Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0019, 1945-11-25.
Date25 November, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0088
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 19
ITEM 1 Agricultural Democratization needs only to be put into Effect - Asahi Shimbun - 15 Nov 45. Translator: K. Hirata
Full translation:
The first step toward the democratization of our economic structure was the dissolution
of the ZAIBATSU and the second one
will be the reform of the land system. This is generally expected. The other day MATSUMURA,
Minister of Agriculture and
Forestry, declared that the authorities concerned would undertake the solution of
the land problem without fail and that
Supreme Headquarters also stated on the twelfth that many regulations which at presents
put peasants and members of their
families in a condition of serfdom should be eliminated. From these facts we can imagine
that the long-pending reform of our
land system will be realized on a large scale in the near future.
This is an epoch-making matter for the re-construction of JAPAN'S economy, which
deserves our keen attention. The core of the
land problem lies in reforming the current tenancy system. Two hundred and seventy
million CHO-BU against six million CHO-BU
of all arable lands are tenancy lands and there are two million and twenty thousand
dependent landed-tenants and one million
and sixty thousand tenants, totaling some seventy per cent of the total five million
sixty thousand farmers.
In spite of these facts, the actual state of their farming is that those tenants
who posses less than five TAN of arable lands
rank first and next come those who possess five TAN to less than one CHO.
This reveals that their farms are too small and that their way of farming is too
intensive. Besides, they must deliver to
landowners some fifty per cent of the yields for farm rent and still more, up to eighty-seven
per cent of the yield of paddy
fields. They must pay, not in money, but in kind, such as rice or wheat. Therefore
it is a logical conclusion that the
emancipation of the tenants, the lowering of farm rent and the payment of farm rent,
not in money, but in kind came to be
regarded as the most important factors in solving the land-problem. We need not examine
here the correctness thereof.
Hitherto the reform of the land system has been often discussed and yet never effected.
After all, the current land system is,
in essence, the remnant of the one in the early years of the MEJI Era. Reform is now
most urgent for the achievement of our
big aim to democratize JAPAN's economy. Therefore, we must carry it out at once by
removing all obstacles. We should not
regard lightly the existence of rural districts in which a feudalistic tendency is
existant because in a sense many harbor,
not only economically but politically, the hot beds for conservation, militarism,
and reactionalism.
EDITORIAL SERIES: 19 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
The prompt solution of the land problem is also necessary for the completion of farmers'
delivery of food to the government -
the current important matter in our country. The actual state of the peasants is that
after they have paid high farm rents and
delivered the allotted quantity of rice to the government, quite a small amount of
rice is left for themselves and
consequently they must have what they have delivered returned to some extent by the
government. Therefore, if peasants want to
retain as much rice as they like, the quantity of rice allotted to the government
will have to be less, for such delivery to
the government is not compulsory.
Here lies a fundamental reason why the farmer's delivery to the government is not
conducted smoothly. It is reported that the
authorities concerned intend to raise the price of rice shortly by one hundred and
fifty yen per KOKU so that the farmers will
deliver their allotted quantity. But this being a very intricate problem, we fear
that there by only landowners will profit
and thus interfere with the tenants' willingness to deliver or to produce, so long
as the payment in-kind system is in
effect.
The ideal solution of the problem is to make the tenants landed farmers through emancipation
of tenancy lands, but this
emancipation will take long and will not be in time to give impetus, to the farmers'
delivery to the government. The lowering
of farm rents and the payment in money must be done at the same time as the emancipation
of tenancy lands. Unless the system
of paying a fixed amount of farm rent, is established, it will be difficult to emancipate
peasants from the prevailing
feudalistic bonds.
Hitherto the agricultural policies of our government were apt to serve landowners'
interests too much. But in the present
democratic times when such a grave event as the dissolution of the [illegible]AIBATSU is taking place, we
require a radical renovation of the land system, based on a national policy. It is
too evident that there is not a moment to
lose since the present food situation is so critical.
ITEM 2 The publication of the data held in secret by the military circles - Asahi Shimbun - 15 Nov 45. Translators: S. Inoue.
Full translation:
Since the War and Navy Offices will seen be dissolved, we fear that various important
data issued by there and held in their
custody will be kept from the general public. Both offices must have material of a
political and diplomatic nature, such as
reports from military officers living in foreign countries or documents revealing
their opinions, council records, diaries and
detailed reports of any battles, etc. It is quite evident that these documents will
play an important role in the future
compilation of history.
In our country, where military circles have had political and diplomatic hegemony
since the MEIJ Era, it is impossible to
compile a true history, scientifically analyzed and coordinated without such data.
