Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0068, 1945-12-07.

Author Supreme Commander for The Allied Powers. Allied Translator and Interpreter Section.

Date7 December, 1945

translation numbersocial-0251

call numberDS801 .S84

Persistent Identifier
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS
ALLIED TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER SECTION
PRESS TRANSLATIONS
No. 251 Date: 7 Dec 45

SOCIAL SERIES: 68

ITEM 1 Police Board Investigation into Misappropriation of Military Goods - Asahi Shimbun - 5 Dec 45. Translator: H. Nishihara.

Full Translation:
The TOKYO Post Office, investigating illegal distribution of war surplus goods, has exposed a total of 409 criminal cases involving 24 persons. The largest number of the crimes was in connection with textile goods, provisions, rubber goods and metal articles.
The goods confiscated were distributed to the public through the Food Control Bureau and other channels. Most of the goods were consumed before the crimes were exposed, however, data concerning the goods is as follows: (TN.) (Parenthesized figures shows the recovered goods.)
  • 1.Provisions: Rice, 45 tons (25); wheat, 40 tons (40); wheat-flour, 3,463 bales (2,86l); udon, 698 cases (246); miso and shoyu 89 kegs (25); floured miso and shoyu, 604 cases 269); sake, 475 She (0); whisky, 216 bottles (0); cider, 960 sho (0); sugar, 1,863 kan (615); salt, 501 Hyo (131); beans, 906 Hyo (302); canned goods, 23,656 cans (1,008); Oil, 2,525 cans (855).
  • 2.Textile Goods: military dress, 2,216 pairs (167); under shirts, 2,810 (648); cotton materials, 311,000 yards (250,459); cloth material 1,624,293 yaras (9,629); socks and stockings 1,013 pairs (0); gloves, 557 pairs (450); wollen yarn, 760 pounds (0); working suits, 89,64l pairs (82,882); caps, 6,303 (24); rubber-soled tabi, 7,557 pairs (4,046); blankets, 4,984 (3,972); Japanese style underwear, 8,463 pairs (8,400); drawers, 11,403 pairs (1,100); mosquito nets, 21 (0); garters, 67,800 pairs (66,800); short drawers, 500 (0); Mompe, 260 pairs (247); hemp cloth, 250 rolls (250); towels, 1,650 (0); hankerchiefs, 315 (0); raincoat material, 2,000 yards (0); waterproof colths, 6,351 yards (6351); Futon, 210 sheets (0); tents, 100 (0).
KURIHARA, a public prosecutor, indicted for embezzlement, a reserve naval sub-lieutenant, KAWAMURA, Kisaburo, aged 36, and KAWAZU, Kiyoshi aged 40, both staff members of the former Naval Supply Department, TOYOZU Section, at FUKAGAWA. He also prosecuted KAMITANI, Nagaichi, aged 42, director of the Nippon Nenryoki Kabushiki Kaisha, for bribery. The case was transferred to the TOKYO District Court.
KWAMURA and UMEZU, taking advantage of the confusion at war's end, had distributed, among their friends, 3,000 hyo of rice, 2,000 hyo of wheat, and 1,000 hyo of beans, which belonged to the Navy. KAMITANI received 500 hyo of rice and 300 hyo of beans, giving them in return 62,000 yen and three truckloads of cloth and other goods.
SOCIAL SERIES: 68 (Continued)

ITEM 2 What Cultural Education in JAPAN Should Be - Tokyo Shimbun - 5 Dec 45. Translator: K. Miyazaki.

Full Translation:
All the banking organs and industiral end economic organs investigated the problem of international policy end economy. The Industrial Research Association (KOGYOCHOSAKAI), United Industrial Conference (ZENKOKU KOGYO KAIGI JIMUKYOKU), The Trade Inquiry Association (BO[illegible]I CHOSAKAI), American Custom League (BEIKEKU KANGEI RENMEI), The Commercial Museum (SHOGYO CHINRETSU KAN), Management Association, American Trade Arbitration League (BEIKOKU SHOJI CHOTEI KEIEI KYOKAI), All American Economic Inquiry Office (ZE[illegible]KOTU KEIZAI CHOSA KYOKA), and International Banking Facilities Investigation Board (KOKUSAI KINYA CHOSA KAI) are all making this kind of research.
The Chamber of Commerce makes research of considerable scope on the relation between the industry and economy of AMERICA and finacial conditions in foreign trade. This is a good example for the Japanese. The results of these investigations are offered not only for reference material to general industry and commerce, but it efficiently discloses to the public the commercial situation. For instance, the Worlds' Commerce Reports are mostly statictics, and it also published other facts and comments. I often hear the criticism that Americans take the most practical and observed facts as truth. And it cannot be denied that this tendency is shown in the investigation in international policy, economy and deplomacy made by all the universities.
The influence that all American research has on the theoritical analysis of actual problems shows itself in the development of social living. The research of food, conducted at Fordham University, is run by three, directors, and the fund is donated from the CARMEGIE Foundation.
The investigations in AMERICA are conducted in universities and other organizations with their own original ideas, and yet various awards are offered to them, and the results are distributed. In short the system is founded on a social basis.
The forming of a cultural consciousness is expressed in the birth of original ideas. I should like to warn the educational authority on this point at the start of the new cultural education, and the same time the people's interest ought to be turned to this point.

ITEM 3 Peers School - Yomiuri Hochi - 5 Dec 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.

