Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0004, 1945-11-10.
Date10 November, 1945
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numberpolitical-0017
Call NumberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
Access and Usage Rights Copyright © 2018 Trustees of Dartmouth College. Publicly accessible for non-commercial use: these pages may be freely searched and displayed, but permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please see http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/schcomm/copyright/rights.html for more information.
POLITICAL SERIES: 4
ITEM 1 Shintoism (Editorial) - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 3 Nov 45. Translator: M. Kato.
Full translation:
Mr. VINCENT, Chief of the Far Eastern Section of the State Department made the following
statement about Japanese SHINTOISM.
"If it is of a personal nature, an object of faith of individuals it is all right
but if SHINTOISM is forced upon the people
and the lead is taken by the Government, SHINTOISM should be prohibited." He further
stated "The Japanese Nation would not pay
taxes for SHINTOISM nor can they afford to maintain Schools for the SHINTO Doctrine."
SHINTOISM will do no harm as long as it
is believed in by people who worship their household God and Shinto tablets placed
on a sacred shelf in one corner of the
sitting room.
So far so good, but we often perceive or hear of instances of some sects of Shinto
that are as harmful to the people as the
itch. They secretly steal into our scientific life and spread grotesque superstitions
spells.
There are many sects in Shintoism beside Shintoism Proper, some of which are hypocritical
enough to take advantage of the
ignorance of the lower classes or to approach the beds of sick people to capture them
when their minds and nerves are
weakened. There are few invalids who have not had such experiences or who have not
been compelled to come under the influence
of some spell or an unscientific cure for their diseases. We often see instances in
which some heretical sect of Shinto is
cunning enough include science in its doctrine. Some believers of one such sect were
forced to drink the bath water of the
heretical founder; some were forced to take the ashes of burnt toads or rats; and
some were unfortunate enough to have to
swallow fleas to cure their diseases. Even though the victims, in that instance, refused
this barbarous remedy, they in the
end were compelled to obey their parents who believed the oracle, or told them it
was their duty to take fleas. Those who
refuse obstinately to take such remedies are frightened by the inhuman, threatening
curses of the heretical God. An instance
is reported in which an invalid was obliged to present her best clothes to the heretical
God, to assure her recovery, When the
remedy failed, quite unexpectedly her father was accused of reluctance to present
her clothes, and he was persuaded that that
was the cause of her death.
Heretical sects of Shinto not only aim at sick families but they sometimes plot the
legal acquisition of hospital. For
example, a hospital at TATEYAMA in CHIBA Prefecture was occupied by that means, when
ten or more per cent of the nurses became
believers. The nurses planned to convert the patients to the heretical belief, with
the aim of subjecting them to an
unscientific cure. We cannot sit idly by and see such heretical influences spread
like mould. If, in this way,
POLITICAL No. 4 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
heretical sects of Shinto continue their harmful work, and the priests of Shinto
Proper show no enthusiasm for clarifying its
doctrine on the establishment of fair Shinto, Shinto will play no important part in
new Japan. It will only be harmful. We are
now in New Japan, so we must strive to wipe out the influence of heretical spells
not only in Shinto but in everything,
We must now be more scientific, efficient, and reasonable, and we must be careful
not drive the ignorant to despair or make
them victims of the curse of feudal times or of the oracle of the heritical God, because
traditional Shinto is apt to follow a
path opposite to that of the advancing world.
ITEM 2 To Form Whole League of Labor Unions - Asahi Shimbun - 4 Nov 45. Translator:
H. Takahashi.
Extracts:
The third meeting of the Central Provisional Committee on Labor Union Formation was
held at KYOCHO KAIKAN in SHIBA on 3
November. As the result of the meeting a single labor union to unify all labor unions
was recommended. It will be called
"Whole League of Labor Unions." The general construction of the union will be decided
22 November by a provisional
committee.
ITEM 3 Is Prince Konoye a Liberalist? - Asahi Shimbun - 4 Nov 45. Translator: H. Takahashi.
Summary:
Senator Elbert TOHMAS discussed one problem of Japanese democratization. Its purport
follows:
In spite of the fact that it is Japan's duty to form a democracy, no important reform
for liberty has been carried out without
the immediate direction of the Allied authorities. Prince KONOYE who has the highest
rank of the class next to the Imperial
Household and is one of the most famous men in JAPAN, is engaged in the improvement
of the Japanese constitution, I hear.
In spite of his decision to strip himself of all the honours, I have never been informed
that he suggested improvement of the
working classes. And also he has not yet referred to the various principles democracies
must have. At one time the Japanese
Government refused the demand of the Occupation Powers for protection of the people
from extortion by the Zaibatsu.
