Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0240, 1946-01-28.
Date28 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0993
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 240
ITEM 1 The Government Hurries Up to Revise the Constitution in Order to Maintain Old Elements - Mimpo - 27 Jan 46. Translator: K. Murakami.
Full Translation:
Since Mr. NOZAKA returned home recently, the advance towards the democratic united
front, led by the Communist and the
Social-Democrat Parties, has been developing daily; it is apparently seen only from
the speeches made by the famous Socialists
in JAPAN, who attended the welcome meeting for Mr. NOZAKA held on 25 January.
However, we must seriously regard the fact that, in contrast with such a democratic
situation, the recent policies of the
SHIDEHARA Cabinet have become more reactionary. For instance, we have two clear proofs
of it, one, the compulsory measure for
rice administration, and the other, the conservative selection of new prefectural
governors after the recent sweeping change
of governors due to the political purge directive issued by SCAP. Such an attitude
by the Cabinet is derived from its positive
political plot to strengthen the forces against democratization or from the ooposition
of old bureaucratic and financial
elements.
From such a point of view, we cannot but notice the recent action of the Government
for the revision of the Constitution. At
first, the SHIDEHARA Cabinet did not wish to revise the Constitution at all. We can
illustrate this fact from the words of
Premier SHIDEHARA and Minister without portfolio MATSUMOTO or from the fact that the
Cabinet preferred Dr. MONOBE's opinion on
the needlesness of revising the Constitution.
What does it mean when a cabinet which was so inactive as has been shown above, is
now in a hurry to reform the Constitution?
Since it is apparent from the answer of the Government at the last Diet session, that
the Cabinet's bill is nothing but a
partial reform of the present Constitution still maintaining the sovereignty of the
Emperor, it can be safely said that the
Government intends to take a strong defensives policy against the above-mentioned
systematic progress of the democratic
elements
The Government had revealed the contents of the draft on the reform of the Constitution
to the people before the general
election, and suggested that it be submitted to an extraordinary session of the diet.
The later the date of the Diet session,
the stronger becomes the power of the public, as we have often pointed out. In the
same way, the later the Constitutional
reform, the harder it becomes to revise it conservatively. We know that, recognizing
this fact, the SHIDEHARA Cabinet, which
is so obstinate as to have reshuffled itself and remained in office in spite of the
uproarious criticism, wants to revise the
Constitution before a strong popular front is formed, with a view to establishing
a base, there by maintaining the authority
of the old reactionary elements.
We as a Nation must always keep the fact in mind that we have no method of defeating
political plots of old elements except by
forming a solid democratic popular front.
POLITICAL SERIES: 240 (Continued)
ITEM 2 NOZAKA Lays Emphasis on a New Patriotic Front - Asahi Shimbun - 27 Jan 46. Translator: J. Weiller.
Full Translation:
On the occasion of the welcoming mass meeting for his return home, held at HIBIYA
on the 26th, NOZAKA, Sanzo, of the Communist
Party deliberated the following speech to the assembled crowd:
"In order to extricate myself from police persecution and continue activities abroad,
I left JAPAN following the resolution of
the JAPAN Communist Party; l6 years have elapsed since then. During the whole period
not a day was passed by me without
thinking of the country and its future, nor did I cease activities for the emancipation
of our people. The reason for my
present return is for the sole purpose of dedicating the rest of my life for the emancipation
and reconstruction of JAPAN. The
first impression I gained on my return is that the destruction this country has suffered
is far more disastrous than I
imagined, and after the elapse of nearly half a year even the debris has not yet been
cleaned up. Still more surprising is
that the Government has no definite plan for reconstruction. So long as such a Government
continues to exist not only can the
Country never rise up from ruin, but it is in danger of falling into a semi-colonial
state, both economically and politically.
In this sense alone, we must demand in the people's name the immediate resignation
of the present Government.
"The second impression since my return home is that the lives of the masses are more
strained than anticipated. The masses are
starving. Millions of war sufferers are shivering with cold because there are no houses
in which to live. Several million
unemployed and demobilized soldiers are wandering about in the streets without jobs.
This is the present state of the working
masses who occupy the majoity of our population. There is, however, an entirely different
aspect in this country, that is high
class restaurants, where one can spend thousands of yen in one night, are doing routing
business.
"Here we can point out two conflicting aspects of the problem facing JAPAN; the majority
of the Nation are unpropertied and
poor, but a greater part of our wealth is grasped and accumulated in the hands of
a small number of ZAIBATSU, and big
landowners. However, here is hidden a key for the reconstruction of our country and
the stabilization of the people's lives.
