Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0041, 1945-11-30.
Date30 November, 1945
translation numbersocial-0140
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 41
ITEM 1 Round Table Conference on Food Question - Yomiuri-Hochi - 22 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
YOMHURI-HOCHI brings the first part of a Round table conference-on the food question,
attended by agricultural Minister
MATSUMURA, farmers and consumers representatives:
MATSUMURA: Only after the Japanese Government and people have exerted themselves
to the utmost, can they expect help from
Allied Headquarters. This means in other words, discipline on the part of the consumers
and the will to supply all they can on
the part of the producers. I am of the opinion that if we can only tide over this
years bad crop, the future will not be so
dark.
Next year the land reform will be carried out, additional land will be reclaimed
and an increased production of fertilizers
will be fostered by all interests. So if the weather is in any way favorable at least
an average crop of rice, that is 10 - 12
million more than this year can be expected with reasonable certainty.
It should be possible to produce so much food in JAPAN that JAPAN con get along with
an average yearly import of two or three
million and five million in a bad year.
Producer Ono of YAMANASHI-KEN: If YAMANASHI-KEN had only to take care of its own
normal population of 700,000, and the
Government would take care of the 300,000 people who have come to YAMANASHI from the
war devestated areas, the demand for
three go of staple food instead of two go one shaku could be met.
This years crop in YAMANASHI is approximately 370,000 koku of rice and 300,000 koku
of grain and about 160,000 koku of
potatoes, besides, there is additional crop of maize and soya beans. Therefore even
YAMANASHI which depends on food from other
provinces can afford three go rations.
YOMIURI: The authorities say there is not enough food. Now a consumer however says
that there is enough food to raise rations
from two go one shaku to three go,no wonder that the Allied Headquarters doubt the
accuracy of the Japanese figures.
ITEM 2 Reorganization of Neighborhood Group Associations - Asahi Shimbun - 22 Nov 45. Translator: Y. Akabane.
Summary:
In order to put an end to the existing town and neighborhood associations which are
reputed to be "officially-governed and
arbitrary" and replace
SOCIAL SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
them with new and democratic organizations, preparations have been going on and a
draft of the regulations containing opinions
from various directions has been made.
It will be submitted for action at a meeting of the "Operation Committee of the Neighborhood-group
Association" to be held at
AOI KAIKAN, SENDAGAYA at 1500 on 22 November.
The summary of the draft is as follows: Maintaining its original nature a local mutual
organ based on the free will of
citizens living in the same ward, the neighborhood group association must undertake
to enlist the collaboration and assistance
of the public for the welfare of citizens and administrative business, in accordance
with Article 153, § 3 of the existing
Municipal Regulations.
Area and Organization —- The measures to be taken by the chief of the ward concerning
the designation of the areas of each
neighborhood group association and the change thereof will follow the principles fixed
by the Municipal Office of TOKYO in
April 1943.
The number of neighborhood group associations which was reduced to 1,697 on 1 November
from the pre-war number 2,700
throughout 35 wards of TOKYO will be maintained. When the area of a neighborhood group
association is designated or changed,
the chief of the ward will hear opinions and take steps in accordance with the general
vill of citizens concerned. Works to be
undertaken by the neighborhood group associations will be fixed autonomously, according
to local circumstances.
Organization of the office-holders, their function and manner of election will be
left to the individual neighborhood group
associations, but the representatives or vice-representative (chief, managing chief,
assistant chief or assistant managing
chief) must be so appointed in accordance with the general will of citizens, by election
or other appropriate measures.
Enactment, abrogation and modification of regulations shall be done in the manner
based on the general will of citizens.
Assumption of office by representatives:
In case of appointment or change of representatives of the association, permission
must be obtained beforehand from the chief
of the ward.
Neighborhood Associations and their chiefs:
Distribution, division and amalgamation of neighborhood associations shall be made
by chiefs of neighborhood group
associations after hearing citizens' opinions. In electing chiefs of the neighborhood
associations, the rotation system will
be discontinued, and some other systems reflecting the general will of the citizens
must be adopted.
Business collaboration:
Businesses having a direct connection with the security of citizens shall not be
included in the neighborhood group,
associations, especially business concerned with simple transfer of labor. Thus hampering
the autonomous nature of the
neighborhood group associations or other complicated business must not be included.
The relation between neighborhood group
association and local consumptive guild is to be studied separately.
- 2 -
SOCIAL SERIES: 4l (Continued)
ITEM 3 Radio Speech of Premier on Emperor's Trip to ISE - Mainichi Shimbun - 22 Nov 45. Translator: Y. Akabane.