Therefore, I doubt whether Prince KONOYE is a liberal and moreover I am obliged to
put forth the following questions about his
position. The AJIA KYOKAI which was initiated by KONOYE in 1933 conceived the idea
of the Greater East Asia sphere of
influence for the first time and the Black Dragon Society of which he was a member
had intimate relations with the
associations of UYOKU who desired war.
Will he assume complete responsibility for his misconduct which led JAPAN to attack
CHINA and cooperate with GERMANY? Does he
think he can make sufficient amends by resigning his honours, in spite of his wealth
and powerful influence? Will he demand
from the present Japanese nation enough compensation for the people who were ruined
by Japan's aggression while he was
premier?
The Allied authorities are much interested in each of these questions.
- 2 -
POLITICAL No 4 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Labor movement - Mainichi Shimbun - 5 Nov 45. Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
In response to the desire of the control authorities to form a single nation-wide
labor union, numerous branch unions are
being established successively all over the country. The Welfare Ministry has created
a labor union law to cope with the new
situation. A great labor union era is coming.
According to the reports of the Central Preparation Committee for Foundation of a
Labor Union's on Nov 3, the concrete
nation-wide move is as follows:
In HOKKAIDO districts each mine has commenced activity to establish a union. The
reason is that persons formally engaged in
union organization were called to work there during the war. In a certain coal mine
inside the KARACHI branch office, the
majority of the 2,000 miners formed a union to improve their conditions and wont on
strike for a day to achieve their
purpose.
In HOKKAIDO and OTARU a seaman's union was formed and employees in other quarters
have began preparation for its formation. In
the cities of AOMORI and HIROSAKI in AOMORI Prefecture, a definite labor movement
is seen, but laborers in these quarters were
troubled by the abolition of fishing rights in the northern seas. About 200,000 fishermen
of HOKKAIDO and AKITA with AOMORI as
center who go out to the northern seas to fish, were thrown out of work. They are
petitioning the Allies to allow them to fish
in the northern seas as before. There is a definite labor movement at TOKIWA coal-mine
in FUKUSHIMA and at NAKAIIMA Airplane
Company in GUMMA Prefecture. The area which suffered most severely in the war was
KANAGAWA Prefecture centering in YOKOHAMA
which was the most active place of the movement. Some factories lowered a wage of
15 yen a day to 1.5 yen in the bustle and
confusion at the termination of war.
Therefore the formation of a union is urgent in each factory.
In the IKEGAI Company, a union has already formed and has gained a victory in the
dispute with the company. In URAGA Dock
Company, TOKYO-SHIBAURA Company, ASANO Cement Company, etc., the formation of a union
is being prepared. The TOKYO
Transportation Associations, TOKYO-Gas Company, Grocery Association, wager-earners
of the TOKYO prefectural office, the
salaried class, the employees of the Department of Communication, etc., are all preparing
for the formation of labor unions.
The movement for a labor union in the newspaper companies is particularly active.
In NAGOYA, the birthplace of the SANGYO HOKOKU Association which had a part in the
execution of War, municipal tram-way
services, private railway companies, and pottery makers in SETO are hastily forming
it. In KYOTO-KOBE-OSAKA district municipal
tram-way services, dyeing and weaving works, and employees of the Communication Ministry
are also forming labor unions. The
situation is likewise at the coal mines of KYUSHU. As soon as unions are formed everywhere,
it is expected that the central
committee will hold a mass meeting for the organization of a single nation-wide labor
union.
A first mass meeting of forming fisherman's Union in fish-abundant JAPAN was held
at the KURAMAE KOGYO Hall in SHINBASHI at
1100, 4 November. With Mr. HIKITA in the chair, Mr. KATAYAMA was nominated for president
and Mr. KURODA and MIYAZAKI for the
vice-president. Mr. TAHARA reported progress in forming a union, and the following
were passed as drafted:
- 3 -
POLITICAL No. 4 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
- 1.Request for the establishment of the Fishery Ministry.
- 2.Requests for the democratization of the marine products associations and the mass resignation of the present officials.
- 3.Request for the hastening the return of fishing in the far areas.
- 4.Request for the establishment of the central depository of fishery.
- 5.Request for the hastening of the importation of fishing equipments.
- 6.Request for an increase in the number of fishery college.
- 7.Request for increased nation of staple food for fishermen who go out to the sea.
ITEM 5 Local Inspectorate-General Abolished - Asahi Shimbun - 6 Nov 45. Translator:
S. Kido.
Summary:
The plan of the government favoring the abolition of the eight local inspector-general
bureaus, substituting there for local
administrative bureaus, having been approved at the Privy Council on October 3, was
postponed on demand of Allied GHQ. The
Home Ministry had been negotiating on this matter with the Allied headquarters, which
approved the plan as of November 1. The
Home Ministry will put the plan into effect on the 6th. The new local administrative
bureaus will be setup at offices of the
inspector-general, in the prefectures. However, in HOKKAIDO no bureau of military
affairs will be established as the governor
will act for the bureau. The president of the bureaus will also act as the former
prefectural governor in liaison with the
local administration. A vice-president (directly appointed by the Emperor), two or
three secretaries and a number of
commissioners will serve under him.
