Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0244, 1946-01-29.
Date29 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1010
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 244
ITEM 1 The Democratization of Officials - Provincial Newspaper (SHIKOKU) Kochi Shimbun - 19 Jan 46. Translator: S. Sano.
Summary:
An effort has been made to Democratize and establish a new ethics among officials.
The young officials in EHIME Prefectural
Office, who are the backbone of the officials, decided to give up their passivity
by a Union of Younger Men to promote
politics in the Prefecture. They obtained the governor's consent on the 17th and set
about the work of selecting a committee
from among the young officials in office.
The Union is an employer's association in the Prefectural office and at the same
time aims at the renewal of the officials'
code of ethics which had lost its validity after the end of the war. As an immediate
practical measure, they have chosen the
active support of the rice-supply movement.
As the majority of the young officials in the office come from the producing farmers,
they decided to supply the rice
completely not later than 25 January and have thereby answered with deeds the reproach
voiced by the government-offcials that
they intend mere the "lip service". This activity has become the starting-point for
a corresponding movement to be
propagandized in every city, town and village of [illegible]HIME Prefecture.
ITEM 2 Interview with OZAKI, Veteran Advocate of Democracy - Provincial Newspaper Kahoku Shimbun (SENDAI) - 25 Jan 46. Translator: S. Ono.
Summary:
The current trend towards democratization, with the formation of a unified front
claiming the favorable settlement of labor
troubles and the autonomous control of food apparently reached its climax when a meeting
of welcome to NOZAKA, voteran leader
of the communist movement, was held on 26 January.
In view of this strong interest now prevailing among the people in general in democratization,
I recently had an interview
with OZAKI, octogenarian politician and oldest living advocate of democracy in JAPAN,
at his villa in ATAMI.
Question: What are your opinions on the problem of the unified front, which is now
gaining favor among the public?
Answer: I do not have any ideas on the subject. I wonder if they know what it really
means. What difference is there between
the so-called democratic front and democracy, for which I have been striving all my
life?
POLITICAL SERIES: 244 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
Question: It is a social movement to create a government, through the joint efforts
of all who support the democratic
tendency, in the common interest of the public, eliminating every trace of bureaucracy
and militarism.
Answer: But, that gives me no enlightment on the matter. I have been fighting for
the establishment of democracy to bring
about the welfare of the public at large. Democracy in JAPAN dates back to the MEIJI
era.
Question: What do you think of the Social Democrats refusing the proposed formation
of a joint front by the Communists,
claiming at the same time to postpone its realization until after the election?
Answer: To make a criticism on a certain subject, one has to possess a clear understanding
of it. I am not qualified for the
task. I am afraid I am too old to meddle in the quarrels of children. What they should
do is instantly step foolish
discussions and try to draw up a concrete plan to realize the common interests of
the public.
Question: They say that you have sent a message to Mr. NOZAKA. Is it not to be taken
as a token of your interest in the early
realization of the unified front in the democratic campaign?
Answer? No, I have never seen NOZAKA nor spoken to him. I only wanted to encourage
him, having heard that he had carried on a
valiant campaign for the liberation of the people in a foreign land for a long time.
Question: Let us nets hear your own frank opinion of the Emperor system and the revision
of the constitution.
Answer: I have no definite opinion on the Emperor System. The first thing we should
do is to clarify the grounds of the pros
and cons of the problem, so as to form a reasonable judgment. I hate falsehood and
superstition. For instance, the Emperor is,
as no sane man will doubt, a human being; to deify him is, therefore, clearly false.
Things should be judged in this manner, I
believe.
Question: your idea regarding the future of the Diet?
Answer: The fundamental principle to be carried on is democracy, although in practical
execution there exists a wide range of
varieties. At present, the position of the state ministers is situated a little higher.
But this should be abolished. This may
seem to be a matter of little importance, but it is not so. From my experience, this
hindered the operation of the Diet along
democratic lines.
Question: Your opinion on the future of education?
