Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0026, 1945-11-22.

Full Translation:

The Government has decided to give a second civil service examination, by the middle of December, to applicants who are university graduates and who were demobilized since the end of the war. The regulations are as follows:

• 1.Qualified persons.
• a.Those who graduated from Law or Literature college after September 1942, and missed their chance to take the examination because of suspension of the higher state examination (KOTO SHIKIEN) while they were enlisted. Those who graduated from college after September 1945 and missed their chance to take the first examination given last August because of air-raids.
• b.Those who passed the high state examination and had no chance to take the examination because of enlistment and mobilization.
• 2.Procedure: Applicants are to submit applications, personal histories, list of students' record, name of government offices desired (more than three should be named) to the faculties of colleges from which they graduated. Examination will be given covering intellect, health, and personal character. Government offices desiring personnel are the Communications Board, and Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Finance, Education Welfare, Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Industry and Traffic.

Summary:

The problem of Governmental Sales Allotments on farm produce seems to have been nearly forgotten during the war. The Government Sales Allotments were affected by law and enforced by the police. Now, the government is attempting to get the same results by supplication. In the meantime, however, the rural town of TAKICHI-MACHI in CHIBA-KEN KATORI-GUN has drawn national attention by democratizing its peasantry on its own initiative.

TAKICHI-MACHI has 1800 families, 1,000 of which are peasants and the remaining 800, part time peasants and small scale businessmen. Last year this township delivered 50 per cent more than its Government Sales Allotment in rice. In addition to this amount, a compulsory delivery of rice was made to armament factories and some was seized by provincial officials.

So when the war ended, this rural township was for a short time,

SOCIAL SERIES: 26 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

completely destitute. At this time, however, the town officials decided that they must build up a just and democratic order in their township. This was effected by the democratic election of a chairman and committee of the local agricultural society, which until then had its officials nominated by the provincial government, and the formation of a cooperative association. The statues of the agricultural society were also revised along democratic lines.

This community has even formed a cultural section, under the leadership of a university graduate, to study literature, economics, and politics and another society for young men and women. The community moreover promised the government that they would deliver 100 per cent of the their sales allotment voluntarily, the individual allotment to be determined by the governing body of the township.

This community, being fairly distant from railways, has rarely been invaded by the farm produce black-market buyers. And it has been pointed out that peasants indulging in black-marketing make only a small percentage of what those living near the railroads make. The reason for this is the lack of speedy transportation facilities in areas removed from the railroads and the resulting problems of food spoilages.

There has recently been a great deal of severe criticism of the action taken by the government in buying sweet potatoes for TOKYO at the black-market price of five yen per kan. Such arbitrary measures might exert a bad influence on the delivery of the rice sales allotment; moreover, it would cause the impression among citizens of TOKYO that the peasants are prepared to do anything for money. There has also been criticism of the use of special trains for the purpose of transporting TOKYO citizens into the country so that they might buy potatoes at black market prices.

These trains should be used to carry potatoes which are sold at legitimate prices. Probably the most satisfactory solution for the delivery of farm produce can be attained by direct contact between the large cooperative producer and the consumer units.

TAKICHI-MACHI has just received the special government award for delivies of rice above the government allotment of lest year, and dissatisfaction with the delay in its arrival has been expressed by the peasants who would much rather have had their reward in the form of fertilizer, farm tools, or living necessities. Peasants were compelled to keep a certain amount of rice on hand as there was a demand for payment in rice instead of money for farm implements and fertilizers.

Summary:

TOKYO city authorities are now busy supervising the construction and repair of emergency houses for the war-sufferers in spite of many difficulties.

Unused buildings consist of barracks and other military structures, factory dormitories, reinforced concrete buildings in devastated areas, and houses of the wealthy listed in order of availability.

At the former if N[illegible]KAJI[illegible]A aircraft factory, 800 houses are being occupied by the former employees of the factory.

Vacant space is available at: FUJISANGYO Dormitory, SUGINAMI Ku; NIHON KOTETSU House, C[illegible]ORI Ku; and 50 places with a floor space of over 15,000 Tsubo in SETA-GAYA, ITABASHI, TAKINO-GAWA, KATSUSHIKA, and ARAKAWA Ku.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 26 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Negotiations with the owners are proceeding with great difficulty.

Reinforced concrete structures are mostly privately owned, and the owners do not wish to dispose of them.

There are military structures at a hundred different places with a total floor space of 50,000 Tsubo. However, most of these are still in use.

Summary:

The Emperor, having finished his Imperial worship at the Grand Shrine of ISE, and his visit to Imperial Mausoleums of U[illegible]BI and. MOMOYAMA, left OMIYA Palace yesterday at 0805 for KYOTO Station by automobile. His Majesty then left KYOTO Station at 0820 and arrived at TOKYO Station at 1725 of the same day, and then returned to the Palace. His Majesty will worship at the TAMA Mausoleum on 17 November.