The bureau will also have a local administrative liaison assembly consisting of the
local governor and officials from the
respective ministries. In addition, a. local commerce and industry dispostition section
corresponding to the former munitions
superintendence bureau, will be set up.
ITEM 6 Labor Disputes - Asahi Shimbun - 6 Nov 45. Translator: S. Seigo
Full translation:
As it is very probable that labor disputes will arise as a result of discharges,
change of laborers, or progress of the labor
movement, the Welfare Ministry is considering redrafting the present labor mediation
laws. But to make the best of present
labor conditions, the following, after being submitted to the Cabinet, will be brought
to the attention of the prefectural governors:
- 1.A permanent mediation committee consisting of a representative of capital, of labor, and one impartial layman will be set up under each prefeotural governor.
- 2.Positive conciliation between capital and labor will be recommended in principle, and only difficult cases will be submitted to the committee for arbitration. The committee must call for mediation early in case of diffulties.
- 3.Mediation, especially in regard to wages or working conditions, must take into account the general welfare as well as the particular conditions in each factory or business.
- 4.Mediation by the police force must not be undertaken in any circumstances in labor disputes. Any action in labor disputes taken by the police will be considered to be a criminal offense.
- 4 -
POLITICAL No. 4 (Continued)
ITEM 7 Bureaucratized Tokyo-to Authorities Indifferent to the Citizens' Cry Home Ministry
Officials Serve
a Short Period - Asahi Shimbun - 6 Nov 45. Translator: K. Takei.
Extracts:
Since the end of the war, hope has been abroad in and out of the city that the bureaucratic
TOKYO-TO Office would be
democratized. In this connection, an urgent move to elect the TOKYO Prefectural Governor
officially and to democratize the
city administration, which was proposed at the extraordinary session of the city assembly
of last month, and a similar
decision of the KOJI-MACHI Ward Assembly about the same time are quite noteworthy.
The administrative system of TOKYO-TO was established by the TOJO Cabinet in July
1943 in order to solidify the defense
structure of the city. That this system became bureaucratic was unavoidable. Now the
good feeling which existed at the time of
the city administration has disappeared and even ward clerks have become bureaucratic.
The cry for the organization of a
Citizens' TOKYO-TO Office is becoming louder even among the officials themselves.
The head of one section of the Office
remarked as follows:
Since the effectuation of the administrative system of TOKYO-TO, everything has become
bureaucratic, and even clerks in charge
of distribution in ward-offices have become automatons, receiving and delivering things
to the citizens. The majority of the
officials who are natives of TOKYO-TO keenly feel that they cannot expect much from
the present Office. In the time of TOKYO
City, the officials could hope that they might be promoted to head of a section or
even of a department, but now all important
seats are monopolized by former officials in the Home Office. Just note the kaleidoscopic
changes of chiefs of sections and
bureaus! To quote an instance, in the course of two years and four months from the
establishment of the TOKYO-TO Office,
Chiefs of sections in the Welfare and Economic Bureaus who are most closely connected
with the citizens' life were each
replaced by three or four officials from the Home Office.
This state of affairs will not enable them to keep in close touch with the citizens'
life or to attend to their business. How
can kindness be expected from such officials? In an Office in which the authority
of the assembly is weakened, there are none
responsible for the administration, and no spirit of TOKYO-TO is felt in the Prefectural
system. In the time of the first
governor CEDACHI, there was something like spirit, but in the time of the second governor,
even the shadow of such spirit
disappeared.
In order to clarify the authority of the TOKYO-TO Prefectural Assembly and of the
Governor, there must be organized a
committee system, and there should be discussing of what should be brought before
the Assembly, so that the will of the
citizens may be reflected. It is hoped that the distinction between government and
municipal officials will be removed,
ward-offices will be democratized, and all administration of the TOKYO-TO Prefectural
Office will be carried out through
ward-offices. To do this, such authority as that for taxation and supervision of schools
should be returned to the ward
assembly just as in the time of the city administration. General affairs concerning
distribution, water-supply and
communications a may be managed in the Prefectural Office. But, on the whole, the
Prefectural Office had better supervise
ward-offices, and make the latter attend to the above-mentioned work.
- 5 -
POLITICAL No. 4 (Continued)
ITEM 7 (Continued)
In short, the Characteristic of the TOKYO-TO Office may be like that of provincial
prefectures. But ward-offices must be
completely self-governing bodies. Thus, the public election of the TOKYO-TO governor
and of the ward-chiefs is absolutely
necessary.
