Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0030, 1945-11-30.
Date30 November, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0139
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 30
ITEM 1 We expect the Government to plan for the coming bankrupt[illegible]y of our life - Tokyo Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: K. Nagatani.
Full translation:
Since the end of the war, there have been advances in the democratization of Japanese
policies, economics, and thinking. This
progress towards a democratic JAPAN may yet be rather unsatisfactory to the Allied
General Headquarters, but generally
speaking, our democratization is now getting on the right track.
On account of this sudden change, the general public appears to be somewhat perplexed
at the flood of freedom, and some
quarters seem to misunderstand the true sense of freedom. But both perplexity or misunderstanding
are temporary states.
We have now awakened to find an end to the long years of oppression by the militarists
and to find ourselves free. The gate to
freedom, which our people had hitherto not been able to enjoy, is now opened before
us. Accordingly, a bright, joyous
atmosphere should be prevalent in our national life.
On the contrary, however, something melancholy clouds the minds of the public. Why
is this so? The answer to this question is
that the general public fears the coming bankruptcy in the near future. No, the reality
now confronting us is already proving
the truth of their anticipations, to say nothing of an absolute shortage of food,
the fall in currency values, the
unemployment problem, the housing problem, etc. A series of these facts obviously
foreshadows the coming bankruptcy in our
household economy. Under this severe reality the people are at present leading their
everyday lives in gloom. Against our
will, reality is speedily progressing towards the worst.
What steps should be taken to check further aggravation of the situation and to prevent
its terrible effects upon our national
life? Is there nothing left to be desired in the Government's policies in coping with
the situation? Are the new political
parties doing their best to work out effective plans? All the platforms of those political
parties are aiming at the
reconstruction of defeated JAPAN as a new democratic, peaceful JAPAN. But what concrete
measures do they have for dealing with
the stern fact that the majority of our nation is losing its livelihood? Are the people
themselves aggravating the condition
and encouraging inflation, either consciously or unconsciously?
When considering these matters carefully, we feel that some pertinent, effective
steps should be taken immediately. The first
requisite must
EDITORIL SEIRES: 30 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
be to establish comprehensive measures. Our Government must be aware of the fact
that it is falling behind in its steps to
keep pace with the existent reality. The present circumstances facing our people are
growing worse and worse to the extent
that aside from overall, inclusive plans, expedient measures are keenly needed for
individual problems as they arise.
In this connection, what action is being taken by the local authorities who are responsible
for such unforeseen occurrences?
Are not the administrative authorities aggravating the situation by looking consistency
and speed in their policies, which
results in the rise of prices?
In order to avert further aggravation of circumstances, the Government should have
full understanding of the existing
situation and waste no time in establishing the most effective measures from a completely
new standpoint.
ITEM 2 Cruel attitude of the authorities toward demobilized soldiers - Tokyo Shimbun - 21 Nov 45. Translator: I. Imai.
Full translation:
I think it was not only I whose blood boiled at reading a press report about the
cruel treatment by the authorities of the
demobilized soldiers who returned to the homeland recently from far away southern
islands. How could the soldiers be sinful
when they would sacrifice themselves for the country by obeying orders for many months
and years? How did the authorities feel
when they saw that very warm treatment given by the American Army authorities to the
demobilized soldiers at the old
fronts?
Even recent belligerents showed such kindnesses. There is no room for argument on
how we, as fellow countrymen should receive
them now. What was the big idea of the authorities in letting them sleep on wooden
floors on the first night of their landing
without giving them any under wear?
We understood that the ships sent to the south were fully provided with clothes and
foodstuffs sufficient for the personnel to
be repatriated. What has become of these supplies? Supposing those things could not
be given to them on the ships, why could
they have not been supplied to them on land? Although the activities of both the War
and Navy Ministries have been curtailed,
it does not mean that they are freed from demobilization work. Who will take responsibility
for such neglect of duty?
The authorities are responsible for announcing a reason for this to the public. War
Minister SHIMOMURA repeatedly requested
through radio that a warm reception should be offered for the demobilized soldiers
and sailors. The nation fully agrees with
him. A soldier who arrived at a port in YAMAGUCHI KEN from KOREA expressed heartfelt
thinks with tears in his eyes for a cup
of tea offered to him a woman.
