Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0098, 1945-12-16.
Date16 December, 1945
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numbereditorial-0343
Call NumberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 98
ITEM 1 Reform in the Jud[illegible]ichi Shimbun - 12 Dec 45. Translator: K. Gunji.
Full translation:
Some eminent judges, prosecutors, and lawyers have banded together to start a new
movement for reform in their field. Now
nothing can escape the swelling current of democracy.
It is generally acknowledged that judicial power, which was exercised in the name
of the Emperor, was subject to many abuses
and much corruption, although no one openly discussed the matter because they feared
the consequences, Mr. HIRANUMA, President
of the Privy Council, and his favorite follower Mr. SHIONO, ex-Minister of Justice,
both of whom were the dominant leaders in
that circle, were arrested recently on suspicion of war guilt. At the same time, the
corruption in the judicial field was
disclosed to the public.
Those who intend to reform this evil must not miss the present opportunity. Following
the post-war announcement which
liberated political offenders, we have seen how any people have had to suffer cruel
torture, without having committed any
offense. Yet, we can remember that certain types of offenders were carefully protected
from such punishment. It is true that
these evils resulted, to some extent, from the defects of our present system. But
the feudalistic methods mainly resulted from
the practices of some of the leading people. Therefore, the establishment of any[illegible]independence in
the judicial field must be preceded by an improvement in the organization of its personnel.
We expect Mr. IWATA, who is well
acquainted with these matters, to make some proposal regarding their solution. The
proposed system in which the judicial
association Would recommend judges and prosecutors who are superior in character and
learning, is very useful for
democratizing the professi[illegible]and especially for doing away with the bureaucratic methods of
prosecutors. During the war, prosecutors made themselves followers of the war leaders,
and had much to do with the loss of the
people's trust in the present judicial system. The reform must also aim at allaying
the fears of honest people concerning the
present detective organization.
The so-called "administrative arrest" was too frequently applied to avoid the code
of criminal procedure. Over 340,000 people
were affected by it in a year, and some were imprisoned for one or two months, and
sometimes as long as one or two years. They
are managed by the detectives and not by the police superintendant, who often doesn't
know the persons who are imprisoned by
his arrests. It is true that in searching for criminals, "administrative arrest" may
be required in some cases. However, it is
quite lamentable that they can not search for criminals
EDITORIAL SERIES: 98 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
without resorting to thrashing the suspects within an inch of their lives. In short,
since we can not expect the present
detectives to use scientific methods of searching for criminals, we must improve the
quality of personnel by improving the
methods of selection and by increasing salaries.
ITEM 2 Politics or Political Power? - Provincial Newspaper (SENDAI) Kahoku Shimpo
- 8 Dec 45.
Extracts:
Members of the House of Representatives are discussing the political power problem
with the Premier. Each party is struggling
for political power, but, it is imagined that the Progressive Party will eventually
take the helm in state affairs. The
Premier has given no definite answer to the questions concerning future political
powers which were asked by members of the
Progressive Party. He may be thinking that he need not retire if the Liberal Party
comes into power, for it is supporting the
present cabinet, and that the Liberal Party may be a far greater help to him than
the Progressive Party in putting into
practice a democratic policy. This is so, since in his opinion the latter is too conventional,
and altogether contrary to its
name. All the members of the Diet are absorbed in the political power problem and
have forgetten how to establish a civil
government.
The next important problem for the people, however, is not that of political power
but of politics. The Diet members will be
blamed by the people for their lack of political responsibility. Those who wish to
take a part in the government today must
recognize that they must be ready to sacrifice themselves for the people and politics.
ITEM 3 Prices, Consumption and Income - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 12 Dec 45.
Full translation:
Various kinds of goods which were rarely displayed in shop fronts during the war
have recently come on the market and
stimulate our long suppressed desire for materials. At the same time, compared with
the current officially set prices or the
pre-war prices, they are too dear for most people to buy. People cannot afford to
buy goods which are abundant in quantity but
high in price. However, if the prices in question are again put under control by force
as was the case in the course of the
war, it will no doubt cause goods which have just begun to come out to disappear from
the market and evoke black market
prices.
Therefore, if we want to enjoy a higher standard of living, we need a higher income.
However, the existing quantity of goods
does not necessarily mean an absolute abundance, so that if we are offered a purchasing
power sufficient to satisfy all our
desires, we are sure to be short of goods. That is to say, vicious inflation is inevitable
in this case. The terrific burden
of daily living is weighing upon our nation, which has just heaved a sigh of relief
at the termination of the war.
The Nation was compelled to economize in all goods during the war. However, now that
the war is over, there is no more
pressure urging the Nation to economize. Yet there are good reasons to assert that
generally the Nation must continue to
economize as our economic power has been remarkably weakened as a result of defeat.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 98 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
If the nominal money income of the Nation is increased on the ground that high prices
are prevalent, out without increased
production, prices can only rise and rise. This is elementary in the theory of inflation.