This materiel has been until now held in secret, with some exceptions. Now at the
termination of the war these military
documents must be made public so that they can be made objects of just criticism by
historians.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 19 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
In the MEIJI Era we could not make clear the reports of the inspection tour in the
[illegible]as[illegible]rn and western districts of ASIA made by General KAWAMURA, Soroku and General FUKUSHINA,
Yasumosa and
the circumstances leading to the establishment of the Sino-Japanese commercial relations
research by Mr. AR[illegible]O, Sei was made without such material which was retained by the military offices.
They can give
especially complete and interesting data for which historians are waiting about the
problems after the Manchurian
Incident.
I hear that a historical data compilation section was formed in the former Headquarters
of General Staff in the War Office and
the task of compiling the army's history made some progress. We are therefore anxious
to know what has become of the material
collected by the above mentioned section. It is heartily desired that this material
be transferred to such institutions as the
Imperial Library or the Cabinet Library and be made available for public use. If the
military offices frankly assume the
responsibility for defeat, and therefore expose themselves to a strict criticism of
historians, it is hoped that they will
retain such, material, try to make It public, and not burn it, which action is a common
practice these days.
ITEM 3 The urgent necessity of the resuscitation of the spirit of officials - Asahi Shimbun - 16 Nov 45. Translator: K. Hirata.
Full translation:
The drastic reform of the civil service system announced by the Cabinet on 13 November
1945 includes in its draft, all items
which have hitherto been pointed out as concrete evils of JAPAN's government, such
as appointments, re-education, grades and
ranks, payments, transfers of posts and others. These are all most urgent problems.
If these items had been realized earlier,
how would the nation have felt? Among these items, the government authorities intend
to lay stress upon the restriction on the
transfer of posts. Somewhat paradoxically speaking, hitherto officials were steadily
advanced in rank by idling away time
without committing any serious error and always by adapting themselves to the trend
of times. Thus regardless of the
officials' abilities and of his contact with the general public, transfers of posts
ware frequently made.
It is an advance so far as the newly projected reforms aim at eliminating these notorious
evils of our government. Frankly
speaking, however, the nation will not always be satisfied with the reform programs.
The untrustworthiness of such programs
has been deeply impressed upon the nation. Previously a Cabinet council or the conference
of a deliberating committee of a
Cabinet created certain programs and sent a draft of them to the Privy Council, where
the draft received careful consideration
and was then sent back to a Cabinet council. Thus it was made public to the nation
after it was found satisfactory by the
circles concerned.
For the past several years of autocracy of militarists and officials, the nation
was puzzled at a number of such programs,
plans and others which were announced by the authorities in kaleidoscopic fashion.
Once a program or plan is renovated by this
controlling group, the realization of it is slow. It is natural that any reform of
such a fundamental law of the nation as the
Constitution should require a long time in deliberation, but such will not be the
case in the reform of
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EDITORIAL SERINS: 19 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
matters, the evils of which are acknowledged by both the government and the nation.
It is unwise to idle away time by sticking to useless formalities. We are much interested
in the enthusiasm of the officials
themselves for the renovation of JAPAN's officialdom, upon which the newly projected
reform plan is entirely based. Our
militarists have already been screened out. Leaders of private circles are now retiring
in succession. However, in official
circles alone we have yet heard of none who assumed their responsibility for the war
except those weeded out by the Allied
forces.
However, many young officials are demanding clarification of the war responsibilities
of the officials themselves. If these
young officials represent the majority of their colleagues, they should not waste
time by sticking to formalities, as they
often do, but hasten to reform the government. They are as much responsible for war
and also for misleading the nation during
the war, as thos civilian leaders oho are now retiring.
Among aha items of the new reform is re-education of officials. The wri[illegible]er was told of the fact
that the officials, when discussing these items, happened to find the words "the re-education
of officials," and changed them
into the [illegible]laborate words "the establishment of the system of studying officialdom". This seems
to
show that they are not bold enough to acknowledge their own crimes in the presence
of the nation. In practice, our officialdom
must be more radically reformed.
The reforms such as personnel assignment, the re-training of officials, the expansion
of free choice instead of choice by
private circles, less frequent transfer of posts and others, will not be carried out
effectively by present officials. The
officials must remember how they, who had the impudence to occupy various important
positions during the war, changed from one
post to another, always seeking promotion in rank and thus led the notion to its present
miserable state.
When they reflect on their last crimes, they may learn to know how to act. Civil
rights are now in the hands of the nation. If
the officials themselves will not set about reforming, the reforms will be made by
the people themselves.
ITEM 4 Liberation of Tenant Farmers - Yomiuri Hochi - 16 Nov 45. Translator: M. Kato.
Full translation:
JAPAN'S economy is essentially Agrarian, and therefore it is necessary that land
reform be given high priority consideration
in any solution of the present difficulties. It is a problem that has long been pending,
a solution of which is a consequence
of democratic revolution.