Summary:
The Emperor left TOKYO on 12 November and went to the KANSAI district where he reported
the termination of the war and prayed
at the Grand Shrine and Imperial Mausoleum for the revival of JAPAN.
In a radio broadcast on 21 November, Prince SHIDEHARA reported as follows on the
Emperor's pilgrainage.
"According to Home Minister Horikiri and Transportation Minister TANAKA, who accompanied
the Emperor, the spontaneous, sincere
way in which the people greeted the Emperor was truely impressive. Everywhere along
the way of the Imperial journey, crowds
had gathered. Farmers and fishermen working in the fields or on the sea straightened
their bodies to salute the Emperor. Many
such examples showing the people's full devotion to the Emperor can be cited and all
of them are the expression of a natural
feeling coming up from the bottom of the nation's hearts."
The Premier went on to say, "After the Emperor returned to TOKYO, I was granted an
audience, when His Majesty expressed his
satisfaction over the new simplified guard system at the time of the Imperial journey
and said that by this step he felt for
the first time the people's hearts came directly in touch with his with no reserve.
I feel very happy to be in a position to
observe that the Emperor has become very light-hearted as the result of his personal
inspection of the country during the
recent journey."
ITEM 4 Establishment of Relief Bureaus for 1,700,000 Japanese Repatriates 80% Sick.- Mainichi Shimbun - 22 Nov 45.- Translator: K. Minagi.
Summary:
According to a directive from General Headquarters, all matters concerned with repatriations
will now be handed by the
Minister of Welfare. Local Repatriation Relief Bureaus will be set up at all parts
of debarkation, including URAGA, MAIZURU,
KURE, SHIMONOSEKI, HAKATA, SASEHO, and KAGOSHIMA besides a YOKOHAMA branch office
of the URAGA Bureau, SENZAKI branch office
of the SHIMONOSEKI bureau, and a MOJI branch office of the HAKATA bureau.
The Repatriation Bureau will also handle the affairs of Korean and Chinese nationals
going home. The Bureau will supply food,
clothing, housing and medical care.
The numbers of Japanese nationals scheduled for repatriation this year is 1,000,000
military and naval personnel and 500,000
civilians. By 11 November, over 500,000 Japanese had already been brought back to
their homeland.
According to a report from YOKOSUKA , those landing at URAGA are divided and sent
to one of three places. Military personnel
goes to MABORI, Naval personnel to KURIHAMA, and all others to KAMOI. Repatriates
stay at these installations three
months.
- 3 -
SOCIAL SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
There are at present 4,500 at MABORI, 3,800 at KURIHAMA, but conditions are still
not crowded. Out of 5,000 civilians arriving
at KAMOI up to 19 November, only 1,000 went home. The others are LUCHOO Islanders
who have no place to go.
Over 3,500 at KAMOI require medical attention, with 15 to 20 deaths reported daily.
The civilian repatriates all have deep seated hatred of the army.
A YOKOSUKA report says that three naval vessels are scheduled to bring 715 army and
353 naval personnel, and 691 civilians
home from TRUK soon. Other groups will come on American ships. Out of 78 deaths reported
at KASIMI, 58 were of children.
Malaria and malnutrition was given as the cause.
ITEM 5 Japanese-American Relations in the Family (Part I) - Tokyo Shimbun - 22 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
According to the first in a series of articles on" Japanese-American Relations in
the Home" by KIMURA, Takeshi, Prince KONOE's
statements have received unfavorable criticism from the General Headquarters spokesmen
as well as the foreign press. This may
be partly due to carelessness in the choice of words on the part of the Prince himself,
or due to inaccurate translation by
the interpreter. The author goes on to say that now no one feels what the average
Japanese has to say is as important as the
Prince's statements. But he warns the reader that with increased social intercourse
with Americans a chance for
misunderstanding will no doubt increase and so the Japanese in-the-street should also
be careful about what he says.
KIMURA writes that 14 or 15 years ago, he often invited foreigners to his house.
Of course, he did not attempt to invite
Ambassadors and Ministers of the first class powers, because they would not have come,
but he did invite a number of ministers
and consuls of second and third rate powers and they loved to come. KIMURA writes
that he entertained George Bernard SHAW and
calmed down the latter's anger against the Japanese GUMBATSU. He writes that SHAW
took a great liking to Mrs. KIMURA. He also
entertained the French Novelist Maurice DEKOBRA, but he could not make DEKOBRA out.
Incidentally, when DEKOBRA returned to
FRANCE, he turned out an Anti-Japanese film "YOSHIWARA" which was banned in JAPAN.
KIMURA says he was thankful that he had not guided DEKOBRA personally to the YOSHIWARA,
for if that had been the case and it
became widely known, he would have been finished socially.
