Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0258, 1946-02-01.
Date1 February, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1063
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 258
ITEM 1 Provincial Election Situation Altered - Mainichi Shimbun - 31 Jan 46. Translator: T. Kitayama.
Summary:
As reported yesterday, our newspaper office mobilized the whole network of communication
in JAPAN, and investigated the
current situation of the general election. Besides what has already been revealed
in our paper, the following is the present
condition of the general election at various places in Eastern JAPAN.
HOKKAIDO - There are many coal-mines, factories and harbors in HOKKAIDO, and the
democratic parties and factions, which are
supported by employees working in those above-mentioned places, are developing active
election campaigns, The Communist Party
has privately decided to choose 11 candidates including a woman candidate, GARASAWA,
Toshiko. The Social Democratic Party has
commenced its activity with former representatives MASAKI, Kiyoshi, WATANABE, Yasukuni,
and others as its central power. As
new men, OKADA, Haruo, prefectural assemblyman, IKEZAKI, Usaburo of SAPPORO, KIHOSHITA,
Gengo, MIYAGISHI, Jujiro of HAKODATE,
and TAKEMOTO, Jitsusaburo are going to stand as candidates. The Progressive and Liberal
Parties are not so much affected by
the 4 January "purre" directive here in HOKKAIDO as in other prefectures; so that
former representatives running as candidates
are comparatively numerous. As new men, YONEZAWA, Isamu, prefectural assemblyman,
SASAKI, Hideyo of ASAHIKAWA, and MAENO,
Yozo, prefectural assemblyman are to be put up representing the Progressive Party.
The Liberal Party has formally decided to
run the following new men: HIRATSUKA, Tsunejiro, head of the NICHIRO Fishing Company,
WATANABE, Shohei, prefectural
assemblyman, TOMINAGA, Kakugoro, profectural assemblyman, TAKETA, Shinnosukc of ISHIKARI,
NAKAMURA, Sotokichi and NAKANURA,
Takeichi of OBIHIRO.
AKITA Prefecture - Both the Progressive and Liberal Parties are confronted with difficulties
in putting up candidates, The
Progressive Party has decided to run as candidates S[illegible]INOTA, GIIMON, NAKAMURA, Shigeharu, IIZUKA,
Teisuke, HATAKEYAMA, Juyu, NARITA, Jutaro and HIRASAWA, Chokichi. Besides those, the
party expects to put up FUJIHI, Ryokichi,
KODAMA, Takamichi and SEKI, Hitoshi. The Liberal Party has decided to recommend as
candidates SUZUKI, Yasutaka, SATO, Arihide,
KAMADA, Eiji, and OI, Naonosuke. Besides those, the party is seeking successors to
NAKADA, Koshinao and NITA, Koreyoshi. The
Social Democratic Party has decided on KATWAMATA, Seion, FURUSAWA, Hi, SHIMADA, Shinsaku,
and OKUDA, Shingo. The Communist
Party has not yet put up any candidate.
IWATE Prefecture - For the fixed number of eight representatives in the prefecture,
the Progressive Party has six candidates,
the Liberal Party six or seven, the Social Democratic Party three or four, the Communist
Party one, and the Independent Party
eight. Both the Liberal and Social Democratic Parties are now considering women candidates.
POLITICAL SERIES: 258 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
MIYAGI Prefecture - The branch offices of the Communist and Social Democratic Parties,
availing themselves of the two months
resulting from the postponement of the general election, are strengthening their election
campaigns, and are expected to be
encroaching upon the constituencies of the Liberal and Progressive Parties, The current
conditions of all the parties and
factions arc very complicated, but as there is a pretty long period of time before
the general election, adjustments of
campaigns will speedily be made during the time. The MIYAGI Provincial Party is planning
to put up as candidate, SUSUKIDA,
Kiyoshi, a lady and chief of the women's department of the party. If she is actually
put up, she will be the only woman
candidate in the prefecture.
YAMAGATA Prefecture - The fixed number has been increased by one, and it has become
nine in this prefecture. Out of the eight
former representatives, five of them have retired owing to the "purge" directives,
and there is only one who has decided to
stand in the of MATSUOKA, Toshizo representing the Liberal Party. Taking advantage
of a gap created by the downfall of old
influences, the Social Democratic Party has increased its rccognizcd candidates from
four to six. TAKAMASHI, Yoshio and KONNO,
Sadakichi are certain to stand, and SEKIHARA, Kazuo, FUNAKI, Takeo and KANEKO, Yoshio
are likely to run. The Communist Party
has approved of only one, who is WADA, Yohei. The newly established YAMAGATA Self-Soverning
Imperial Subjects Party will
recommend HIRAGA, Shinichi and INEIZUHI, Hiroyoshi. There are eighteen in all who
aro sure to run as candidates in this
prefecture.
FUKUSHIMA Prefecture - The Progressive Party will recommend the new men SATO, Zbnichire,
SUZUKI, Shujiro, WATANABE, Tetsutaro,
OGOSHI, Gunzo, HASUNUMA, Ryusuko, OTA, Akinosuke, and NAKARAYA, Senmatsu, besides
former representative HOSHI, Hajime,
prefectural assemblyman. SATO, Motoji, ex-representative HAYASHI, Heima, FUJBTARA,
Hajimo, KOMATSU, Yoshimoto, KOWAGUCHI,
Torao, KAWADA, Masatataka, SUGAIE, Kiroku, profcctural assemblymen SASAKI, Soji and
HARA, Kokichi. The Liberal Party in making
preparations to recommend prefectural assemblyman OUCHI, Ichiro, ex-representative
NAKANO, Torakichi, TAKAGI, Matsukichi and
KARIYADO, Toshikazo besides ex-representative KATO, Sohei, KARAHASHI, Shigemasa and
profcctural assemblyman SEKIUCHI,
Shoichi.
