Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0281, 1946-02-05.
Date5 February, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1139
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 281
ITEM 1 Imperial Abdication beyond Consideration No Intention of Revising Imperial House Law - Jiji Shimpo - 3 Feb 40. "Translator: A. Kido.
Extracts:
Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO who presided over the Constitution Investigation
Committee for four months, during which
more than 20 meetings had been held, speaks as follows, upon the completion of the
Committee's mission with the plenary
meeting held yesterday:
"The subject of the Constitutional revision has now been settled for the tine being.
When required by the Cabinet, however,
investigation meetings nay be held again. At today's meeting both A and B plans were
introduced, as was suggested by the minor
committee."
"Notwithstanding different views expressed at the meeting, the revision plan received
only a few alterations in wording. A
formal decision was not adopted at the meeting, but the revised plan was so set up
ready to be submitted to a Cabinet meeting
for approval. I hope the draft will be decided upon at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting
on next Monday, or the regular
Cabinet meeting on next Tuesday. I myself think the draft is the best, pending other
better views that nay appear before
submitting it to the Board of Investigation which will be officially organized by
the end of this month."
"The import of the revised plan seem to be unpopular, but it is, however, not yet
quite completed. The people should refrain
from abuse before the completion of the revision lest it should become spoiled. When
the associate laws will get a definite
plan cannot be released yet, but some points must be altered. For that purpose a plan
will be made by the office of the House
of Peers, the Bureau of Legislation and the Investigation Board under my supervision.
Maybe the Imperial House Law requires
some alterations, but at present nothing decisive can be mentioned. Therefore, the
question of the Imperial abdication was not
considered at the meeting."
Constitution Investigation Board.
The seventh meeting of the Constitution Investigation Board was held yesterday morning
at 1000 at the official residence of
the prime minister, attended by the Committee-chairman MATSUMOTO and other members
like SHIMIZU, MINOBE, NOMURA (all advisors)
as well as by MAYAWA, KIYOMIYA, KAWAMURA, ISHIGURO, NARAHASH, IRIE, SATO, MOROHASHI
and NODA, president of the Accountants'
Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. At this meeting the definite plan made at the Committee
meeting of 26 January was studied.
In case of need more such meetings will be held.
POLITICAL SERIES: 281 (Continued)
ITEM 2 Promotion of the Democratic Front - Round Table Conference (No. 5) - Yomiuri-Hochi
- 4 Feb 46.
Translator: S. Ohno.
Summary:
Persons present:
YAMAKAWA, Hitoshi, organizer of the popular front.
MIZUTANI, Chozaburo, control executive committee of the Social Democratic Party.
KITA, Reikichi, executive member of the Liberal Party.
NOZAKA, Sanzo, member of the Communist Party.
NODA, Takeo, chief-executive of the Progressive Party.
YOSHIDA, Tadashi, permanent organizer of the Co-operative Party.
IWABUCHI, Tatsuo, social critic.
SUZUKI, chief-editor of the YOMIURI
And other staff members of the press.
SUZUKI: Your opinion about the problem, please, Mr. YAMAKAWA.
YAMAKAWA: I quite agree with Mr. YOSHIDA of the Co-operative Party. We have to take
quick steps. We need an organized movement
to cope with the food problem. That is why I propose the formation of a united front.
The solution of the problem on a
nation-wide scale requires the joint efforts of the various parties concerned. I am
now endeavoring to draw up a plan for the
formation of a united front, asking for the cooperation of leading members of various
circles. I hope every person invited
will accept my proposal.
NOZAKA: I also agree with Mr. YOSHIDA. We are going to do what he said. By the way,
I should like to hear the opinion of Mr.
NODA on the problem of a united front, Do you think differences of ideology matters
much, even in taking co-operative action
to settle such a problem as the food crisis?
NODA: My personal opinion is that, so far as the food problem is concerned, there
is no objection to the proposed front.