Later in KIMURA's social career many NISEI came to JAPAN and put his English to shame,
so he did not invite foreigners to his
home anymore.
Recently, however, KIMURA invited some American Naval officers for tea. They were
introduced to him by Miss SAKANISHI, Miho,
graduates of the University of Virginia, and head of the section for Far Eastern Research.
Miss SAKANISHI, has worked with President TRUMAN, is a friend of Mrs. ROOSEVELT's
and has translated several books from
Japanese into English. With a introduction from someone like Miss SAKANISHI, KIMURA
says, he was delighted to receive his
American guests who included Commanders FORTUNE and WALLACE and Admiral ARMSTRONG.
- 4 -
SOCIAL SERIES: 41 (Continued)
ITEM 6 Teachers Union Formed - Yomiuri Hochi- 22 Nov 45. Translator: M. Ono.
Full translation:
The first meeting of the JAPAN Teacher's Association will be held 2 December in KURAMAE
Industry Hall under chairman KAGAWA,
Toyohiko. The aim of the association is to campaign for educational freedom and teachers'
rights.
A preliminary meeting attended by KAWANO, Mitsu; KAWAZAKI, Natsu; NIKAI, Geniehi;
KODAMA, Kujyu; YANA, Kanjyo; and 18 middle
school principals from neighboring prefectures, was held in the MITSUBISHI Building,
MARUNOUCHI, on 21 November to discuss
democracy in education.
At the meeting, it was decided to interpret the General Headquarters directions on
education ordering all militarists and
ultra-nationalists out of the educational system as not applying to teachers.
Teachers, the Association maintains, did not decide policy in the past. They are
sending a petition to this effect to General
Headquarters and the Ministry of Education.
Members of the Association will include the majority of the 400,000 teachers now
practicing in primary and higher schools, as
well as universities, throughout the country. Teachers illegally dismissed from the
school system before or during the war
also be asked to join.
ITEM 7 YOMIURI Internal Struggle - Yomiuri-Hochi - 22 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
The JAPAN Peoples Union will hold a public rally in HIBIYA Park on 21; November in
support of the YOMIURI employees. The
Oriental Freedom of Culture Union of NAGOYA, the Japanese Shoemakers Union, the HOKKAIDO
Labor Union Congress, and the
HOKKAIDO Coal Miners Labor Union all sent messages expressing their support of the
YOMIURI employees.
ITEM 8 Jury Law - Asahi Shimbun - 22 Nov 45. Translator: K. Nobunaga.
Full translation:
Democratization of the trial system must now be brought up. The jury law was hindered
by the oppression by the TOJO Cabinet,
and at present its revival is naturally demanded. I hope that the jury law will not
be a mere revival, but that there will be
several revisions. First, Articles 2, 3 and 4 must be revised.
Article 2. A case involving the death penalty or penal servitude for life or imprisonment
is tried before jury.
Article 3. A case involving penal servitude or imprisonment for over 3 years is put
before a jury when the accused demands If
it is a matter which is within the jurisdiction of the local court.
Article 4. The following crimes are not tried before a jury in spite of the provisions
of the above articles.
- 1.Crimes which are under the jurisdiction of the special powers of the Supreme Court. - 5 -
- SOCIAL SERIES: 41 (Continued) ITEM 8 (Continued)
- 2.Crimes covering chapters one to four and chapter eight of the second volume of the Criminal Code.
- 3.Violations of the law for the maintenance of the public peace.
- 4.Violations of the law for the security of military secrets and violations of the military penal code or naval criminal law code.
- 5.Violations of the public election law.
Because there is a limited number of cases submitted to the jury, there is not adequate
use of the jury system. Secondly,
Article 14 must be revised. This sets down those who are not qualified for jury duty.
By such limitation, many men of ability
are excluded from jury duty. This is contrary to the spirit of participation in trials
by all the people. Thirdly is the
revision of Article 107.
Article 107. Jury expenses fall on the accused wholly or partially when a sentence
is pronounced in the case of Article 3.
Consequently an accused who is not able to pay jury expenses may avoid the use of
the jury.
Lastly, the revision of Article 95 is most important.
Article 95. The court is empowered to put a case before another jury, regardless
of the type of suit when the court deems the
finding of jury unreasonable. As long as this Article exists, the revision of the
jury law is of no significance. It must be
mandatory for a judge to follow the finding of the jury when the same verdict is given
by two juries.
Irrespective of the jury system the following system should be given due considerations.
Every court has men of ability in its
district as counselors, and counselors must answer the judge's questions. Sometimes,
however, they voluntarily state their
opinions. It will be well for the time being for a counsellor to be appointed by the
court itself, but in the future they
should be elected by the people.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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