Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0174, 1946-01-16.

Extracts:

The Japanese are now welcoming the first peaceful new year since the outbreak of the MANCHURIA Incident. What they seek most in the new year is the truth. This is eloquently shown in contributions arriving from readers. Complaints about the lack of food head the list, followed by cries for the truth, which have been rapidly increasing of late. This is an apparent contrast with the lack of reflection on the part of the old leading classes who have been frightened by the recent purge directive from MacARTHUR's Headquarters. The following are two examples of letters recently received:

A.

"Complaints against unjust acts by army officers at the time of the war's end seem to be abating of late, but it is doubted whether the police always expose such crimes. I, myself, am a war-sufferer and a demobilized soldier. The other day, I went to the town of CHOFU on private business. I was stoned by a few children in a back street. They said to me, 'Hello, you rascal in military uniform!' 'I have no clothes except military ones', I said to the children's mothers, to which they replied that a lieutenant (or captain) in command of an independent radio Signal Unit (TSUSHIN), stationed at tie CHOFU Airfield, taking advantage of the confusion at the war's end, sold one military truck to the CHOFU Town Office and another to a certain shop in the town for 30,000 yen. He also stole several full drums of gasoline, together with scores of rice bags, 20 of which were sold at 1,500 yen per bag to someone living in TACHIKAWA. The officer was said to be employed, later on, by the shop which bought the truck.

"A certain captain belonging to the SHIBAZAKI Air Signal Unit (TSUSHIN) carried off several rice bags, and a major of the same unit brought home several truck loads of military commodities in one day.

"The mothers concluded by saying that children are being told of such criminal action on the part of soldiers, so that they naturally hate a man in military uniform. It is hoped that the police will be more earnest in exposing such crimes and do their best to wipe out the bureaucratic spirit."

B.

"My dear brother, your death is not a mere dog's death. It is a noble sacrifice, offered at the altar of a popular revolution. The democratic revolution you so enthusiastically advocated has been attained through defeat in war. The defeated are the privileged classes, and the people are their conquerors. The privileged classes may say that, by the grace of Almighty God, the revolution has been accomplished without shedding blood. Nothing is farther from the truth. The masses were forced to show superficial obedience. There is no revolution without blood. A large number of sacrifices

SOCIAL SERIES: 174 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

have been offered by the Japanese, Americans, Chinese and Filipinos to attain this revolution, in which the bloodshed was quite unprecedented in world history.

"The special police still remain in the streets, watching the actions of citizens, and the post of the chief of the educational bureau of the city of TOKYO is occupied by a person who was once the chief of police in a certain prefecture. There he had maintained feudalistic nationalism under the pretense of "the protection of nationality".

"On the other hand, thousands are wandering in the streets like hungry dogs, due to the insecurity of living and the unreliability of politics. We teachers should now get rid of the mistaken notion that we are moral crusaders and do our best to restore political authority by having a firm grasp of actual social conditions. This is the best repayment we can make in gratitude for the martyrs of the revolution.

"My dear brother, I once more thank you, for your death was not a dog's death."

Full Translation:

A new organization for translating and publishing world news broadcast over short-wave has been inaugurated for the benefit of people who do not possess short-wave radios, and for those who have no knowledge of foreign tongues. The Japan Communication Society (NIPPON TSUSHIN SHA) will print the first edition on 15 January of a monthly publication "World Short-Wave News". Their office is in the NITTSU Building at MUROMACHI 3 Chome, NIHONBASHI-Ku. Another publication entitled, "World Economic Information" is also being planned.

Full Translation:

A Chinese daily paper. "The International Chinese Daily News" (KUO-CHI CHUNG-KUO JIH PAO), will be published in TOKYO beginning 20 January with the intention of promoting good-will between the Japanese and Chinese peoples. Its office is at 79 SHINJUKU, 2-Chome, YOTSUYA-Ku, and the publisher is LO CHIN-CKING, a physician graduated from the Imperial University in KYOTO, who has lived in JAPAN for 20 years.

Summary:

In order to promote the reconstruction work on school buildings damaged in the raids, a Temporary Section for Educational Equipment has been organized and has started work in the Education Office with TANAKA, chief of the School Education Bureau, as its Chief.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 174 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

The 4097 destroyed schools which is more than 10 per cent of all the schools in the country, include 20 universities, 15 high schools, 42 governmental or public schools, 38 private colleges, 64 normal schools and 3918 secondary and primary schools. The evacuation of schools is also projected. The section is expected to be enlarged under the title of the Reconstruction Department in the coming fiscal year.

Full Translation:

A statement by a farmer named HYUGAJI, Suematsu, aged 48, of SHIRATORI-Mura, IBARAKI-Ken, that three men had robbed him of 700 yen and 15 she of rice has been proven false. He invented the story to cover the sale of allotted rice to the black market.

A similar false report was made by IIJIMA, Haru, aged 36, of SUWA-Mura, IB[illegible]KI-Ken, on 10 January.

Summary:

Bills were seen at various stations on the Government electric line on 14 January to the effect that "difficult living conditions of the employees of the Government electric line are making it difficult to insure safe and smooth transportation. To remedy this difficulty, we employees presented a demand to the management but the management has not given us a satisfactory reply. Consequently, transportation may, in the future, be somewhat delayed, and passengers may experience some inconvenience."

The reduced will to work and the frequency of tram accidents, it is said, form the most critical elements of the present situation. The lowering of the will to work is caused by the low wages paid to the employees.

For example, SUZUKI, Katsuo, chairman of the Central Labor Union of the Government electric line, has been engaged in the transportation service for 22 years, but his present monthly income is only 157 yen 75 sen, including 95 yen basic salary and various other allowances. Because of the low wages, many employees retired from the Government transportation service and went to other employment such as employment for the occupation forces.

On the other hand, the number of breakdowns has increased. For instance, during last December, damaged cars within the jurisdiction of the KAMATA Station totalled 374. These damaged cars ought to have been promptly repaired, but shortage of labor made the repairs impossible. As a result of these conditions, on 22 January, the Central Labor Union of the government electric line submitted a resolution, demanding the right to bargain collectively, and receive wage increases. Their demands were flatly rejected on 10 January. Consequently the Labor Union again presented a resolution to the management. In the meantime, on 14 January, the representatives of the employees called on TAKI, head of the Railway Bureau of TOKYO, and asked him to accept their demands.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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