We see very often at the station the ashes of the war dead are received by a crowd
with supreme respect. We cannot help but
ask formally how
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 30 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
the authorities are going to explain their actions. There is no reason for neglect
of condolences for our war dead because of
defeat. We, in the name of the nation, should not forget to decorate magnificently
the tomb dedicated to the souls of the
Unknown Soldiers. I ardently advocate this so that such calamities as mankind has
experienced will not be repeated
ITEM 3 About war-criminals - Asahi -Shimbun - 21 Nov 45. Translator: B. Ishibashi.
Full translation:
Another eleven persons, who are leading members of many circles of our country, were
put in SUGAMO Prison, as war-criminals.
Among them, six persons, are generals, two are diplomats, two are scholars and there
is one business man with political
affiliations.
This seems to represent the colors of the leading classes of JAPAN during the war.
Almost all of these men shouted
encouragement to our people at every opportunity, while they themselves controlled
the national effort. It is not clear as to
how many more persons will follow these men. But, among these so-called war-criminals,
how, many are, in fact, truly
innocent?
The strife between the two Chinese political powers presents serious phases, having
its center in MANCHURIA and in INNER
MONGOLIA. A special telegram from LONDON, through the N[illegible]U[illegible]ZURICHER
ZEITUNG, reveals that "the key point of reconciliation of the two powers is not to
be found in CHINA itself, but in WASHINGTON
and ROSCOW." This certainly contains some truth. However, from the point of view of
the defeated and peace-loving JAPAN, we
can not out hope, in all cases, that discord and strife may disappear completely from
every corner of the world. We should
work in this direction, regardless of our lack of strength.
ITEM 4 Let's not Waste our Laser - Nippon Sangyo Kaizai - 21 Nov 45. Translator: I. Kuniko.
Summary:
The unemployment problem, keeping pace with the food problem, is becoming serious.
the demobilized service-men or the
unemployed who have lived in idleness, relying on their retirement allowances or savings,
will gradually spend all their
money. The unemployment problem is without doubt one of the most difficult problems
in post-war management.
Our working power is the only surplus resource left to defeated JAPAN, but surplus
human resources are extremely difficult to
dispose of. To solve the unemployment problem, the Government should take final, not
temporizing, measures. In the UNITED
STATES, too, the unemployment problem has become serious politically and economically;
but the UNITED STATES, compared with
JAPAN, is a victorious country and is too big an economic power. Therefore its unemployment
plan, is inapplicable to our
country.
If the Government is considering unemployment plans with such an idea as the Full
Employment Bill of the UNITED STATES, it
does not understand the difference in conditions on both sides. It is as if JAPAN
had imitated
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 30 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
aimlessly the GERMAN economic controls till the day of defeat.
It goes without saying that the first essential point of an unemployment plan is
to give work to the unemployed. The
Unemployment Insurance System or other charitable relief is possible in AMERICA, but
those plans cannot be applied to our
country. In JAPAN, we cannot think of the unemployment problem, apart from the food
problem. To give work to the unemployed,
the Government, first of all, should abolish all the wartime controls in order to
stimulate our economic conditions. Moreover,
it should give work to a large number of the unemployed by setting up such public
enterprises as rehabilitation.
Nevertheless giving work to many unemployed, if possible, to all of them, does not
mean hiring more persons than necessary and
wasting labor. There are many officials and civilians who have such an idea; if they
try to solve the unemployment problem
temporarily, they will have made a great mistake.
Regardless of the lowering of efficiency, to employ more men than called for is,
in itself, an error, and is apt to give rise
to many evils. Especially, in JAPAN today, labor efficiency has been very low because
of the poor labor controls during the
war, and the waste of labor not yet been reformed. Consequently, the improvement of
efficiency and the saving of labor is of
prime importance.
During the war the civil industrialists had greatly wasted labor, but they are now
trying to reduce the number of persons to
improve efficiency and increase economy in production. On the other hand, the Government
and other public offices, or public
bodies, have let this excess labor alone.
In the present JAPAN, there is still room for setting public enterprises on a large
scale in post-war rehabilitation or other
public projects. The unemployment plan should be aimed at such activities. To solve
the unemployment problem by wasting man
power is liable to leave the roots of the calamity untouched.
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