Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0058, 1945-12-11.

Extracts:

The Answer of Mr. NOMA, Chief of the Economic Section in TOKUSHIMA-Ken, in reply to the interpellation by Mr. UMEDA, member of the TOKUSHIMA Prefectural Assembly is briefly as follows:

"The prefectural authorities have set up a three years' reclamation plan for 150 cho-bu to be settled by 50 households, 10 cho-bu of which has been reclaimed by students and 7 cho-bu of which will be finished during the course of three years. There are scheduled 600 households in six areas which are estimated to 550 cho- bu for settlement. You have pointed out that there are alloted 110,000 koku of rice for compulsory shipping, and it is far too much. But this plan has been set up on the idea that 100,000 out of 100,000 koku will be returned to the farmers, and 90,000 koku of rice and substitute foods equivalent to 10,000 koku of rice will be scheduled for transportation to another prefecture. By the way, substitute foods are, in general, not tasty but improvement is under consideration.

"[illegible]inspection, it has been decided, will be mode by weight on a nation-wide scale. Autarchy in my words means that self-supply is better than having rice sent from other prefectures. But the Governer stated that rice must be sent from KAHMA-[illegible]this year. A rent system has been revised on the principle adopted by the prefectural government in 40 per cent of 130 villages and towns.

"The land owner problem must be deliberated, and a solution will be reached by concessions made on both sides. The public works expenditure, which amounts to over l6,000,000 yen for reconstriction of places damaged by storms and 4,000,000 yen for agricultural reconstruction, will be proposed at the present Assembly as an additional budget.

"There are two pavement works, one of which has been delayed owing to labor shortage and one which requires the full support of the central Government. We hope, with the assistance of the police, to take the wisest measure in dealing with the prices and transportation of foods. You have also interpellated on the morality of officials. I think that it was the only way to act in the case you pointed out."

ECONOMIC SERIES: 58 (Continued)

Full Translation:

CHIBA Ken, one of the peanut production centers, has evolved a plan to make a substitute for staple food from peanuts. Two thousands chobu of land planting peanuts this year will he expected to yield 1,000,000 kan. The harvesting of peanuts will be made about next January.

Roasted peanuts and extracted oil have been demanded so far, but the Food Section of the prefectual government has been preparing to make bread from peanuts which will be rationed. The Section has been entertaining the idea of making use of oil extracted from peanuts for the production of condiments such as miso and soy sauce because we have been unable to import Manchurian beans since the termination of the war. These beans had been the main ingredient in the making of condiments.

Summary:

Various interpellations were made by MIYAKE, Shoichi, Social Democrat, at the plenary session of the Budget committee of the House of Representatives, held 7 December 1945. Answering the question, as to the future of the Japanese economic structure, OGASAWARA, the Commerce and Industry Minister revealed his intention of establishing a laissez-faire policy, MATSUMURA, the Agricultural and Forestry Minister agreed with MIYAKE that there was black market operation for rice, but he said be could not estimate the amount of rice in the black market, MIYAKE insisted it was 10 million koku. MIYAKE urged the development of farming villages, towns, production, and consumers unions respectively in order to prevent back market operations.

MATSUMURA, the Agricultural and Forestry Minister replied that improvement both in the mora1 and material questions must be taken into consideration if the black market is to eliminated. Regarding the reconstruction of the Foodstuff Corporation, edvocated by the interpellater, the Minister said that the agricultural association, which had been dissolved, during the war because of its nature, would now do quite well, instead of the advocated foodstuff union. He favored, though, the establishment of the consumer's union in towns.

The interpellation met by MIYAKE on fertiliser was answered by the Commerce and Industry Minister MATSUMURA who explained that the output of fertilizer dropped from the pre-war 1,500,000 metric tons to 640,000 in 1944, while this year's production has been 120,000 metric tons to the end of November. He further stated by handing over Naval fuel institutions for civilian use, the output of nitrogenous fertilizer will be 2 million metric tons in 1948. Premier SHIDEHARA refused MI-YAKE's advice to set up a Ministry of Sea products and the Agriculture and Forestry Minister announced that next year sea products will amount to 1,200,000,000 kan. MIYAKE urged the Government to draft a bill to provide for state ownership of undeveloped lands, but the Minister was opposed, saying that it is for a similar purpose that the bill for revising Reagricultural organization law has been presented to the Diet.

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 58 (Continued)

Full Translation:

In order to alleviate the present acute food shortage, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry authorities have been supporting the utilization of hitherto unused resources. Especially, nuts and starch-lees should be gathered cause we have large quantities of them. Heretofore, more than a fifty per cent wheat-flour was considered necessary for use with starch lees to maintain its nutritive value and its taste. However, a scientic investigation by the Central Chemical Industrial Company demonstrated a process by which more adequate use could be made of the starch lees. The detailed process is as follows: some alkaline solution is added to starch-lees or products and it is left from about 24 to 48 hours. By this process, the starch-lees material which is contained in the solution, becomes starchy. After that it is moulded and steamed in a steam-kettle. As soon as above process is finished, some basic chemicals should be added and it should be pounded as in case of mochitsuki. If sweetness or flavor is desired, some special yeast should be added during the process. By means of the foregoing disposal of the material the following difficulties which have obstructed available use, will be removed; 1. Large quantities of wheat-powder were necessary as cohesive material. 2. Generally, starch-lees had a hygro-seopic property, and on account of its hydrolysis some extraneous fatty oil was produced which, if consumed, would bring on diarrhea. 3. As a starch-lees contains about 85 per cent moisture, a drying process was necessary before it could be used.