NOZAKA: Then, you refuse a united front, where the Tenno System is concerned?
NODA: Let me state my personal opinion. The important thing is, I think, to create
an objective in the pursuit of which we can
safely trust each other. The difficulty is not the problem to be taken up, but our
attitude to discussing it frankly.
NOZAKA: That provides for the justification of the grounds of Mr. YAMAKAWA's proposal
to create a committee meeting of various
political parties to promote the realization of a united front. It makes no sense
to oppose a plan because it is proposed by
other parties.
YOSHIDA: I do not agree. I support the formation of a united front so far as general
principles are concerned. But when to
take up such a concrete problem as the food crisis had better be left to the charge
of another organization.
NODA: I am in completely agreement with you.
KITA: I think so, too. The formation of a popular front to solve
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POLITICAL SERIES: 281 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
the food problem is, from every indication, considered undesirable. I wonder if there
is any necessity of organizing a popular
front the meaning of which seems to me quite vague. If we adhere to the popular front,
we cannot refute the opposition that
some parties concerned are trying to expand their own influence by making use of the
food problem. My opinion is that an
organization to be called an anti-food crisis committee or something of the sort is
good enough to settle the matter.
SUZUKI: It seems that you consider the popular front something dangerous?
KITA: In regard to the popular front, we have to take into our consideration its
derivation, which as we all know, comes from
FRANCE. I want to draw a distinct line between the democratic and the popular front.
Mr. NOZAKA makes a clear distinction
between them, with which I agree. But, Mr. YAMAKAMA says that they are the same. This
is what I cannot understand.
SUZUKI: You mean that your party can participate in the democratic front?
KITA: As for the words "democracy" and "front" we have already sufficiently discussed
them. The point is to establish
democracy in a form proper to this country. But, apart from abstract discussion, when
we tackle practical problems we must
disregard the different attitudes of political parties.
SUZUKI: Then, in regard to the practical problem, do you recomend an active popular
movement?
KITA: Yes, but the word "popular" in this case, must mean national as a whole. What
I should like to insist on is that as a
popular front is distinct from a national movement, we must not confuse it with a
national movement.
SUZUKI: But, as democracy without the people is quite nonsensical, there is no inconvenience
in using the term "people", I
think.
KITA: No, that is not so. For instance, think of the fact we find no word like "popular
front" in the case of American
democracy. The popular front cones from FRANCE. I would like to hear a detailed explanation
of the word "popular" from Mr.
YAMAKAWA.
SUZUKI: A popular front is called into existence when reactionary power menaces the
lives of the people, isn't it?
KITA: As is clear in the case of FRANCE, there is no necessity to organize a collective
movement to cope with the reactionary
influence, or to settle the food crisis. Even the bureaucrats, if they are able to
work, should be utilized.
MIZUTANI: Your insistance on the peculiarity of the popular front is quite right.
That is why, I presume, Mr. NOZAKA adopts
the term "democratic front", in its place. The democratic front is a movement to promote
the realization of democracy in the
country. But he is still more concessive. If one finds the term "front" too rod in
color, he is ready to use the word "union"
as its substitute. Words do not matter, anyway. We, the Social Democrats and the Communists,
agree with all that Mr. YOSHIDA
said a while ago. Mr. NOZAKA wishes, if possible, to form an
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POLITICAL SERIES: 281 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
unified front, even if only to settle the food problem. No one will oppose the attempt
which aims at the solution of one of
the most urgent difficulties of the national life. As a matter of practice, in HOKKAIDO,
where the food crisis is most
menacing, all the political parties, including the Co-operatives, Progressives, Liberals,
Social Democrats and Communists, are
working together, in complete harmony, to meet the situation. This Mr. YOSHIDA knows
well. The same thing occurs, I suppose,
in every part of the country. The people are fighting against reality. If the headquarters
of the political parties adhere to
different policies and principles and hesitate to co-operate, they will be divorced
from the real issues.
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