Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0142, 1945-12-22.

Full Translation:

Mr. ISHIDA Composer of songs NONKI BUSHI (TN. Happy go lucky songs.) often performed on his stage during the war, "singing Down With AMERICA" songs influenced by militarism. His songs have often driven the spectators into a militaristic frenzy. Now he is proudly finding fault with the government in his songs. We want to know what the songs contain except jeers and contempt. It is the spectators rather than the representatives that are made unpleasant by your songs. Your songs give us more displeasure than amusement or recreation, although we must pay an admission fee to enter the variety hall. Of course, you have the liberty of discussing state affairs, but you are quite foolish if you seek popular applause by the performance of your harodies on the stage or on the radio.

Full Translation:

This is an example taken from WAKA Gun, IUATE Ken. Last year's allotments of rice totalled 31,000 bags for village "A" and 10,000 for village "B" leaving a difference of approximately 10,000. This year, however, "A" was assigned 23,000 bags and "B" 26,000, as a result the difference is only 3,000. It is true that there have been damages by flood, storms and cold nevertheless, isn't this allotment absurd and irresponsible? Are the authorities aware of the many farmers who offered their rice last year without leaving any for home consumption? While these farmers maintain their livelihood by reaping green rice. The allotment for the negligent farmers who did not supply enough last year remains small. It seems that these who offered a 70 to 100% supply are to be provided with ammonia sulphate fertilizer in proportion to the quantity shipped. "If we don't supply 70% of the allotment, it is far better to barter rice for fertilizer", some farmers assert, "as we would got as much fertilzer from the government."

Although the officers of the district office take the trouble to some all the way from town to help us provide the rice at the time its to be picked up, in the busy harvest season, when we've short handed, they never even drop us a word of thanks. The present price of vegetables and fish with the regulations abolished, is exorbitant. What would become of a village that cultivates rice alone and is used to buying vegetables? They inevitably tend to exchange rice for other goods, since they are out of maney.

(Letter from TAKANHASHI, Matsuko, a farmer of IWATE Ken.)

EDITORIAL SERIES: 142 (Continued)

Full Translation:

The increasing seriousness in the general situation has come every-one's notice. The propelling power the crisis is the pressing shortage of food and the aggravation of inflation. The problem is the absence of political power to prevent this crisis. If things are allowed to go their own way, the national economy cannot but head straight for collapse. It seems that the situation is beyond the competence of the Government which has lost national confidence. No amount of whipping the Government will improve the critical situation. Then how should we act? The only way open to us to meet the crisis is to rise for the crisis to rise to the occasion themselves independently of he government. Such organizations as labor unions, farmer's unions, Consumer unions, producer's guilds and reorganized agricultural corporations will do much in the prevention of a crisis. At the same time, a popular government which has definite policies to prevent the national economy from falling into ruin should be established as soon as possible.

However, most important is the understanding by the masses of the seriousness of the current crisis which may, if left alone, lead to economic choos and death by starvation. We once argued in this column that the right of the Japanese Nation to exist should be respected and importation of food should be permitted. However, we insisted at the same time that we, on our part, should establish as soon as possible conditions which deserve this claim to existence. Though the present food crisis is due to an absolute shortage, great inequities in distribution are making the matter worse. The ruling classes are living in luxury with food acquired illegally. The abolition of controls on perishable goods made legitimate their high black market prices. This enabled wealthy people to buy more freely. In the cities, they can make as good dishes as in pre-war days if they can afford to pay hundreds of yen per person. What can the masses do but look at them with envy?

The establishment of the "no work, no bread" principle is the first of the conditions we should set up for the right to exist. Now, the rich people are stocking up with food and wasting money in anticipation of the levy of a property tax and a war profits tax. They are not interested in re-opening production, much less in reconversion.

The honest workers and laborers have eaten up their small savings to maintain a fare living. From the social point of view, requests for higher wages and salaries are justified. With the current vicious inflation, a small increase in wages cannot keep pace with the rising prices of commodities. If the laborers are unable to live by the proceeds of their work, their will to labor will inevitably decrease. If the food situation becomes more critical, production in general will be remarkably lowered and for more enterprises will halt. This will drive the national economy as a whole into coma. We are terrified at the vicious cycle of events caused by the dearth of coal and the acute reduction in railway service.

Under these circumstances, no policy and no spirit on the part of the masses means nothing less than their ruin and death from hanger, The laborers the farmers and all other workers should form a united front to tide over the current crisis and defend themselves. The food corporations and other distributing organs should be democraticized, putting food control under rigid social supervision.

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 142 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

Further, food hoarders should be exposed and the redistribution of the hoarded food should be enforced. Thus, all priveleges in food distribution should be eliminated.

The most important of all is the political coalition of the farmers and the city workers, with joint responsibility for the democratization of JAPAN and social solidarity. At present, the will for delivery on the part of the farmers has been greatly cooled by the Government's lack of control and the vicious inflation, making the food situation all the more serious. We are not preaching to the farmers for more deliveries. Nevertheless, we want to remind them that menacing the life of the city workers will be in the end the destruction of their own life, hinder the democratic revolution, and lead JAPAN to a violent revolution and an anarchistic collapse. In order to prevent the worst, the workers and the farmers should rise up and create a single organization for the struggle. Without the stabilization of national life, there cannot be democracy.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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