Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0108, 1945-12-22.

Summary:

In order to ascertain the effects of the grave food situation on school education, which has been causing student under-nourishment, the HYOGO Prefectural Office has released the following results of investigations, made in secondary and national schools in KOBE-Shi where it is thought most difficult to get food:

Investigations were made in three national schools at HIGASHINADA, HIRANO and SHINYO. Generally speaking, the health conditions of children are aggravated. Most of the children in the SHINYO school are in comparatively good health with not much difference noticeable. This is probably due to their parents' notorious profiteering in the black market and in barter. On the contrary, some of the children of salaried parents are pale, thin and lack the energy to study. In the HIRANO school there were seen a number of children of bad complexion and suffering from skin diseases. Here the parents are mostly of the salaried class. In the HIGASHINADA school the childrens' constitution shows a marked aggravation, and, in comparison with the year 1941, the average height is five centimeters less, the weight is four kilograms less and width of the chest is two and a half centimeters. About 20 per cent of all the children were suffering from malnutrition. There is a tendency for this number to increase because investigations have disclosed the fact that about 20 per cent of the children are eating gruel for three meals, 25 per cent for two meals, and five per cent are fed only two meals a day.

An increase in absentee students and those having no lunch is a general tendency. Absentees are increasing, especially in afternoon classes, and they sometimes reach 90 per cent. It is particularly lamentable that the children do not come to school but practice black market transactions.

Low-salaried teachers are far more miserable than children; many of them do not have lunch, this threatening the stoppage of regular lessons too soon. Teachers who have their parents or relatives in the prefecture or neighboring districts visit them on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to supplement their diet. Thus they leave school early on Saturdays and start school late on Mondays.

In the case of secondary schools, conditions are not much different than that found in the national schools. In MURANO Industrial School, the number of students shows a decrease of ten per cent and their energy has also been lowered. The rate of attendance in November 1945 was 72 per cent against 94.63 in November 1940. In the Second Prefectural Girls' High School, many students absent themselves from school and go on food buying trips. It is significant recently that difficulties at home have supplanted illness as the chief reason for children leaving school.

SOCIAL SERIES: 108 (Continued)

Summary:

A police cordon was suddenly drawn at 1900 on 18 December throughout the capital by the Metropolitan Police Board in an attempt to stop the crime wave now raging in the city. A reporter, MATSUMURA, of the ASAHI, who participated in this campaign, accompanied a veteran detective, 'M', of the TSUKIJI Police Station, in making a secret patrol. They questioned suspicious characters in the streets. He reports his experience as follows:

At 1900 on 13 December, 119 policemen, all skillfully disguised as demobilized servicemen, navvies, office employees, etc, assembled at TS[illegible]JI Police Station. They disappeared, in groups of two to three men each, into the dark streets. We walked along the street in the direction of the GI[illegible]A and then made our way toward SHIMBASHI along the streetcar line On coming up to NAMBASHI Bridge, the detective, 'M', suddenly directed policeman, 'G', "You wait here by this bridge, and I'll go over there. The detective then hid behind a building, which stood on the corner. Two minutes later a voice was heard shouting, "Hey wait a minute, buddy!" The detective ordered a young man to stop. "Where are you going and where do you live? What's your name?" While questioning him in rapid succession, the detective was searching with both hands, every pocket of the youth's overcoat, coat and trousers. "What's this? asked the detective in a loud voice, showing a Japanese sword with a blade 2 shaku long, which he held in his right hand. The young man was taken to the nearest police box, in spite of his repeated protests, trying to convince the officer that he was not a suspicious character at all.

It was revealed later by the inquiry of the detective, 'M', that this man, one of the followers of the 'M' gang (GUMI) of. SHIKBASHI, is named OZA[illegible]and is 19 years old. The young man was escorted by the detective to the TSUKIJI Police Station and was questioned again by the chief of the judicial section there.

At about 2020, we went out on the second secret patrol. This time we went along the avenue. Two young girls approached from the direction of SHI BASHI, chattering about something. It was learned later that they saw a movie show at the HIBIYA Theatre, then spent the rest of the time strolling HIBIYA Park and on the GINZA. Again we came up to NAMBASHI Bridge. There we came across another group on secret patrol.

We heard, some very interesting news from this group. "At about 1940 they detected someone in the act of attempting blackmail: However, they failed to arrest the offender. He was a man who tried to extort money from a drunk.

At this moment a man came running toward us from the direction of SHIMBA-SHI. Suddenly he stopped on the bridge. He stood still and began to gas around in a restless manner. On searching him, the detective found in the man's waist sash a carving knife wrapped in a white cloth. Upon inquiry it was revealed that this man, SUGANUMA, is also one of the followers of the aforesaid 'M gang. He said he was ordered by his senior comrade, "There's something up at the Palace, go there at once." Not knowing where the Palace was, he stopped to think about it. At this explanation, the experienced detective instinctively smelled a rat. He knew, something must have happened. This premonition came true. At the YEBISU

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SOCIAL SERIES: 108 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Beer Hall there had been a fight, in which three were injured, between the followers of the 'M' group and a group of hooligans.

At 2330 we went out on the third secret patrol. This is the best time for burglary. I was chilled to the bone.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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