Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0293, 1946-02-07.

Extracts:

The first lecture on politics of a political school which has been established under the auspices of the education and the youth sections of the Social Democratic Party for explaining the general outline of socialism, will be opened at the lecture hall of the JAPAN Red Cross at SHIBA-Ku, TOKYO.

The lectures will be for mixed classes and are to last for 12 days beginning 16 February. The contents of the lectures are: "The Theory of Socialism" by TAKAHASHI, Masao, "The Economic Policy" by SUZUKI, Mosaburo, "The Theory of Labor Union" by OMA, Yoshio, "The Theory of Farmers Associations" by OHISHI, Joshio, "The Theory of the Consumer's Guild" (SHOHI KU[illegible]IAI RON) by KUROKAWA, Taiichi, Besides these five lectures, special lectures by AR[illegible]HATA, Kanson, MIZUTANI, Chozaburo, KATO, Shizue, (woran), AKAMATSU, Tsuneko (woman) will be given.

ITEM 2 The Greater Part of the Imperial Estate is To Be Donated To The State - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 6 Feb 46. Translator: N. Tachibana.

Full Translation:

Since the Allied Headquarters made it clear that even the Imperial estate, which amounts to 1,590,000,000 yen, would not be free from taxation, the Government and the Imperial Household Department have been carefully debating on the disposal of the Imperial estate in connection with the establishment of the property tax and the war profits tax.

The problem has been whether the Imperial estate should become an object of taxation in the same proportion that is paid by the people and whether taxes should be set according to the rates by revising the Imperial Estate Ordinance, or whether it should be donated to the State in view of the difficult conditions of national life. But this time it seems that the Government and the Imperial Household Department have decided to part with the Imperial estate, as soon as possible, before the property and the war profits tax are enforced, to contribute to the reconstruction of the new JAPAN and democratize the Imperial Family.

They have been investigating the contents and the amount of the property to spare. It seems that the greater part of the property to spare is to be donated to the state as a, rule, and one part is to be held by a governmental organ ns a state property. The other part is to be given to the public, and only a small special part is to be donated directly to the people of the district in which it lies.

POLITICAL SERIES: 293 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The Imperial estate, which is estimated to amount to 1,590,000,000 yen, consists of crown lands, crown forests, cash, securities, and buildings. The greater part of the crown lands and crown forests which amount to 664,660,000 yen (about 1,340,000 chobu) are likely to be parted with to profit the people. The greater part of securities (internal debts, local loans, stocks and debentures) which amount to 310,000,000 yen, the Imperial Residence, the AKASAKA Detached Palace, the KYOTO Imperial Palace, the OMIYA Imperial Palace, seven Imperial villas and other buildings and sites (buildings, 299,000,000 yen sites, 79,000,000 yen, total 379,000,000 yen) make up a considerable sum of the mole estimates and will be taxed for 1,113,000,000 yen if the rate is 70 per cent. Therefore important buildings will be also donated.

To dispose of these properties as soon as possible the necessary proceeding for donation are to be taken between the Imperial Household Department and the Government in February. The Imperial Household Department is investigating how to reduce overall businesses with the donation of the Imperial estate. It is also debasing on the concrete contents of the donation of the Imperial estate and is soon to decide on them. Judging from the taxes of 1,110,000,000 yen to be imposed on the Imperial estate it seems that the greater part of various properties will inevitably be parted with and measures will be taken to democratize the Imperial Family; that is to say, even the important buildings and their sites which the people respect will also be donated.

The Imperial Household Department seems to have seriously resolved to part with the Imperial Residence, if necessary, although it wants to avoid doing so if possible. It is worthy of notice that such matters are under serious consideration as being the last plan to spare the Imperial estate. On the other hand the Imperial Household Department intends to allow the Government to plan for the rehabilitation of TOKYO without being troubled by the existence of the Imperial Residence. Such intentions of the Imperial Household Department will exert a serious influence on the promotion of democratization.

