Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0276, 1946-02-04.

Summary:

There are only 18 vacant seats in AICHI Ken and yet, there are a lot of candidates. The Progressive Party has 12, the Social Democratic Party five; the Communist Party seven; the New Civic Party two. Besides, 20 odd persons, who do not belong to any party, are expected to run.

Women candidates number two, KOSHIHARA, Haruko, of the New Civic; and TAJIMA, Hide, Communist. Moreover, a few more women are re-mored to be running as well.

In GIFU Ken, the Social-Democratic Party decided on five officially recognized candidates including Mr. KATO, ex-Diet member. However, some of the party-men, discontented with the policies of the headquarters, left the party for the Communist Party. The Liberal Party will decide on its election policy after Mr. MAKINO, ex-Diet member returns. Approximately 30 persons are expected to deposit money for candidacy.

In OSAKA-Fu: On 29 January, the depositors numbered 111. Under such circumstances, a very hot contest is expected.

The Progressive Party is endeavoring to readjust its personnel. Mr. UEDA. Kokichi, and OKAWA, Mitsuzo are the principal candidates.

Recognized candidates of the Liberal Party number six in the first district and seven in the second. SHIYASU, Shinkuro, and NAKAYAMA, Gonzo are notable candidates.

The social-Democratic Party recognized Mr. NISHIO, Suehiro; TAYOROZU, Kiyoomi; SUGIYAMA, Ganjiro; TANABE, Osamu; TAKIGAWA, Sueichi; INOUYE, Ryoji and five other persons. They hope for the support of the working classes while the Communist Party presented five candidates.

The JAPAN Cooperative party is led by Mr. TANAKA, Fuiisaku. Candidates of small parties number in all 22 at present.

In KYOTO-Fu, on 29 January, depositors numbered 50, five times as many as the number of seats available.

Big Parties such as the Progressive, Liberal and Social-Democratic have made previous arrangements to avoid internal strife.

The Japanese Revolutionary, Communist, and Republican parties are very active. Generally speaking, the Social-Democratic Party is favored. All ex-Diet members, including HASHIDA, welfare Minister are to run. The principal new men are NAGATA, Masaichi, Liberal; and Dr. YASUDA, Tokutaro, Communist. The leading women are KIMURA, Chiyo, former teacher and OISHI, Yoshiye in MAIZURU.

POLITICAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

In HYOGO Ken, The depositors numbered 32 up to 27 January. The Communist Party has six candidates, including SHIMIZU, Chie, women.

Mr. KAWAKAMI, Jotaro of the Social Democratic Party has given up. However, the party will have 11 candidates headed by NAGAYE, Kazuo. Mr. OUCHI, Hyoye, professor at TOKYO Imperial University is likely to stand at AWAJI.

In SHIGA Ken, 22 persons are expected to run, including 18 new candidates. Depositors up to 29 January numbered 12.

In NARA Ken, seven main members of the social-Democratic Party, headed by chairman WAKABAYASHI, resigned from their party and joined the Communist Party. Some others also left it for the JAPAN Advance Party (NIPPON ZENEITO). In contrast with this confusion of the Social-Democratic Party, both progressive and Liberal Parties appear calm at present.

In WAKAYAMA Ken, the existing political parties appear inactive. Small parties do not appear as yet.

In MIE Ken, 10 or more persons gave up their candidacy, since they were affected by the SCAP order. A Democratic united front has been formed between the Social-Democratic and Communist Parties. Everyone in the prefecture regrets that Mr. OZAKI, Yukio voluntarily gave up his candidacy.

ITEM 2 TOKUDA of the Communist Party Declaims the Government "Gag" Law - 3 Feb. 46. Translator; S. Hirata.

Summary:

With reference to the intention of the government to revive the control of speech, Mr. TOKUDA, Chief Secretary of the Communist Party, says, "Being unable to bear the people's criticism, the Government is attempting to issue a gag law again by exercising its power. It is nobody else but the Government itself that makes a false statement of fact. The people know fully well that it was by this very means that they were enslaved and driven into a merciless aggressive war. TO revive the control of speech is nothing but a crime committed against the people.

