Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0011, 1945-11-14.
Date14 November, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0047
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 11
ITEM 1 Sumo's Relation to Politics - Yomiuri-Hochi - 8 Nov 45. Translator: M. Kawanabe.
Full Translation:
As the result of the decision which prohibits the teaching of war-like sports, it
follows that the sports to be adopted be of
the European type. Among the snorts permitted is SUMO or Japanese wrestling, and wrestling
tournament will be held at the
National Stadium three times a year.
In feudal days, wrestlers were first retained as bodyguards for feudal lords and
were afterwards prized as athletes, It may
therefore he said that wrestling is a vestige of feudalism and it is not militaristic
as it developed as a sport because of
its amusing character. It differs in the combative character much from the fencing
and "judo".
Once there was a lobby for it in active JAPAN when political parties were at their
best. Its members were physically strong
and exercised great influence because they guard the president and other leaders of
the party. They also acted as an
organization subsidiary to the party to carry out the party's business.
But they say that the lack of this lobby is causing inconveniencing to the political
parties in their reconstruction. The fact
that the lobby was similar in character to the Sumomen (wrestlers) who were patronized
by feudal Lords demonstrates the
feudalistic character of political parties to which it can be said may be attributed
their down fall.
But the reason why wrestling continues to exist should be taken into consideration
before. The lobby is reestablished. Unless
the lobby has glamor and attracts young people, where will be no growth of political
parties as they depend on Selections.
Even sport, if it fails to attract audience, will cease to exist, It is due to the
charm which attracts an audience, in other
word, "secures the lobby", that wrestling enjoys its existence.
ITEM 2 "Do they stand up before the Nation?" - Yomiuri-Fochi - 8 Nov 45. Translator: I. Kuniko.
Full Translation:
It is rumored that the former representatives of the so-called Japanese Political
Association (NIPPON SEIJI-KAI) are moving
rapidly to form a big party. Their actions indicate nothing but the final gasps of
the old-time politicians terrified at the
strict judgment of history. Our nation is gazing cooly at its dissolution end as well
as at Prince KONOE and others.
Those who were returned on the recommendation of the TOJO Cabinet in the general
election In the 17th year of SHOWA (1942)
should be held responsible for the war. Consequently, more than ten of them
EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
have intimated their intention to resign. But public opinion that all the other representatives
should, also, take
responsibility for the war by declining Candidacy in the coming election is becoming
strong.
In spite of this, some of the old parties such as MACHIDA's, NAKAJIMA's and KUWABARA'
have been trying to gain public favor by
a show of affection and loyalty to the tenets of democracy. Their disgraceful actions
are numberless. Their maneuvers are
based chiefly upon their individual ambition to rise to the surface of the political
world. They have no political conscience
or principles. They have relied only upon the feudal constituencies. Taking advantage
of their small kindnesses to the voters,
which were by abusing their political privileges during their four years' term, they
have been maneuvering for reelection so
as to a rush the newly-formed democratic elements.
Is the nation still unaware of their ambitions? Even the Allied Powers, not to speak
of the UNITED STATRS have had misgivings
as to our ability to make a clean sweep of the persons responsible for the war because
of our leek of political training.
If their misgivings should be realized, it would be a shame to us. In this respect,
the old conventional voters, and the women
and young persons who have been given the right to vote should be very careful. Today
in JAPAN, a bloodless revolution has
been set in motion. Persons to be excluded from office must be excluded sooner or
later, and the sooner, the better. In the
case of an increase in food or cloth production or in such a social revolution as
the dissection of big capitalists or
bureaucracy, it may be proper to take some time, but in a suffrage revolution depending
upon right voting, it should be very
simple. It will be possible for every voter an entire new Congress in one night by
casting his vote correctly.
Since the war-responsible persons of the old Japanese Political Association have
now flocked together, this may be a good
chance to knock them down at a single blow. Everyone should be careful not to be blamed
for his low political sense and to
judge calmly.
Here, the old Japanese political Association has been criticized, but if such parties
as the "free", the "social", or the
"communistic" follow the easy-going fashion of the day, they can assured that they,
too will be Judged by the people, They
should be careful not to form a party too easily. Above all, both the "free" and the
"social" parties are attempting to win in
quantity rather than in quality in the coming election. We hereby give advice to thorn
that as long as they do not become
aware of this fact, they will not be crowned with success.
