Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0158, 1945-12-26.
Date26 December, 1945
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numbereditorial-0507
Call NumberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 158
ITEM 1 Whom to Choose - Provicial Newspaper, Hokkoku-Mainichi-Shimbun (Kanazawa 15
Dec. 45 Translator: K.
Sato.
Summary:
When the masses, pressed by hunger and suffering due to the tragedy of disastrous
defeat, have lost their hopes for the
future, it is potiti[illegible]that gives them the courage and vitality for restoration. Herein lies the
mission of the politison.
Neverthless, there has been inactivity in the Diet to such a degree that the Election
Law Reform Bill, the Farm land Reform
Bill, and the Labor Union Bill would not have passed had it not been for the instructions
issued by Supreme Headquarter.
This is due only to the vulgarity of the politicions. The political party in JAPAN
is based on the relation of leader and
followers, which differs but little from the gamblers' world. Their cliques consist
of spheres of influence, being far from
united by character or by similar views, and every matter is dominated and carried
out by means of financial power. Thus, it
is quite reasonable that the intellectual classes have been unwilling to co-operate
with them and became indiffer[illegible]toward politics. On the other hand, the politicians, taking advantage [illegible]the
situation, kept the intelligentsia in the distance, regarded them with contempt, and
themselves degenerated into meanness and
vulgarity.
Politics here after should never be entrusted to these party leaders. It is not their
private preserve. The masses of the
Nation should break down these evil traditions, however difficult the task may be.
The youth, the women, the intelligentsia,
should all enter politics with the aim of achieving their goal in the coming election.
In these days, so many parties are being organized that it is difficult for the Nation
to choose between them. However, it is
better that minor parties should spring out in excess than to see the old parties
dominat[illegible]Time
alone will adjust them, and natural selection will decide their future. Therefore,
we will vote in accordance with the
character of the candidates. In ISHKAWA-Ken and in KAGAWA-Ken, at least, opportunity
to acquire knowledge of the candidates'
personality is easily available. We sincerely hope that the educators, the intelligentsia,
and the cultu[illegible]groups will take positive steps with a view to sweeping away the feudalistic assemblymen.
ITEM 2 The Fundamental Problem of Unemployment - Provincial Newspaper Kochi Shimbun
(Kochi) - 16 Dec. 45
Translator: I. Hotta.
Summary:
Due to the fact that the number of the unemployed is increasing, a
EDITORIAL SERIES: 158 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
committee on the unemployment problem has been established in KOCHI-Ken How to devise
measures to meet this problem is very
serious, and the establishment of the committee must be considered a timely measure.
First of all, however, those who seek employment should change their ideas. The recent
employment statistics in KOCHI-Ken tell
us that most of the unemployed wanted to get white collar jobs which the employers
do not desire. Such a fact is also seen in
other cities in Northern KYUSHU. People seek white collar jobe although the employers
want to employ many laborers. The
present unemployment is not unavoidable nor pressing. It is really ridiculous for
us to be confronted by such a
phenomenou.
Those who seek white collar jobs belong to the intellectual class. They do not like
common labor. These idease, however,
should have been swept away during the war. A man who does not like to live by the
sweat of his brow can not be allowed to
exist in JAPAN today and such a person will not be able to get any job. Let him know
that an academic career or a title is not
considered much today. The committee should set to work with the firm idea that only
he who earnestly seeks a job will be able
to get one.
ITEM 3 On Female Suffrage - Provincial Newspaper Chugoku Shimbun (Hiroshima) 17 Dec.
45 Translator: Y.
Fbiike.
Summary
Women have been given the vote at last. Of course it is unreasonable to keep women
from partaking in the conduct of state
affairs. Without it they can only remain ignorant concerning political matters forever.
Some people oppose women suffrage,
saying that they do not yet have enough political ability to take part in the election
and therefore they may spoil a sound
development of constitutional government. However, it may be also said in the case
of mer. who also must be politically
re-educated.
Generally speaking, men are ambitious, like to argue, and spend almost all their
time ouside of their hoves. On the other hand
women are affectionate, hope for peace, and are attached to practical and domestic
life. Therefore, it is natural that
politics by men only should tend to go away from peace, neglect real life, and recklessly
lead to a war in the end as we have
just witnessed. We anticipate that women will correct such errors in state affairs
by imparting to politics such feminine
characteristics as we have mentioned above. We also expect that as the result of women's
enfranchisement, the common but basic
problems of everyday life will be debated more eagerly than ever, and suitable measures
to meet them will be taken up and put
into practice at once. Again, we insist that political education is now a pressing
need for all the people, especially women
when we consider their important roles in politics.
ITEM 4 The General Election and the Stabilization of Livelihood - Provincial Newspaper
Niigata Nippo
(Niigata) - 19. Dec. 45 Translator: K. Nagatan
Summary:
- 2 -
EDITORIAL SERIES: 158 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
The present Diet session discussed many live issues including the food problem, although
the stabilization of livelihoods with
which the nation is most concerned was not discussed much. Accordingly, to our great
regret, we failed to see a resolute
decision by the Government to cope with the dire privations and hardships now confronting
the general masses. The five year
financial plan proposed by Finance Minister SHIBUSAWA is considered by our people
no more than a paper plan.
What is the Government actually planning to insure the nations livelihood. The market
abounds in goods, food and other
necessities, while salaried men and wage laborers can not afford to buy them. The
steps the Government has taken since the end
of the war have not only been too weak to check soaring prices, but some of them actually
accentuated inflation.
First, the Government has not adopted any effective measure to weaken the purchasing
power of the people which was swollen
tremendously during the war. On the contrary, the Government paid indemnities for
the loss of armament works, resulting in the
further growth of purchasing power.
Second, the abolition by the Government of price control on daily necessities including
perishable goods caused a remarkable
rise in price
Third, the Government's measures to promote the production of consumers' goods are
not scientific and are full of
inconsistencies. Accordingly all production is still left in utter chaos.
Under these circumstances, the livelihood of all salaried men and wage laborers has
lost its stabilization and is on the point
of collapse. The only relief measure for this critical situation scorns to be raises
in salaries and wages. However, the
raising of salaries and wages will obviously be followed by a subsequent advance in
commodity prices. Thus we come to the
conclusion that in order to insure the livelihood of the general masses, a balance
must be established between prices and
wages.
Permanent measures must be rapidly executed. The abolishment of [illegible]bureaucratic control may well be
necessary, but the greater requisite is the stabilization of the currency value and
raises in the income of the laboring
classes in accordance with the newly stabilized currency value. Along this line concrete
measures and principles should be
established at once.
The present situation will be aggravated if control is abolished without preparations.
In order to stamp out inflation,
financial reform and consolidation of public loans are indispensable. The Government
is preparing to carry out a property tax
on a large scale. However, our situation is becoming increasingly worse. No delay
can be permitted.
We expect a news powerful Government supported by the will of the nation to replace
the present incompetent Government as soon
as possible,
- 3 -
EDITORIAL SERIES: 158 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
and to effect the stabilization of livelihoods. The Diet was dissolved and the general
election will be held in the near
future. Now is the time when the people should participate in politics through the
general election and link our livelihood
with politics to protect our right to live.
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