The Government control of speech to prevent disclosure of secrets is a return to the dark ages in administration. The secret policy adopted by the Government in the past has been an object of resentment by the people. As the Government exists for the people, there should be no secret withheld from the people. We will wipe out the dark administration of feudalism by the force of a democratic front."

Summary:

The forthcoming general election is a very important affair as the foundation for the establishment of a new, democratic JAPAN; and its result depends mainly upon the people's concern and efforts. Political circles in the provinces became active after the election day was fixed and the ordinance of the Home Ministry on candidacy was promulgated. candidates who have already made their deposits number 195. Two thousand and several hundred persons are expected to run, including 1,200 or more new men.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

The recent political purge directive of SCAP has brought about a very great change in the political world. The political situation has been greatly changed by the directive allowing members of new men to come to the front. However, are these new men genuinely new? We must not overlook the fact that there are some who run only as substitutes for members of the old Diet who have been banished by the SCAP order, and so-called permanent candidates who try to take advantage of this opportunity.

It is a typical characteristic of this election that there are many candidates (approximately one fourth of those expected) who stand for neutrality or independence from parties. From this fact, we can point out that most of them shrink from showing their colors: in other words, they intend to take a definite stand after determining the settled political circumstances as the result of the general election.

At any rate, granting that the majority of laborers living in big cities may welcome new men, old members of political parties still have strong power in farming and fishing villages. Can the proletarian elements break up these old politicians? On the other hand, small political parties number 170 or 180 throughout the country.

Women, who have been given suffrage for the first time, will play a great part in the coming general election. In every ken women have stood as candidates. We have only a few ken which have no women candidates. In spite of all these facts, some people pessimistically say, "women who go to the poll will be 20 per cent of the total". This lack of enthusiasm for the election is not only prevalent among women, but represents a general tendency. It is because of the fact that the people are busy with the present urgent problems of food and housing that they have no time for politics.

Both the Progressive and the Liberal Parties are making efforts to readjust their fronts; while the social-Democratic, Communist, and Republican Parties are busy in stabilizing their subsidiary organizations and gaining more members. To what degree can these parties [illegible]make the most of the one month before the notification of the date of the general election?

Extracts:

The American Military Tribunal in MANILA on 1 February sentenced to death by hanging Lieutenant General TAJIMA, Hikotaro, commanding officer of the Japanese forces on the BATAAN Peninsula, and gave thirteen others terms ranging from five years to life inprisonment. Lieutenant General TAJIMA was sentenced to hang when found guilty of murdering three American Airmen in May 1944. Thirteen other Japanese officers received prison sentences ranging from five to 30 years for their part in the murders of a great majority of the Filipinos on BATAAN.

Former Captain HONDA, Hiroji, fifth war crime suspect, was given a 20 year prison term of hard labor, in the verdict announced on 2 February by an American Military commission at YOKOHAMA. Former Japanese prison camp commandent HONDA was sentenced to 20 years hard labor for failure to control men under his command and prevent them from committing atrocities against Allied Prisoners of war, and putting sick war prisoners to work in coal-mines. His sentence was the lightest imposed during the YOKOHAMA trials of minor war criminals as Captain MARCHESON and other defense councils pleaded his innocence from the beginning on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 276 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

In another YOKOHAMA trial, Colonel FUKUMOTO, former war prison camp commandent at FUKUOKA was summoned as a witness; when the defense examined him about the customs of penalties in the Japanese forces, he stated that the order of the war Ministry concerning treatment of war prisoners prescribed that treatment must be vigorous but not merciless and that the commandant of a prison camp must he competent in the control of his men.

Next, INARIDA, Inosuke, former director of the MIIKE Coal Mine was summoned as a witness after the council examined the offender concerning the death of Corporal JOHNSON. ISHIDA denied the charge but acknowledged the fact that he punished corporal JOHNSON and first-class warrant office HICHAM on charges of illegal acts. He concluded his testimony by claiming that he had never tortured a war prisoner by water to determine whether or not he was guilty of larceny.

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