ITEM 3 Farmers are demanded for - Yomiuri-Hochi - 9 Nov 45. Translator: B. Ishibashi.
Summary:
The rice crop for this year is estimated to be 46,000,000 KOKU, and still the actual
crop will be reduced. It is determined
that the amount of rice which should be turned over by all the farmers to the government
is 30,000,000 KOKU. Turning over of
wheat, potatoes and sweet potatoes, followed one after another. And now they must
bear this burden. We know well that shortage
of farming tools and of
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
fertilizer is living them serious trouble. And in addition there were labor shortages
and bad weather conditions for this
year. To all the farmers, who have had a crop despite these had conditions and are
expected to turn over two thirds of it, the
nation is grateful,
But it cannot be gainsaid that they are living comfortably, considering conditions
throughout the nation and leaving out a
certain privileged circle. Next to the munitions profiteers, they are a sort of privileged
class, which became rich quickly
through the war, and which still is profiting according to the angry words, of the
general public. It is not uncommon that the
daily sales of a farmer in the prefectures neighboring on TOKYO reach 500 yen or even
1000 yen because of the persons who go
out and purchase products directly. Moreover, this is only in reference to sweet potatoes
and other vegetables, whose free
sale has what amounts to official recognition. When the results of black market operations
regarding rice, wheat and meal are
added to this, their gains defy imagination.
Of course, such situations are due to the impotence and negligence of the government
in dealing with the food question. Yet,
actually, the entire nation is on the verge of starvation. In order to live, the people
are forced to pay their last penny.
Due to such lack of policy on the part of the government, the free sale system cannot
be done away with unless recognized
prices are established. In addition, even though it is lamentable, the black market
must continue. At this time, knowledge of
the problem and sympathy towards the nation which is in general miserably suffering
from starvation are not enough.
Let us recall the miserable conditions in which all the farmers of this country were
ten years ago. Their debts had reached a
colossal sum of 6000 million yen, and they had been nearly ruined. What a difference
between now and then! Looking back past
days, they can not help but reflect upon their former state. They say, "We do not
sell in coin only. Bring us clothes or
bed-clothes," Many consumers are resident of cities, the greater part of which is
more or less damaged or affected by war. The
farmers strip them to the last suit of clothes. We can not but say that morality has
lost its hold in this country.
Such are the things which are happening in the farm-villages, which up to now have
been looked upon as the purest simplest
places of this country. Is the construction of a new morality in JAPAN possible as
it is hoped?
Public opinion is one on the point that unfair war-profits must be confiscated. The
profiteers are, needless to say, a certain
group of munitions producers. As to their fate in general nothing is decided, but
the four greater financial combines, which
were in fact, the axis and leaders of them, are being to liquidated.
As has been shown, next to, war industrialists, the farmers are war profiteers. Public
opinion is united on this point. For
all that, we have no hatred but rather thank for them, who are working with every
effort to feed us. But it is pointed out
that a number of consumers are, in fact, at the point of death. We cannot only hope
ardently that the farmers, having an
insight into conditions, may reveal a true fellow-feeling, and the nation, united,
make its way safely out of these
difficulties.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Important Points of the Food Problem - Asahi Shimbun - 9 Nov Translator: J. Wada.
Full Translation:
The expected rice crop for this year is estimated at 46,000,000 KOKU. With this poor
crop an absolute shortage of staple
foodstuff is unavoidable. This is a sheer fact. The question is what steps are being
taken to cope with this expected
shortage. The ways and means the Cabinet has announced it will take, formally, to
tide over this crisis are the encouragement
of delivery, the extension of barley production and sweet potatoes by reclamation,
and the planning of importation of
3,000,000 tons of foodstuff. These three measures are indisputably necessary both
theoretically and practically.
Then why is it that the sense of crisis is still lingering in spite of repeated declarations
of such measures by the
Government? The reason, in a word, is that the Government has never expressed confidence
and responsibility by putting these
measures into practice? we have been too often deceived throughout the war by the
Government and their plans. The food problem
has not been an exception. The Government plans have revealed their faults and errors
in almost all cases. Even if the
Government has never taken responsibility for the failure of its plans, neither has
the nation even forced the movement to
assume responsibility. The reasons for such apathy on the part of the nation are as
follows. First, important statistics
hidden from the public in the name of secrecy. Second, any attempt to search out Governments
responsibility was avoided,
consciously or unconsciously, for fear of hampering the war.