It is that the wealth, consisting of capital and land, now in hands of a minority,
should be turned to the reconstruction and
stabilization by the power of the Nations, which may be called economic democracy.
The material foundation necessary for the
reconstruction of our country, for example the capital, is abundant in the Country,
but it is now in the minority's hands and
is employed for personal gains. Therefore, we people demand that this capital be employed
for the benefit of the country and
the people; in other words we demand that our key industries be nationalized end the
monopolistic capital be powerfully
controlled by a democratic Government. If we made such a demand here the millionaires
would never accept it, nor would the
present Government attempt to realize it, because to put such a demand to Premier
SHIDEHARA, who is a son-in-law of the
MITSUBISHI ZAIBATSU, is tantamount to asking an armed bandit for his weapon. In this
sense we must demand the immediate
retirement of the present Government.
"My third impression is that in spite of frequent cries for democracy' or 'Construction
of a new JAPAN', actually democracy is
being distorted or not realized at all. For example the influence of the militaristic
War Criminals, who guided this country
into this ruin, has not been
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POLITICAL SERIES: 240 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
completely liquidated. They are simply thrown down to the ground, but are still breathing
and are watching for a chance to
stand up again, either secretly or under the guise of democracy. Furthermore, the
Government offices are filled with
reactionary bureaucrats who are obstructing the democratization of the countries by
every conceivable means. In compiling a
new Constitution the Government, without taking up a democratic method of asking the
people's opinion, is adopting an
anti-democratic and bureaucratic method. In the case of the purchase of rice, without
awaiting the farmers' spontaneous
supplies, it is going to have recourse to compulsory measures. What the present Government
is actually doing is sabotaging or
obstructing our democratization in the name of democracy and sabotaging the fulfillment
of the POTSDAM Declaration in its very
name. That is why we demand the immediate resignation of the Government.
"Then, why is such Government still functioning, and why is the realization of democracy
delayed? One of the fundamental
causes is disruption of the various democratic influences in our Country. To put it
in plain words, there is no unity among
the democratic influences in the JAPAN Communist Party, the Social Democrat Party,
the Liberal Party, and others, and all the
other democratic organizations, such as Labor Unions, Farmers Unions, the middle and
small commercial and industrial
corporations, cultural associations etc. This split of democratic camps is responsible
for allowing the reactionary influence
and advantageous ground and for the continued existence of such undemocratic government.
Therefore, a day's delay in the
unification of the whole democratic influence or in the formation of a democratic
front means a day's delay in our political
and economic reform, so the misery of the people continues.
'Now then, what kind of democracy do we demand? To my view, there are two different
kinds of democracies under the identical
name. One kind of democracy is that which is being demanded by the present Government
and capitalistic political parties, the
leadership of which is in the hands of the bureaucrats, capitalists, and landowners.
Under this democracy our revival is
hopeless, and the stabilization of the people's lives is impossible. What we require
is the other newer kind of democracy, the
leadership of which must be in the hands of the laborers, farmers, working intellectuals,
and medium and small commercial and
industrial classes. Our crisis will be overcome and our lives mill be made happier
by the realization of this type of
democracy. When I speak in this way, I do not mean to propose to realize socialism
at this very moment by overthrowing the
present capitalism. I mean to say that by the authority of a working mens' Government
and by keeping up the present
capitalistic system, repressing the tyranny of the big capitalists, we must put a
limit to their avaricious exploitation.
"The prevailing condition is becoming decidedly advantageous to the formation of
a democratic front, and the opportunity is
now ripening. In my opinion, we ought to adopt the following measures to form a democratic
front, overcoming difficulties and
obstacles: (1) Irrespective of labels all democrats should fully recognize the importance
of the front (2) The masses
themselves should act in concert. (3) The leaders of the various parties should exert
themselves to the utmost for the
formation of this front, and for that purpose the leaders should understand and trust
one another. (4) In order to solve the
problem which are most important to the people at the moment, a united action must
be formed including all parties, and this
is the, most important point.
"The democratic united front is a world current and a historical current, and JAPAN
alone cannot be excluded from it. I can
declare that should
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POLITICAL SERIES: 240 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
an attempt be made to exclude and isolate JAPAN from this current, such an attempt,
will lead the Country into ruin. The
current is now running in this country in that the people have begun requiring the
immediate formation of a democratic front.
If our political leaders try to advance against this current, the peoples' requirement,
such men would be overwhelmed by the
current of the times and be buried away. I hope that our democratic politician may
not be doomed to such a fate. The
Communists are not the only patriots, but all those who fight to breaking up the crisis
and establish democracy are patriots.
They are patriots, who positively support the democratic front which we are going
to form; therefore, our democratic front can
also be called a patriotic front;"
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