The bitter reality which a
vanquished nation must face is that there are plenty of goods, which it cannot afford
to buy. At present, the Japanese Nation
is not in the blessed state of being able to afford to buy whatever it wants. In this
sense, more price control is the wrong
policy; a cyclical advance of prices should be prevented by all means.
The nominal increase of money not backed by any substantial increase in production
cannot do away with the difficulties in
living, but, on the contrary, tends to make them worse and worse. Therefore, what
we must do today is balance the present
unequal incomes in the Nation and distribute the national income fairly among those
who engage in the increase of products.
Especially, today it is incumbent upon our whole Nation to try to restore a peaceful
economy. It cannot waste time in
idleness. The Nation's will to work has deplorably declined since the surrender. The
reason cannot be easily sought, but is
mainly attributed to the facts that we are able to manage to live without working
diligently and that there is no difference
between a hard worker and an idler. The so-called equality which prevailed during
the war is the cause of many evils today. In
this sense, the writer is of the opinion that the current official rations, for instance,
regarding food and other items
should be limited to what is necessary for minimum living and only hard workers should
enjoy a richer and more comfortable
living, according to their diligence.
The principle of mere equality tends to benefit idlers at the sacrifice of hard workers.
We should not misjudge the actuality
of this terrific inflation.
ITEM 4 Selecting the Head of the Progressive Party - Tokyo Shimbun - 12 Dec 45. Translator:
T.
Unayama.
Full translation:
The Progressive Party members who have not yet elected a head, are now making frantic
efforts to select one, and so have
little the to attend to the affairs of the plenary session and the meetings of the
committees of the Diet. Such behavior may
be criticized severely by all the people whether they are favorably or unfavorably
disposed toward the party.
It is not our problem whether the Progressive Party is disrupted or whether some
unavoidable circumstances may cause its
dissolution. But we cannot overlook this disgraceful state for it is the majority
party in the present Diet, and it consists
of many members who are expected to be re-elected in the forthcoming general election.
Those who preferred Prince KONOE as Party head had their hopes shattered when KONOE
was listed as a war criminal suspect, but
it is yet premature to conclude that the supporters of UGAKI have won the day. Mr.
UGAKI was Foreign Minister during the CHINA
Incident. Therefore we cannot say whether or not he will be li[illegible]ted among the war criminal suspects
in the future, but it is a question whether the Allied Powers will allow the choice
of an ex-general as leader of a political
party.
Some say that this problem has already been [illegible]onsidered, but there is another question: will the
people consent to have this time-worn ex-military man the leader of a party? If the
Progressives have resolved
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 98 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
to fall martyr to their principles under UGAKI's leadership, party membership will
doubtless become much smaller. If it is so,
we can not understand why they have mentioned funds as a prerequisite for nomination.
It is generally understood that a political party needs money even though the democratic
age is here; this does not change.
Whether in Western or Eastern countries, be they right wing or left wing, parties
are the same. But there is a difference in
degree. Political parties should compete on policy and not in terns of wealth. The
argument on opening party funds to the
public partly answers this question.
It is a time honored habit to choose a leader not only for whatever ability he may
have, but also for his great financial
resources.
It seems that those who selected the Finance Minister SHIBUSAWA also had this in
mind. It is discouraging even to imagine the
forthcoming election in which candidates selected on such a basis will campaign for
positions of the highest authority.
ITEM 5 Give Work to Leisured and Unemployed People - Provincial Newspaper Chugoku
Shimbun (HIROSHIMA) - 5
Dec 45. Translators: S. Fukuda.
Summary:
In order to overcome the present coal shortage, the Government has undertaken measures
to increase the wages of coal miners
and give them a five go ration of rice because it feels that the coal shortage is
due to the labor shortage. This does not
appear to be effective. There are limits to increasing wages and rice rations. It
is unavoidable that a serious situation will
make necessary the forced requisitioning of coal workers. The resolutions concerning
the coal shortage were presented to the
89th extraordinary session of the Diet, but the results are as yet unknown, A fact
we must emphasize is the forced curtailment
of 50 Per cent of the government railroad services, as well as of general industries.
The unemployment problem must also be
considered. About 5,000,000 demobilized soldiers, and about 10,000,000 workers from
war industries, totalling about one fourth
of the present population are now unemployed. Despite the many leisured and unemployed
one great fault connected with the coal
problem is the slow and hesitant action of the Government. It is not too much to say
that this attitude has led to a crisis in
coal production. The people of JAPAN were informed unexpectedly of the surrender and
for some time they were utterly confused,
causing despondency and idleness throughout the land. But their living resources will
not last long for their money will soon
be exhausted. It is not good for the Nation to continue to exist in idleness. What
on earth is being done? Many are now
speculating with black market goods to support themselves and their families, and
many have become veritable black marketeers
in order to exist. If the Government could have given them work on projects concerned
with national and social welfare, great
things could have been achieved. The Government must examine the unemployment problem
as quickly as possible and determine
whether they are lazy or have no jobs. At present, those who are merely idle make
up the greater part of the unemployed. These
must be sent back to work before their savings are completely exhausted. No measures
for unemployment relief can be taken
until this is done.
Distribution "X"
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