Summary:
The investigation committee of the Peers' school recently resolved to abolish the special status of the school and open it table students of all classes of civil life and make it a public school free from all financial manipulations by the ZAIBATSU. It has, however, come to light that these commendable reforms are being impeded by the actions of the President and some right wine professors.
More than ten professors favoring the reform demanded the resignations of President, Admiral YAMASHINA, Katsunoo kin; Prof. KIDAIRA, Masami and three other rightest professors, who had collaborated in the war effort. Whereupon, the President used the fact that the budget of the school had been cut in half as an excuse for demanding the resignation of four of the reform professors. The President also
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SOCIAL SERIES: 68 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
refused to consider the reappointment of Professor YAMAMOTO, NAOBUMI, celebrated authority on French literature who was dismissed last Fall on the strength of a rumor that he criticized the GUMBATSU.
The reform professors have, therefore decided to send their representatives to protest to the Ministry of Court Affairs. Parents of students in the Peers' school have furthur drawn attention to irregularities in the actions of teachers at evacuation centers for students of the Peers' school in TSURUGAOKA and ODAWARA during the war.

ITEM 4 Measures of Ministry of Culture for Schooling Repatriated Japanese School Children - Yomiuri Hochi - 5 Dec 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.

Summary:
Repatriated school children are to be treated the same as evacuated school children and their entry into elementary, continuation and middle schools will be promoted regardless of fixed enrollment numbers. The same applies to students in teachers seminaries. But in the case of students who were enrolled, in teachers seminaries in KOREA, where the grade of schooling was inferior, they will have to be set back in their classes.
High Schools. Special Schools end Universities are to take repatriated students as far as their facilities permit. Examinations are to be limited to oral and physical examinations. Repatriated children will, as a rule, have no reports from former schools, so any identification papers should suffice. In case the repatriates do not have even identification papers, they can apply at the offices of Korean or Formosan Government or in case of repatriation from CHINA or MAHCHUKUO. They can apply at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in TOKYO. Repatriated children who have been omitted from this tern should be admitted to the next term of school.

ITEM 5 Military Police Seize Japanese Black Market Dealers in American Food - Chuhu Nihon Shimbun - 30 Nov 45. Translatr: K. Minagi.

Summary:
In all sections of AICHI Prefecture, the purchase, by Japanese of large quantities of American goods for resale the blank market, at exhorbitant profits has been too large a scale to escape general attention.
Military police of the 25th Division have started arresting the most active of these criminals at KOMAKI and TORII. The campaign against such crimes, with the full co-operation of the Japanese police, will be continued for some time.
Those arrested numbered 30. The houses of those who were on M.P. black lists were searched, and large quantities of tobacco, chocolate, coffee and milk were seized. The KASUGA police who assisted in the drive said, "Among the criminals were well-educated, people, while others were souvenir store keepers. Suspicion was raised because some unemployed, while complaining of the high cost living, bought expensive tobacco, and boys, 16 and 17 years of age, Bought ten packages of tobacco at 170 or 200 yen.
The Military Police state that since the present Japanese economic difficulties are beyond description, they never look for Japanese food or other commodities. The acts of these dealers, of the other hand, means the squandering of Japanese money on the Allied Forces,
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SOCIAL SERIES: 68 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
furthering inflation and depreciating Japanese currency. The Japanese Government has appealed to General Headquarters about the serious situation of the Japanese people and has asked for permission to import food. However, this waste of money and their mode of life make us very doubtful about the distress of the Japanese people. We want to help build a new JAPAN. We hope that the Japanese people will think of their many starving compatriots, get in touch with the Allied representatives and signify their will to co-operate.

ITEM 6 Changes in Neighborhood Associations Foreseen - Nagasaki Shimbun - 23 Nov 45. Translator: T. Ogawa.

Summary:
It is inevitable that the Neighborhood Group Association and the Neighborhood Association must be revamped both in character and function as autonomous organizational, to meet the new postwar situation.
The Neighborhood Association has been controlled by a Home Office Ordanance issued in 1940. MacARTHUR'S Headquarters demanded in a directive issued on 6 November, that the Home Ministry submit a detailed report by the end of this month outlining the basic structure, activity and operation of the Neighborhood Association. The Home Ministry holds to the opinion that it is adequate to give the Association a wide range autonomy by abolishing the former directive regarding Government control and supervision. On the other hand it has been decided to maintain this control until a suitable time in the future, in view of the fact that the immediate abolition of the Government control will cause considerable confusion due to the local self-governing system since these Associations are now performing the role of an agent of city, town, village and ward offices. There is also reason to leave the Association unchanged so long as the present distribution system of daily necessities is continued.
The general situation, however, indicates that the neighborhood Association System will sooner or later be abolished completely. Under these circumstances the Home Ministry has recently expressed its intention to take the necessary steps to promote autonomous activity in the Neighborhood Association. In this connection, Mr. USAMI, Head of the General Affairs Section of the Districts Bureau, states his opinion as fallows: "To what extent the Neighborhood Association System was utilized militaristically and politically during the war depended on the character of the situations and the discretion of the President of the Neighborhood Group Association or the Head of Neighborhood Association. It is a fact generally known that the Associations were put under Government control so as to be in accord with the intentions of the public, and as the ultimate agent of Air Defense and Fire Extinguish Group. I have also heard rumors about the tyranny and injustice of some Neighborhood Group Association Heads. I don't thing, however, the Neighborhood Association, being an organ based on the spirit of the mutual relied, of neighbors, was acting beyond its range of activity even during the war.
"The future operation of the Association should be conducted along
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SOCIAL SERIES: 68 (Continued)
ITEM 6 (Continued)
the lines of an autonomous activity, avoiding the influence of the upper authorities. The plan to convert it as a co-operative consumer's Association for the benefit of the citizens and to elect the officials of the Association including the President by public poll is fully recommended. We are ready to give as much aid as possible in order to promote its autonomous activity. The coming general election will bring some reform in the value and activity of the Neighborhood Association. The Education and Welfare Ministers are planning to utilize the Association as a means of cultural, social and civic enlightenment for the public."
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