Moreover if some vegetables or fish-powder are combined with the digestable starch-lees, its nutritive value will be increased. By drying it is possible to make into a pure food, such as cracknels or hardtack.

The above process is industrially sound but for home use, the process is rather difficult, because certain chemicals and special yeasts must be used. However these problems will be solved by study.

Full Translation:

It is said that the HOKKAIDO Prefectural Office has set up a project to carry out the five year program, to increase the breeding of foxes, supplied to Imperial Fur Co. The fox-raising industry in pre-war days produced 35,000 pelts fearly and some of them were exported to LONDON and SOUTH AMERICA, but it declined to 3,000 pelts yearly on account of the war. After the war, with the arrival of the Occupation Forces, this industry has become active again and the production will be increased to the amount of 50,000 pelts yearly by the end of five years. It is planned to export 85,000 pelts yearly.

Full Translation:

In view of the present serious coal situation, the Electro-Chemical Society has appointed a committee for electrifying all the salt producing factories belonging to the society. Its main object is to save coal by installing machines which work by electricity, and to increase the salt production speedily. Inspection of the factories

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 58 (Continued)

ITEM 6 (Continued)

and their technical potentialities will be made and obstacles to this electrification will be removed. This committee having a close connection with the Electricity Utilizing Technical Committee DENRYUKUKATSUYO-GIJITSUIINKAI of the Commerce and Industry Ministry, was formed to facilitate the electrification of factories where salt is produced. The members of the committee are as follows: HIBE, Katsuji, the chairman (former director of the wartime Monetary Circulation Coffer) AONO, Takeo (electric technician) KIKUCHI, Shinichiro, (TOKYO Imperial University) KODAMA, Yoshio, ARAI, Hiroshi, (Commerce and Industry Ministry) KITAMURA, Kankichi, KOMAGATA, Sakuji, (Electric Laboratory) NAGAI, Shoichiro, (TOKYO Imperial University), NOGUCHI, Takeshi, (Finance Ministry), MURATA, Yoshiro, (JAPAN Electric Co.)(NIPPON HASSODEN Co.), NAKAOKA, Yoshikichi, (Commerce and Industry Ministry).

The first committee meeting is to be held at noon 12th of December at the SEIYOKEN MARUNOUCHI Bldg. and the discussion will concern the management of this industry and on the 20 December, examination of production technique will be made at the KANTO HAIDEN SAMEZU Salt Factory.

Full Translation:

In view of the promising future of pyrethrum as an export product the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is preparing to encourage its production. Thus some practical steps as to the distribution of foods, seeds, and fertilizer to its producers will soon be realized.

Pyrethrum was introduced into JAPAN in 1886. At first, it aroused very little interest. But after the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 its production increased rapidly, and in the early 1930's, its export value reached five million yen. It was exported to the UNITED STATES, CANADA and ENGLAND mostly in the form of dried flowers and to CHINA, the KWANTUNG Penninsula, HONGKONG, DUTCH EAST INDIES mostly in the form of pyrethrum powder. The pyrethrum joss-stick for protection against mosquitoes was also very popular.

The area under cultivation of the pyrethrum in 1941 reached 20,211 cho. However, since then the pyrethrum acreage allowed for the cultivation of declined, reflecting the increased domestic demand for food crops. In 1945 it decreased to just 8,000 cho. At this moment the importance of pyrethrum as an export again has attracted some attention. Especially in THAILAND, the prospective rice exporter to JAPAN, the demand for Japanese pyrethrum is said to be great. Thus, all in all, the government is planning to resume at least the prewar production of pyrethrum.

Full Translation:

In order to expedite the recovery of defeated Japanese economy, there has been a great necessity to foresee what sort of industry may be allowed by the Allied powers to continue production. Therefore it can be said the recut statement made by Ambassador Edwin W. PAULEY, has clarified the future of Japanese industries earlier than anticipated.

According to his statement the industrial equipment for the production of all civilian commodities will be allowed to operate in conformity with its own productive capacity, while such equipment capable of pro-

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 58 (Continued)

ITEM 8 (Continued)

ducing munitions such as Army and Navy arsenals, shipyards. Special chemical industries and light metal industries will he removed and shipped out of the country.

All industrial groups are demanding that the Government should make pubilc its decision as to what sort of equipment should be removed, and at the same time should take steps for the compensation of damaged industries so as to promote their production capacity to meet civilian demands. Although, every industry gradually decreased its production capacity in the course of the war, the complete operation of all industries had never been realized even in the pre-war period. But as the equipment in the machine tools industry, the iron producing industry, the electric power generation industry and soda industry are to be curtailed, hereafter, we must endeavor to stabilize as well as to improve civilian livelihood with the full operation of remaining facilities. Moreover, since the above mentioned industries plus coal mining are the most essential in the modern industry, it is not too much to say that their productive capacity has no doubt a considerable effect on the future development of Japanese civilization.

Full Translation:

Commerce and Industry Minister, OGASAWARA revealed the government plan of exporting 50 to 80 per cent of the total textile products in JAPAN, in reply to the interpellation by IMAO, Noboru, of Progressive Party at the plenary session of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives which was resumed Friday morning. The Minister said "As the export of textile products needs the approved of the Supreme Allied Command, it is impossible at the moment to decide the proportion of goods that should be produced for export." He concluded, "But in view of the fact that we must put our hopes on textile products as collateral for imports. Under the present conditions, the Government is planning to export 50 to 80 per cent of the total textile products, such as cotton, silk, rayon, and woollen goods throughout the year.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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