Now the war is over, and the national attitude toward their Government is as unawakened
as ever. While the government is being
blamed for its unreliability, no one is willing to establish a reliable Government.
With this lack national consciousness and
the Government's lack of self-confidence in dealing with the food problem, the situation
will force us to struggle
individually for food in the black market. Moreover, the crisis is becoming more serious
day by day. Psychologically speaking,
it is an increasing irritation in the mind of the nation, and objectively speaking
it is increasing the difficulty of living
on the part of the middle and lower classes. We can not but say that it is a great
shame for our country to let such a serious
crisis continue. The Allied press pointed to this fact, which we already know.
Under these circumstances, it is clear that wide-spread starvation will prevail in
the first half of next year. Will millions
of unemployed and hungry people calmly pass away in enlightenment like a priest in
contemplation, or will they die crying Long
live the Emperor"? The answer is, "No". Who can deny with surety the coming of general
social disorder caused by theft,
burglary, plundering, plague mass unrest end the failure of social functions, one
symptom of which is unnecessary closing of
schools. If this social disorder comes into being, the cabinet in power will surely
be overthrown whether the it is the
present cabinet or not. But after the crucial moment has come, changes in cabinets
will not compensate for the misfortune and
calamity inflicted on the nation, just as no cabinet after the war can not compensate
for the disaster inflicted. The pursuit
of responsibility for the defeat is s means to the end wherein shall not repeat the
same error in the future. It does not
enable us to cancel the fact of defeat and recover the status quo. The case is the
same with the food problem. We need a
cabinet with the real ability to surmount the food
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
crisis now and at this instant, because any change in the cabinet next year will
not compensate for the social calamity which
will have fallen upon the nation this year.
After all, the gist of our argument is simply whether the present cabinet is confident
of successfully surmounting the urgent
food problem and of assuming responsibility for it? If the cabinet spends time in
vain, without confidence and responsibility,
and the next year comes, a calamity will be inflicted on the nation, "just as the
TOJO Cabinet brought great misfortune and
disaster upon the nation by starting the war. The encouragement of delivery, the extension
of production by reclamation and
the discussion of permission to import foodstuff do not admit of a day's or an hour's
delay. The present food problem is
conditioned by time. In this argument we refrain from presenting our conclusions as
to the sense of responsibility and the
confidence with which the SHEDEHARA Cabinet is dealing with the urgent food problem.
But we warn the Government that it is the
most urgent duty for it to declare to the public its concrete measures to cope with
the food problem.
ITEM 5 Construction of Dams and Roads (Editorial) - Mainichi Shimbun - 10 Nov 45. Translator: S. Ota.
Full Translation:
A plan for construction of dams was revealed by the Prime Minister while on his trip
by train. It is a good idea, for it will
make for both employment and utilization of water power. Now that 80 million men are
to live crowded into a small area, we
must make utmost use of every source of power, and the construction of dams is one
of the most fundamental works for this
purpose. Hitherto we have had little experience in relieving unemployed on a national
scale, although unemployed occasionally
have been given jobs, such as clearing roads in winter in large cities. Road construction
was undertaken as relief during the
farming panic of 1932. But in some districts, only contractors and laborers from other
districts, especially those from Korea,
were relieved, and the farmers in the districts gained few benefits, such failures
must not be repeated; relief must
efficient. In the future, unemployment insurance and other social insurance will have
to be undertaken on large scale. But at
present it is difficult to begin, for the financial or economical prospective is uncertain.
Then, the construction of dams,
etc., is recommended to prevent unemployment. It is said that Japan has much to learn
hereafter from small countries, such as
SWITZELAND, DENMARK, S[illegible]EDEN, and NORWAY, Each of these has population of 2 million - 6 million,
and therefore example of their economy may not always be accented as it is. We must
adopt the better points of each. We must
learn hydro-electrics, transportation, and exact-machienery industry from SWITZELAND.