The government is reported to have prepared a bill, pertaining to arable land, for
presentation to the coming extraordinary
session of the Diet. It is purported to provide for immediate solution of the tenancy
problem by government expropriation of
2,760,000 cho of land under tenancy. This is 46 per cent of the 6,000,000 cho of arable
land and excludes land farmed by the
owners.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 19 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
Depending on the local situation, tenant farmers will became landed farmers, land
management will be undertaken by the
Agrarian Society a of the village, and farm rents for those tenants who wish to remain,
will be reduced substantially.
It must be emphasized that liberation of tenants from the bonds of feudalistic land
systems will contribute greatly to
solution of the present food crisis. The effect of this reform will be, we believe,
a spur to the tenants' desire to supply
the nation its required foodstuffs, and will deter farmers from keeping produce for
their own use. Therefore, its passage is
imperative.
The government's expropriation program will be backed by low interest loans totalling
2,000,000,000 yen. It would be wiser, we
believe, to issue land bonds the interest rates of which should be lower than that
of government securities. Cash payments of
limited sums to the farmers will require at the same time, purchase by consumers in
the cities and towns and especially by the
wealthy class swollen with war profit.
Success depends entirely upon the character of Agricultural Societies which will
play an important part in establishing landed
farmers. Agricultural Societies within each locality should be autonomous farmers'
associations acting as a co-operative body.
The feudalistic conservative leaders must be banished from the organizations. An impartial
distribution land from the farm
bosses as they now exist cannot be hoped for.
Self managed farms are the wish of farm tenants who now exist as slaves. It should
be inaugurated at the earliest possible
date. The older agricultural societies under the leadership of autocratic authorities
should be immediately replaced by new
organizations, such as co-operatives, in which the members can exercise his right
of free expression. In this manner, the
farmer will learn to handle administrative responsibilities and increase his produce
to the nation's benefit.
The government should attempt at the same time to supply the farmer with requirements
such as fertilizer, seed, farm
implements, work clothes, rubber soled shoes and other necessities. Land should be
sold to farmers en installments extending
over three years.
Such measures will greatly improve the produce of the farmers, most of whom work
farms of an area of only five to 10 tan. The
aggregate improvement will alleviate conditions considerably, and will further serve
to better the relations between
agricultural societies and industrial groups by improving the lot of the latter.
Farm rent should be paid in money, and the rates should be low. If farmers are obliged
to supply the nation's rice, they will
better understand their obligations as independents and thus contribute toward a more
effective distribution.
Under present conditions, after turning over an extortionate share as rent and supplying
their quotas, the farmer's share is
not enough for the subsistence requirements of his family. This situation can only
be rectified by abolition of feudal land
rents, and the practice of share payments. It will further insure a greater supply
for distribution to the nation.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 19 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
If, as reported the price of rice is to be raised to 150 yen per koku and if land
rent is to be continued on crop share basis,
the landowner will pro[illegible]it greatly at the expense of the tenant. As a consequence, his productivity
will be adversely affected.
In the past, agrarian policy was shaped by the nobility, the landowners, and other
conservative elements, all of whom did a
uniformly bad job of it.
But now [illegible]IBATSU has been dissolved, and farm slaves liberated by the directive of Allied
Headquarters. These acts are of great of significance.
ITEM 5 The True Character of Government Officials - Tokyo Shimbun - 16 Nov 45. Translator: S.Ohta.
Full translation:
At a Cabinet meeting a plan a was decided for revising the government. It advocates
simplifying ranks and classes, stablishing
a single salary system lowering the time to be spent in on grade, improving the higher
civil examination system and free
appointment system, among other reforms. Moreover, new system of inspections and listing
examination results will be adopted,
and commendations for good officials and punishment for inefficient officials will
be emphasized according to this plan.
Another plan now under consideration would reduce the numbers of officials to the
save number as before the Manchurian
Incident.
But no one imagines the government will be drastically reformed (a thing which has
been sought for so many years), merely by
the proposed revision. It is also necessary that the present administrative structure
be simplified. We doubt whether the
present government has any plan for this simplification. For example, there is a chance
of administrative duplication in the
present rehabilitation plan because it falls under both to the Welfare. Promotion
Ministry and to the newly established
Rehabilitation Bureau.
It is natural that that the administration is concerned with politics, or rather
it is necessary that they be so.
The officials have become complacent. They resent criticism and shirk responsibility.
They complicate administrative
structure. No one is held to his responsibilities.
Politics are not something which do not affect the people. The government officials
who led the notion to defeat during the
war are now under attack There are those who believe that in a democracy officials
are revered, but this is wrong. It is said
that cries for reforms come from the officials themselves. Government officials themselves
must not be afraid of criticism.
They must face their responsibilities. We know that cliques have grown in our army,
navy and civil government. Some officials
ignorant of current problems, receive rapid promotions merely because they belong
to certain bureaucratic cliques. Elimination
of this practice and abolishment of sectionalism, are necessary for the drastic revision
of the administration.
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