Summary:

The first lectures by the reinstated professors of the Tokyo Imperial University, including Professor OUCHI, Hyoe and others, will be heard next week. Professor OUCHI'S first lecture on Finance will begin at 1000 hours of 19 November for the students of both the Law and Economics Departments. The students are awaiting his lecture with great interest because the professor recently broadcasted an open message to Mr. SHIBUSAWA, the Finance Minister, asking a reply to the professor's demand that the Minister be bold in stopping state compensation.

On the same day at 1300, Professor ARISAWA, Hiromi will present his first lecture on statistics, and on 22 November at 1000 hours, Professor YAMADA, Moritaro will lecture on Agricultural Policy. Since the Agriculture and Forestry authorities are now drafting a land reform bill to create peasant proprietors, and since, according to foreign dispatches, MacARTHUR's Headquarters is preparing a directive to abolish Japanese feudalism and solve the land problem, Professor YAMADA'S lecture has become the focal point of considerable interest.

Professor TSUCHIYA's, Takao first lecture on the Economic History of JAPAN is scheduled to begin at 1300 hours of 26 November. Professor YAUCHIHARA, Tadao, and Assistant Professor WAKIMURA, Taro, and KIMURA, Kentaro, are in the process of preparing their lecture program.

The campus is again eager in anticipation of the program.

Summary:

According to investigations made by the Agricultural Experimental Station, this year's harvest of potatoes, which, it was hoped, would be 2,700,000,000 Kan, is now expected to be only about 1,400,000,000, or half of the estimated amount. The following hints were given by the authorities for increasing production of potatoes:

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SOCIAL SERIES: 26 (Continued)

ITEM 6 (Continued)

Timely or earlier planting and cultivation of healthy plants were recommended by the Agriculture and Forestry authorities, but their recommendations are so late that most of farmers paid no attention. Experiments of agricultural experts have proved that planting unhealthy shoots produces poor results in a rainy year such as this. In other words, potatoes cultivated in the war devastated areas or in domestic vegetable gardens produces poor results.

This is attributable to the lack of guidance, rather than the lack of effort on the part of the cultivators. For example, in the devastated areas, there is almost no natural fertilizer, as the organic matter in the earth has been burned out by the intense heat of the conflagrations. To culitivate vegetables in such areas a great deal of fertilizer must be used and it is necessary to dig deeply in order to allow sufficient air and sunlight to get into the soil. Scientific guidance was not available to gardeners who planted in the devastated areas or in domestic gardens without previously ascertaining if the soil was barren or not.

Summary:

We were defeated, and the reasons for the defeat are well known. Now we reflect on the folly and the thoughtlessness of the actions causing the war. Let us remember the past and forge ahead, toward the construction of a new democratic JAPAN.

Unemployed men and women, some dying of starvation, are in evidence. The grim realities, the cold and the fatigue, are creeping up on us. We must endeavor to surmount the difficulties and assist one another.

Our sympathies are for our Japanese soldiers and civilians who are in very difficult positions. Several days ago a certain man, recently released from prison, made a statement over the air that astonished us.

He described the disloyalty among the Japanese and the atrocities inflicted by Japanese troops. He added, that there is no Japanese soldier in CHINA who hasn't killed two or three Chinese.

Such statements rouse the ire of the Japanese, for there's no basis for such irresponsible talk. They certainly make no contribution to the spirit of reconstruction of new JAPAN, and succeed only in exciting the animosity of our people.

Why did he make such statements? Why did the broadcasting station permit him to say such things? Being a Japanese, I cannot conceal my indignance.

Full Translation:

His Majesty, the Emperor, revealed a wish to grant to the government works of art, which belong to the Imperial Household as a contribution to the funds for the importation of food.

Following this stem, the Metropolitan Commerce, Industry, Economy Association initiated a movement, urging the people and the government to offer all works of art, now held by the government or civilians in exchange for food.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 26 (Continued)

ITEM 8 (Continued)

The works of art should be paintings, sculptures, Industrial art, (lacquerware, Chinese works, and those made from gold, silver, jewels, ivory, bamboo, wood and glass) and dyed and woven articles, towers, garden lanterns, furniture (including folding screens desks, chairs, chests of drawers) armor and ancient helmets. Prices should be no higher than 5,000 yen a piece or a set.

These articles should be appraised by a trustworthy committee and those who offer the articles should be compensated.

Full Translation:

The HOSHI Pharmacy in TOKYO was directed by the Occupation Forces to cease the production of narcotics. The pharmacy was closed 15 November 1945 and its narcotics were confiscated.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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