The aim in our construction of dams is,
to develop hydro-electric power. In Switzerland they utilize the natural lakes, but
we have few. There is no season of water
shortage in hydro-electrics in Switzerland, but we are short of water every winter.
we can make up for this by the
construction of dams, but the use of dams is limited for this purpose, Arable land
is about 15% to the total area in JAPAN,
and plan has already been put forth by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry,
to increase the acreage under cultivation
to about 3,910,000 acres (1,650,000 CHOBU). This plan, of course, must be taken into
consideration in connection with the
construction of dams. Then the newly cultivated area will possibly be irrigated or
new villages will be
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
constructed where water has not hitherto been available. Moreover, dams can be used
also for protection against drought which
will result from the random cutting of forests during the war, or from future lumbering
operations. As was pointed out by the
premier, after the 1st world war, GERMANY constructed a net-work of roads as a means
of preventing unemployment. Construction
of a road net-work will also be undertaker at the same time as that of dams. There
is no reason that only one of them should
be done. Construction of roads needs more iron than that of dams in general, but iron
will not be needed for the construction
of roads in the farming areas or in the forests. We need this kind of roads first.
The construction of country roads should be
undertaken at the same time as the improvement of the land system; that is the readjustment
of cultivated areas. There are so
many things, to be done to make this mountainous country comfortable to live in and
the construction of dams and road network
will be the first step toward this objective. Representative of these great notional
enterprises must not be from the
standpoint of money, but should, be those from labor and material; for instance they
may be called "work for ten-million men"
or the work of ten-thousand tons of cement". Hereafter we cannot "use money" for the
work. We can only undertake the national
task with our own hands and materials.
ITEM 6 The Ration System has lost its Benefits - Nihon Sangyo Keizai - 10 Nov 45. Translator: J. Wada.
Full Translation:
The amount of vegetables, fish and fruits rationed, to families is very small. The
suburban tram-cars are crowded with people
going to and coming back from the countryside. On streets, pedlars are selling their
fresh or dried fish, fruits, and steamed
sweet potatoes, to pedestrians. The consumers have already given up relying on the
ration system. They are rushing to the
countryside for direct buying or are dealing with pedlars in the black market. Nevertheless
the ration system is still in
force. What are the authorities thinking about when they see those exhausted, people
rushing to the countryside to buying
foodstuffs? Do they think that driving the black market pedlars into more black market
activity is keeping economic order? It
is a fact that individual direct buying from farmers is an obstacle to planned distribution
of food to cities. If the
authorities concerned remain spectators at this time, they will have no policy. If
they prevent direct buying, they will be
foolish. If they cannot abolish the ration system, knowing abolition is the only means
to cope with the situation, they are
incompetent. In every case mentioned, it is the nation that suffers. Unless this situation
is improved there will be an
economic and social disturbance, that will push the nation into the very bottom of
disaster.
If the control of distribution of vegetables, fish and fruits is abolished, distribution
at unreasonably low officially set
prices will be abandoned and there may be a passing disturbance in collection and
receipt of goods. In its stead, we shall be
free from the unpleasant burden of having only spoiled food. The half-way abandonment
of control is most troublesome. The
abolition of the official price system leaving the agreement price system in force,
the permission of free buying and selling
keeping the official price system in force, the adoption of the free price system
with regulated collection and distribution,
the abolition of all the restraints on consumers with
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 6 (Continued)
regulation of sellers end producing places and so on, will only enlarge the disturbances
in every case. Recently the trend is
toward abolistion of control. When they abondoned control, they were successful. When
they went half-way they failed. For
example, in a certain city in SHIZUOKA prefecture they abolished the official price
system and brought much fish into the
city. But as they kept the ration system and forced the fish on the people, the price
of fish remained constant, and the
consumers suffered.
Recently, many demobilized and unemployed people have become black market pedlars,
and are earning big profits by selling
small amounts of fish or vegetables. This is not desirable from any point of view.
But the prohibition of such peddling is of
no use. The best way is to give expert merchants a free hand, in buying and selling.
Transportation may be an obstacles. The
government has already declared its policy of "foodstuffs first" in transportation,
But in transportation of foodstuffs, a
discrimination should not be made between the goods of Individual merchants and those
of the control bodies. Passenger cars
may be loaded with foodstuffs. Sweet potatoes are rotting. If sweet potatoes, as substitute
staple foodstuffs can be
controlled, the amount left after delivery should be offered for free sale and not
a single piece of potato should be wasted
in this time of shortage. Now is the best time for the free sale of vegetables to
be put into practice. For vegetables sown in
autumn are coming on the market now. The change of the system at the time of harvest
will cause the least transitional
disturbance. If the change is not put into practice now, this winter leaving us less
will come when we have the least
vegetables, we wish that the control which has lost its efficacy be abolished.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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