branch camps of the NAGOYA prisoner of War Camp, should be penal servitude for life with hard labor. At the public hearing held on the 11th, Navy Captain COLEMAN, the Chief Judge, gave him the verdict, and the court was closed at 1350.

Mrs. FURUSHIMA, Kazuko the defendents' wife, and his former pupils listened with bated breath, when Captain COLEMAN, solemnly gave the verdict:

POLITICAL SERIES: 178 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

"In the presence of two thirds of the Commission, a closed meeting was held, and the following decision was made:”

"Of the specifications, for items one and three (neglect in providing for proper equipment at KAMIOKA and FUNATSU Prison Camps) not guilty. For item two (beating of Captain RAIRUSU), guilty. For item four (condoning atrocities at KAMIOKA Camp), guilty. To the charges of applying moxa cautery to Private ROBINSON and confinng him to a guardroom without sufficient food, and to the charge of stripping many prisoners of their clothes and exposing them in public, not guilty. Item five (condoning atrocities of personnel under his command at FUNATSU Camp), guilty. In consequence, the Commission, hereby announces that the accused is sentenced to penal servitude for life with hard labor."

As soon as the verdict was announced, the accused, with a slight flush of blood in his face, bowed to the judges and on coming back to his seat he also offered his polite greetings to the members of the American Defense Counsel and to Mr. NAKAMURA, his advocate. Looking back several times, he went out of the court. By virtue of the leniency of the Commission, FURUSHIMA was allowed to see his wife for a short period of time. before he started for SUGAMO Prison.

Full Translation:

I was decided that the SHIDEHARA Cabinet will continue to face the presnet national situation by dint of its reorganization. Hence, it is evident that the coming general election will be held under the SHIDEHARA Cabinet when it succeeds in reorganizing. It is too difficult, however, for the existing organs such as the Central Liaison Office, to investigate for itself those candidates who are liable to come under the Categories of the purge directive because of their great numbers. Therefore it is expected that some special advisary organ will become necessary to help carry out the general election. However, in view of the fact that this investigation will take at least one month for drawing up a list of the candidates who are barred from candidacy, the election will be considerably delayed. It must be remembered that some ministers of the Cabinet are of the opinion that the general election should be held as late as possible lest it have a bad effect on the delivery of rice.

Extracts:

Recuperating Prime Minister SHIDEARA arose yesterday when it was decided to reorganize the Cabinet and the Premier had an important talk with Chief Secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA and Foreign Minister YOSHIDA at the residence at OKAMOTO-Cho, SETAGAYA. After seeing Messrs. TSUGITA and YOSHIDA to the door and taking lunch, the Premier went to a sun-room overlooking the turf garden surrounded by striped bamboos, and basked in the sun. He might have been cemtemplating the question of whether to reorganize the Cabinet or have it resign en masse. The Premier then received Justice Minister IWATA, and the two talked for an hour.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 178 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

After the departure of the Justice Minister, the Premier sat again on the veranda, well exposed to the afternoon sun. This time he had a large file of documents, at which he looked eagerly, a little bent and with his knees crossed. The house was all quiet, and he only other occupants were Mrs. MASAKO, Dotaro, his son, and a housemaid. Nobody would think this is the very residence of a hero facing a storm of political troubles.

Only plain clothes policemen kept watch, rather unconcernedly, at the garden entrance, the front door, and the back door. The atmosphere was dead still, while the Premier gazed at the documents for about an hour. Then, at 1440 Chief Secretary TSUGITA and Agriculture and Forestry Minister MATSUMURA arrived to have an important talk with the Premier. This talk resulted in the lukewarm conclusion that the Cabinet should be reorganized, but no dissolved. The warm afternoon sun shining through the window should have totally warmed the lukewarm brains of the Premier.

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