Answer: The word patriotism needs to be reconsidered. It is a matter of great importance
to acquaint people with the fact that
the country, or state, has been most harmful to human welfare. People have been taught
to fight for the sake of their country,
just as they had been in feudal times taught to die for the sake of their feudal lords.
This is entirely wrong. We must
hereafter work for the sake of human welfare as a whole.
ITEM 3 Mr. NOZAKA's Reminiscences Of YINAN - Mainichi Shimbun - 28 Jan 46. Translator: M. Kojima.
Summary:
Mr. NOZAKA talked about his recollections of YENAN at the friendly
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POLITICAL SERIES: 244 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
reunion which was held on the evening of 26 January at the Seiyoken, Marunouchi,
TOKYO, under the auspices of the committeemen
of a mass welcome rally given for him. The summary of his reminiscences of YENAN follows.
YENAN is not a city. There are innumerable caves dug everywhere, where the people
are living. Their food is poorer than that
in JAPAN, and the people in YENAN can be divided into three classes: Common-soldiers,
noncommissioned officers, and teachers
are included in the lowest class. The persons in the second class can be compared
to section-chiefs of civil companies in
JAPAN. The highest class is very small and the YENAN Supreme Leader, MAO TSE-TUNG
and the remaining people are included in
this class. Mr. NOZAKA, also, has been included in this class. But irrespective of
such a distinction of classes, they all
live on a meager food supply.
In comparison with its external appearance of several years ago, the town of YENAN
has become remarkably improved in the last
two or three years. In a word, YENAN is the most primitive area in CHINA. At the same
time, there prevails in YENAN both
capitalism and socialism. Such a state of affairs may perhaps be called a new democracy.
In general, the farmers under the influence of the Communist Party have a slightly
higher standard of living than that of the
people under the influence of the Nationalist Party. Many communists have come here
from large cities such as SHANGHAI. Mr.
NOZAKA found many children of good families among them, but he has never heard any
complaints about the difficulties of
living. They all have been engaged in physical labor until the last few years. A professor
who had come here, even gathered
dung. Indeed, they have all been engaged in all kinds of work quite contentedly, instead
of complaining about their tasks and
food.
MAO TSE-TUNG is a most renowned theorist in such subjects as philosophy, politics,
economics, etc. in the Communist Party.
Moreover, he is an excellent politician. Perhaps he will be a true leader of the new
CHINA. It will not be possible to
reconstruct a democratic CHINA without his power. He is a politician who listens most
attentively to the voice of the people.
Therefore, he should be able to carry through the difficult reorganization of his
Communist Party. He never becomes angry, and
in this lies his greatness as a politician. Any partiality for either the right wing
or the left wing in his party has been
put aside. Thus the administration favored by the people is being realized.
Finally, Mr. NOZAKA expressed his hope to the members of the JAPAN Social Democratic
Party in particular, as follows: "Our
Communist Party has committed errors in the past and, at present, too, it may well
do so. It is still more difficult to say
positively that our party will never commit an error in the future. But I believe
that our party does not have a selfish
spirit. We should like to shake hands with the friends of democracy at any time. It
is high time for us party-men to
accomplish the task of leading politics and giving up the partisan spirit."
ITEM 4 Emperor System Discussed - Yomiuri Hochi 28, Jan 46. Translator: K. Murakami.
Full Translation:
The Society for the Study of History held its first meeting for
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POLITICAL SERIES: 244 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
publishing its memorandum on the Emperor System in the KYŌIK-KAIKAN, HITOTSUBASHI,
KAND-Ku, at 1000, 27 January. It was
attended by over 100 experts including professors of colleges and universities, headed
by Mr. HANI, Goro, well-known
historian.
After criticizing various forms of monarchy at the time of the French and Russian
Revolutions, they discussed the Japanese
Emperor System, and reached the general conclusion that the Emperor System has been
a big obstacle in the way of the peoples'
happiness up to the present time, and that in the past JAPAN's sovereign power has
not always been in the hands of the
so-called unbroken line of Emperors'.
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