Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0099, 1945-12-23.

Full translation:

Salt from KOREA. was formerly unloaded at the SENZAKI Port, located in YAMAGUCHI Ken, but now it has been decided to unload it also at the NIIGATA Port. The HOKUSHIN-MARU, (a 20-ton ship) will arrive at NIIGATA Port on 18 December from FUZAN with a full supply of salt on board. This ship will be followed by the NIIGATA-MARU (20-ton), TAIHO-MARU (20- ton), and HOKUYU-MARU (20-ton) all via SENZAKI Port, by the end of this month. The UNYO-MARU (800-ton) is also expected to arrive there shortly. As much as 10,000 metric tons of salt will be unloaded at the port of NIIGATA.

Summary:

To me it seems, that the most important document this Nation has seen since the end of the war is the intermediate report of the Reparation Commission published a few weeks ago. Just think of the tremendous effect of the removal of facilities for modern shipbuilding and the manufacture of soda, and sulphuric acid! If executed to the letter as stated in the report, the transportation, fertilizer and textile industries in JAPAN will be further paralyzed. However, after all, the report is still "intermediate" and there is room for revising, as well as for enlargement. The Commission will continue to work in order to make the forthcoming final report suitable to their stated purpose. This is to be done without leaving the chance of miscalculation which may bring unintentional disaster to Japanese national economy. But in order to attain that end, some information center with impartial and accurate data and a staff ready to co-operate with the Commission is needed.

In anticipation of such a need, I wrote about two months ago in this column about the advisability of preparing a complete economic chart suitable for the making of a peaceful and moderately prosperous JAPAN. My appeal has not yet been realized and the Reparations Commission is searching here and there to find the needed data. At present, the politicians are occupied with the election campaign, and government officials lost either the will power or the self-confidence to meet the situation. Consequently the entire responsibility for preparing such economic charts now rests upon the shoulders of the economic bodies of the Nation.

ECONOMIC SERIES: 99 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Now, federations of economic bodies are trying to meet the requests of the Commission, but most of them lack permanent expert staffs capable of formulating plans for the nation's industries. The only bodies having secretariats are the Economic Federation (KEIZAI RENMEI) and the Conference Board of Essential Industries (JUYO-SANGYO KYOGIKAI). These two organizations have the same president, Mr. MATSUMOTO. Therefore, I suggest the amalgamation of both. With the recruiting of additional staffs, they may be able to build up an economic staff-office worthy of the confidence of the Allied authorities. Such a measure will dispel unnecessary misgivings concerning reparations, as well as facilitate the economic rehabilitation of the Nation, generally. In order to take this step we do not need to wait until the enactment of the Fundamental Law of Industries. (Article by HONIDEN, Akio, President of the Textile Control Association (SENI TOSEI KUMIAI CHO).

Full translation:

The purchasing price of gold and silver will be decided upon within this year by the Commerce and Industrial Ministry following the approval of the Supreme Headquarters. The authorities concerned expressed their intent to raise the price of gold more than four times - from 3.85 yen per gram to around 7 yen and the price of silver more than six times - from 46.80 yen per kilogram to over 300 yen. They will thus increase production of gold and silver.

This is based upon the following principles, agreed upon at the discussion held on 15 December in the ministry by those who undertook the enterprise. 1) The mining lots will be loaned to those who are interested for a fixed period. 2) The period will be fixed in accordance with the condition of every mine. 3) The rent for this period will be charged according to the output. 4) The rent will be fixed later. 5) The decision on the price of a mining lot will be based on an investigation of every mine. 6) Well known authorities will be chosen for the investigation and evaluation will be made of every mine. 7) The method of payment for each mining lot will be decided separately.

If these two important plans are put into effect, there is no doubt as to the prosperous future of the gold mining industry.

Summary:

According to recent investigation, the actual amount of rice crop which has been delivered up to the beginning of this month, is only about 2,950,000 koku, or one-fourth of the amount of the previous year's 9,550,000 koku. Unless the situation is remedied, it will be impossible to supply the rice ration before the beginning of January. According to the investigation, dated 17 December, rice stocks in six big cities have decreased to such an extent that the supply is sufficient for only 12 or 13 days' consumption, and no increase can be expected at this time. Consequently, it is necessary that the Government quickly adopt effective measures to improve rice delivery. At the same time, a powerful nation-wide movement for this purpose must come forth inasmuch

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ECONOMIC SERIES: 99 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

the farmers are generally unwilling to deliver their rice crop due to their distrust of Government policy.

The present food crisis, then, is due to withholding rice delivery and not to any real shortage of rice. It must be checked by improving the delivery, as well as by controlling black market dealings, so as to delay the food crisis for at least three or four months. Besides, in such a situation, food riots are likely to break out. Therefore, a powerful and systematic organization is badly needed to break the shortage and bottlenecks, such as delaying rice delivery, holding back rice, and black market dealings.

On the other hand, farmers regard the Government as responsible for being negligent in adopting drastic steps to solve the problem of rice delivery, while the Government places the responsibility for the present delays in rice delivery on the farmers, who insist on the immediate removal of red tape where delivery of rice is concerned.

Extracts:

Although 2,060,000 chobu of farmland allotted for the year's wheat production all over the country, actually only 1,800,000 chobu is available. This is deduced from various reports dated 15 December, from the Agriculture and Industry Ministry and Agricultural Associations. Even including the probable seedings, during this month in KYUSHU, acreage under crop will be ten per cent short of the program. The shortage is attributed to the delayed harvest of late-sown-rice, which was caused by prolonged rainfall between closing days of September and the early part of October, in such areas as TOHOKU, HOKUROKU and Northern KANTO.

Generally speaking, the request made to farmers to revive once abandoned mulberry and tea farms, naturally disheartened them. As to wheat, the 1945 crop is roughly estimated at 25,000,000 koku, and the crop in 1946 will not exceed 30,000,000 koku. Wheat planting in SHIZUOKA prefecture is well under way.

Wheat seeding in SHIZUOKA-Ken having been favored by good weather and the fact that rice harvesting was finished more than a week before the expected date, made good progress in that 60 to 70 per cent of the work planned was finished. This year's allotted acreage for wheat production in the prefecture is 55,000 chobu, an increase of 2,000 chobu over last year.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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