Full Translation:

7th Day Trail for FUKCHARA

30 years' penal Servitude for ISHIDA

As the seventh final day of the FUKUHARA trial yesterday, SAKAGAMI, former medical sergeant[illegible]in detention, who had worked at the camp, testified; "It is not quite clear whether the death of Corporal JOHNSON was a natural one or whether it was caused by maltreatment. The sanitary facilities of the Camp were better than those of other camps."

Mr. FUNAKOSHI, Masateru, pharmacist at the MIIKE coal-mine hospital, made a statement on the supply conditions of medicines from the coalmine hospital to the Camp. In the afternoon Prince SHIMAZU, vice-president of the Red Cross Hospital deposed: "The Red Cross Society's relief goods had been handed over directly to the representatives of the war-prisoners. The medicines sent by the Committee of the Red Cross Society were placed on the medicine shelves of the Camp." The Committee demanded of the Japan Red Cross Society to submit by the 7th list of the relief articles received. The court was then dismissed at 4 p.m. Dr. TAKAHASHI, Koichi, Ex-army surgeon is being sent back to the prisoners' camp.

- 2 -

POLITICAL SERIES: 293 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Yesterday at the fifth day of the ISHIDA TRIAL, GIN DO[illegible]INICO, an Italian, was summoned as witness who testified that he lived in a billet next to the American war-prisopers' infirmary of the HIROHATA Camp, he saw ISHIDA stun a prisoner by pressing his head against a, water-tank and kick his belly so that he disgorged the water, thus restoring him to life. Second Lt. GON BAJIN of the prosecution spoke of some other crimes of the accused, while the defense attorney, First Lt. HETERU, said that the testimony of HONYASHIKI was inconsistent. He said it was strange that affidavits of Capt SIDE, believed to have been punished, and of Private MEROTEE were not presented. DOMINICO's statement was doubtful, although he insisted that he was not guilty. In the afternoon, a Japanese defense attorney, MR. ASANUMA, Noburu pleaded not guilty" on a very slight punishment, whereas the prosecutor, Capt. SWEET, maintained guilt.

At 1540 hours the Chief Judge, Colonel TRETCHER, gave a decision upon the case. "As chairman of the Committee and with an agreement of more than two-thirds of the members, I give the accused, ISHIDA the verdict of guilty and sentence him to 30 years' hard labor." Except for 2 of the 9 items, he was found guilty of all. Upon the pronouncement of the sentence ISHIDA, the accused, was quite dumbfounded for a moment, until he was taken away by an American M.P.

Full Translation:

The Government is concentrating its energies on the investigation of the bill for the revision of the Constitution, and held Cabinet meetings for several days in succession. At the meetings, Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO explained the contents of the so-called 'MATSUMOTO Bill' article by article. These were then discussed by the other ministers. Finally, at the Cabinet meeting held on 4 February, they finished the investigation of the MATSUMOTO Bill, Now, the problem is what formal stand will the Government take for the revision of the Constitution?

The Government's intentions in regard to this problem are to decide on the bill formally at a Cabinet meeting and send it to the Constitution Investigating Committee, which is to be established shortly by Premier SHIDEHARA, Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO and Education minister ABE, and after having it examined they will ask the permission of the Emperor through the Privy Council to submit it to the coming extraordinary session of the Diet. Thus, within a few days, the MATSUMOTO Bill, which is also a draft of the Constitution Investigating Committee, will be formally decided on at a Cabinet meeting. At the same time, the Government seems to have determined to introduce it to the extraordinary session of the Diet.

Recently, Premier SHIDEHARA and Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO often made certain suggestions. They are derived from the following two points:

• 1.The present Cabinet holds an optomistic view of the future political situation that the Cabinet is able to revise the Constitution itself.
• 2.Since Education Minister ABE joined the Cabinet, it began to think that no problem was more important than that of the revision of the Constitution.

It is regarded with keen interest why the present. Cabinet, which has betrayed its weak attitude toward inflation, the food crisis, etc.,

- 3 -

POLITICAL SERIES: 293 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

now concentrate its energies on the problem of the revising the Constitution.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

- 4 -