NIIGATA Prefecture - The following number of new men are to be recommended: Progessive
eight, Liberal nine, Social six,
Communist two, Independents 30. The pre-dominant influence of independant parties
may well be said to be phenomenal. While the
Progressive and Liberal Parties were busy preparing their constituencies, the Social
Democratic Party was clever enough to
spread its influence over the agricultural associations, solved tenancy disputes,
and left no stone unturned for necessary
preparations for the election.
IBARAGI Prefecture - General M[illegible]ARTHUR; "purge" directives have provided new men with a rare
opportunity to stand as candidates, and there are already 34 new men who are sure
to run: Progressive ton, Liberal six,
Communist six, Independent four, People's Party three, Social Democrats three, Co-operatives
one, Labor Union one. As women
candidates, ITO, Nobuko another by the New JAPAN Party and one by the Communist Party
are to be recommended. About 40 are
expected to run in this prefecture.
YAMANASHI Prefecture - The Social Democratic Party has decided to run HIRANO, Rikizo
and MATSUZAWA, Hajime as recognized
candidates. The Communist Party, at its prefectural meeting, has approved YUKIE, Yuki
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POLITICAL SERIES: 258 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
and TSUNODA, Itsuji. Representing the Liberal Party, HI[illegible]AI, Senze and SUZUKI, Masabumi are certain
to stand. The Progressive Party, in order to fill up the vacancy made by TA[illegible]BE, Shichiroku, has
decided to recommend one each from the former SEIYU and [illegible]NSEI Parties from among SHI[illegible]ZU, Hikoroku, OGINO, Toyohei, IKE[illegible]A, Gonichi and YAZAKI, Asayoshi. Besides
these, the Independence Party will recommend KASAJ, Juij and YASUDA, Josuke, and two
or so will be run by other factions.
ITEM 2 Democratic Front After Elections - Mimpo - 31 Jan 46. Translator: Passche.
Full Translation:
The Central Executive Committee of The Social Democratic Party, scheduled to decide
on the party's attitude toward the
creation of the democratic front, met on 29 January. So far the party had hesitated
to take a definite stand, saying the time
was not yet ripe but when NOZAKA's homecoming was feted it seemed as though the party
would make some progress. However, the
NISMTO group finally carried the day and the issue was shelved until after the elections
because the situation was "not yet
ripe". Since the SHIDEHARA government is becoming more reactionary day the day and
in the presence of galloping inflation and
unemployment, the attitude of the party's lower strata and their common fight with
the communists cannot be overlooked.
Therefore one would have expected the party to prepare the ground for "Joint Action
Committees" for tackling local problems
and straightening party differences, but when what was done by the party in this regard
seems it is destined to secure it's
control in case it emerges strongest from the elections. Accordingly the object of
its policy is not the democratic parties
only but the other - i.e. the Progressive Liberal and Co-operative parties as well.
Should the party leadership further adhere
to its adopted stand, considerable confusion must be expected when the Japanese Farmers'
Union will be founded on the 9th of
next month.
ITEM 3 On Spheres of Influence of Each Party Conservative Elements Are Still Powerful - Tokyo Shimbun - 31 Jan 46. Translation: R. Ochiai.
Summary:
Receiving MacARTHUR's purge directive after the close of the Diet, the states of
political parties have been much changed.
Some talk of the progressives' destruction or of the expending power of the communists.
However, what are the people's general
opinions on the election that's to be hold on 31 March? As a whole, we can say they
are still conservative, people seen to be
unable to change their thoughts suddenly.
Let us see how many candidates each party has, and in what district it wields its
power. First, the Progressive Party will
have 350 candidates to run, and that accounts for half of all the representatives.
It is especially powerful in HOKKAIDO,
TOTTORI, SHIMANE, YAMAGUCHI, FU[illegible]UOKA, OSAKA and KAGOS I[illegible]A. The
Liberals, on the other hand, expect that more than half the fixed number of their
candidates will be elected in A[illegible]ORI, AKITA, FUKUSH[illegible]A, TOKYO, C[illegible]IBA, KANAGAWA,
TOYAMA, GIFU, SHIGA, KYOTO, WAKAYAKA, KAGAWA, KOCHI, KUMAMTO, SAGA, FUKUOKA and NAGASAKI.
In order to nurse other
constitencies then these, President HATOYAKA dispatched his members all over the country
as for the Socila Democratic Party,
it is so eager to find new powerful members that its scheme in maintaining a recognized
candidate is
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POLITICAL SERIES: 258 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
now much changed. It does not emphasize a candidate's life history in the prolitariats'
movement any more but only tries to
get a proper man and as many as possible. Besides, in its spheres of influence in
AKITA, YAMAGATA, TOKKO, SAITAMA, NAGANO,
AICHI, KYOTO, OSAKA, OKAYAMA, FUKUOKA and KAGAWA where more than half of the fixed
representatives are expected to be elected
from the party, it also expects two or three candidates to be elected from the party,
it also expects two or three candidates
to be elected from each prefecture. Although the Communist Party was established recently,
it expects at least 30 candidates
to be elected. However, it has found it very hard to complete its organization within
so short a time, the result may not
be[illegible]wat it expects now.
How the democratic front will influence the people's opinion is a most interesting
problem for us. The key to the result of
the forthcoming general election lies in the expenses of campaigning and in the spheres
of influence.
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