ITEM 8 Towards the Attainment of Democracy - Yomiuri-Hochi - 6 Nov 45. Translator:
J. Weiller.
Summary:
Towards the attainment of Democracy (Round table conference) The fate of the Emperor's
Regime should be decided by
Referendum
MATSUMOTO, JIICHIRO:
In a few days time I intend to gather together fighting men of the whole country
and discuss the future course we are to take.
In the meantime I cannot say anything definitely at this conference.
About 1923 I, with some of my friends called on TOKUGAWA-SAN to tell him to give
up his title. As a result, one of these
friends died in jail. To avenge him another friend set fire to TOKUGAWA's house and
destroyed it and the man was sentenced to
15 years imprisonment. About three years ago the prison authorities applied for a
parole for him but the application was
turned down on the grounds that the offense was connected with the TOKUGAWAS and so
not a day could be reduced.
Not only the TOKUGAWA, but all the peers should give up their titles, I contended,
and as soon as I was elected to the Diet I
sent in a memorandum that effect but the Government did not reply on the pretension
that the matter concerned the Imperial
Family.
Mr. SHIGA:
As a communist I must persist in the belief that the Imperial regime must be abolished.
Suppose we admit that the system was
abused by the militarists and bureaucrats, but to permit a system always subject to
such abuses is pretty dangerous, however
the Emperor's prerogatives should be curtailed, because when a reaction sets in [illegible]in future we can
easily imagine the consequence, especially when you know as well as I do that there
are some men who openly declare that they
are hoping to restore their power in future.
Further, we must support the abolition of the Emperor system on the ground that the
danger of torturing the people must not be
repeated and I am sure that with the development of the General trend more people
will gradually appreciate the necessity.
However as we cannot force an ideas on the people the question of the abolition ought
to be put to referendum.
NEWSPAPER MAN:
Do you mean to distinguish the Emperor as a system from the Emperor as an object
of faith!
Mr. SHIGA:
These two are very closely interlocked as in the case of the Tsars of RUSSIA, the
Sultam of TURKEY and other feudal monarchs.
They were all thought to be integral parts of the current systems. In my
- 6 -
POLITICAL No. 4 (Continued)
ITEM 8 (Continued)
opinion, however, the Emperor system and the Emperor himself should not logically
be distinguished. In any case as he is
regarded as something like an object of faith among some Japanese people, despite
the support of the abolition, the question
should be decided by referendum.
Mr. SUZUKI:
His Majesty himself is said to have told foreign correspondents the other day that
he supports the opinion that future JAPAN
will be a Constitutional Monarchy like GREAT BRITAIN. Also some Constitutionalists
essayists and so forth are of the opinion
that it is desirable as well as rational that JAPAN should become a constitutional
Monarchy like ENGLAND. What I want to make
clear, however, is the position of the King of ENGLAND in the Constitution. At the
time of the compilition of the constitution
in JAPAN, the ENGLISH counterpart, not mentioning the republican French one, was regarded
as conflicting with the Japanese
polity and a thorough Pressure was brought to hear upon those who adovocated the adoption
of the ENGLISH pattern.
According to the memoranda of the drafters the current notion was perceived to be
that the ENGLISH system was not compatible
with JAPAN in that in ENGLAND "King reigns but not governs" whereas, if the system
was imported from England, into JAPAN, the
Emperor having just snatched the sovereignty from the SHOGUNATE, such sovereignty
would have been lost by the people that
therefore the Constitution must be compiled with the Emperor's sovereignty as intact
as possible.
Therefore to attempt to set up an ENGLISH style constitutional monarchy is a revolutionary
change viewed from the fundamental
spirit of the present Imperial Constitution, Prince KONOE and others are adovocating
the adoption of the English pattern, but
I wonder if they know of the revolutionary revision. Some have very vague ideas in
this matter but it is necessary that they
should clearly recognize that the position of the ENGLISH King in the light of the
Constitution is fundamentally different
from that of this country. The King of ENGLAND is politically powerless which is the
fundamental reason the monarchial system
still remains under the democratic parliamentary politics.
If the system is adapted without paying due consideration to this aspect there is
danger that the construction of democratic
JAPAN would clash with the Emperor somewhere. As far as the MEIJI Restoration is concerned
the Imperial system played a
progressive part but at the sametime it was abused as an instrument for impeding the
development of JAPAN democracy, When the
Emperor was surrounded by progressive persons the system played a progressive part
but if surrounded by reactionary
bureaucrats, it is apt to be abused for reactionary and feudalistic purposes.
If the Imperial system is to continue owing to the popular sentiment or other reasons,
a systematic guarantee must be firmly
set up that it should not be instrumental for either good or bad administration, otherwise
who can tell that the abolishment,
as claimed by Mr. SHIGA, will not become the nations unanimous voice. In this sense
I hope the coming Constitution may contain
such a solid guarantee.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
- 7 -
Loading...