Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0160, 1945-12-26.

Summary:

The Government claims that surplus electricity is now available to the general public. But in reality the situation is quite different. The people in town, facing the Pacific, all expected the town authorities to take the leadership in salt production, but it was in vain. They did nothing but pass our circulars. Dissatisfied with this lethargic attitude, fellow-traders combined and formed a partnership for salt production. They asked for a supply of electricity from an electric company. But they were refused because the company itself is planning salt production on a large scale, and there may not be sufficient service wire for both enterprises.

I cannot find any justification for the attitude of the electric company, which is hampering the prompt manufacture of salt for the general consumer, simply because the company is planning to produce salt to meet the demands of its employes. I think the best way to solve this problem is for the company to improve its facilities. Electric companies have so far abused their privileges and are Bureaucratic. We must break down the bureaucracy of electric companies. (Resident in IZU.)

No. 2. Government relief for air raid sufferers : The statement that the TOKYO metropolitan Police would distribute clothing to air raid sufferers pleased me very much. I was awaiting the distribution and was very grateful to the authorities. One day, the head of our neighborhood association called on me and asked me to pay 119 yen, 70 sen for two coats, two pair of pants two shirts and two pair of socks (which is the share for four persons). The next day, Army coats completely worn out or patched, and dirty shirts were distributed. For a patched coat in that condition I was forced to pay as ouch as 80 yen. I hear this price includes 40% tax. I was surprised to find what the Government relief for air-raid sufferers amounted to. I cannot understand the intentions of the authorities which ask air raid sufferers to pay taxes on relief clothing.

Full translation:

December winds of this year make us feel, somehow, colder than in other years. War criminal suspects now in custody have trembled from the coldness of prisons and it serves then right. We are sure that the cold winds of defeat have made the bereaved families of the war deads, as well as demobilized soldiers and the unemployed feel colder. Gangs of burglars and murderers are prevalent and rampant in the gloomy streets. Those nights, old men and young women walking alone fall into many dangers.

EDITORIAL SERIES: 160 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Even strong men say that when they walk alone in dark places they feel uneasy.

This is a postwar phenomenon. Upper class people had deteriorated in morality during the war but they lost the power of deception as a result of the defeat. That their immorality affected lower class society is due to the fact that war responsibilities were not examined thoroughly. Even if the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Board inspects, and ministers and board heads talk about, the problem of public peace, full control of society cannot be exercised because of the police system, which is insufficient in equipment and men. Fundamental measures cannot be set up. Nevertheless, it will be even more fearful to let the situation continue as it is. It is necessary to take some measures for protection it present, we have a positive, voluntary vigilance system among, the people, a unit run by a town affairs association or a neighbor groops. Women were often mobilized this way for air defense in war time. In this case, it is different from the despotic system of the military clique, because citizens wish to safeguard their own existence. Men, young and middle aged, should do patrol duty in their towns. We must lift the drooped and depressed morale of policemen. It is the best policy to improve the present bureaucratic system of the police, giving them respect and a good chance to rise in the ranks.

Summary:

Mr. WU Lin, president of TA KUN PO (TN: A newspaper.) at CHUNGKING, stated that "If the Japanese people wish to continue the Emperor System, the supreme authority of the Emperor should be limited to only his title "Mr. WU, Lin is known to be very familiar with the Japanese language. At the beginning of the CHINA Incident he stayed in TIENTSIN. In order to reestablish friendly relations between CHINA and JAPAN he came to TOKYO. We should consider seriously the reason why this prominent authority on JAPAN was forced to go to CHUNGKING and why he expressed such an opinion as this. Of course, JAPAN is to blame. Particularly, we should blame[illegible]t those persons who, attending the throne, were so cautious as to prevent people from gaining the opportunity of reporting our national situation to His Majesty, the Emperor. It is said that even the late Prince KONOYE was permitted to report to the throne only [illegible]ce in three years during the war.

It was revealed that Mr. WU, Lin hopes, as in the past, that the two countries may contribute to the culture of the world by maintaining friendly relations with each other. Perhaps this feeling may not be his alone, but it may also be common throughout all the cultural circles in CHINA. On the other hand, the Allied Powers have made it clear that they do not want to treat the Japanese people as slaves. Such being the case, we Japanese should rise up more bravely and more powerfully, with courage and without resentment. Above all the enlightened persons in JAPAN should make every effort to find a more effective means of brightening the mood of the people.

Full translation:

A temporary commodity allowance was instituted by the Government as a temporary step for a 50 per cent increase in the average income of all

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 160 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

workers. It is needless to say that men with fixed incomes are at loss as to how to maintain their living standards, especially when faced by the continuous increase of commodity prices which has brought them to the brink of starvation. In view of this fact, the Government's step should be discussed in its economic, rather than its political, meaning. According, to the Government, the commodity allowance, which is limited to 100 yen per month, must be given in greater decree to the workers in proportion to their wages.

It was also announced by the Government that fundamental improvements in their treatment would be realized as a result of the administrative readjustment which would be carried out in April next year. In short, the salient points of the step are: an increase of income by 50 per cent for all workers, and the promise of a reasonable improvement in their treatment.

According to information issued by the Board of Information concurrently with the disclosure of these steps, "the livelihood, of those who depend, on salaries or wages is becoming more and more difficult due to the high prices of commodities. These high prices make it difficult to live property and threaten to cause social unrest."

Such an expression only displays the authorities' shallowness of comprehension of the real situation in our country. Take a concrete example: a man whose salary has been 100 yen or 200 yen will accordingly be paid 150 yen or 300 yen. Who can thus sustain his livelihood at a time when a family of four or five needs 1,000 yen per month to live? Such degree of improvement as illustrated is no key to the improvement of a livelihood. This is made clear by the triple or quadruple increase in wages demanded by the workers in recent strikes at the TOHO Movie Corporation, the OMIYA factory of the Governmental Railway and the TOKYO Express Transit Company. It is because of this shallow cognizance of the real situation on the part of the Government that we have been repeatedly denouncing the end of the war. The Government, which has been continuously sabotaging under the pretext of confusion, has been forced to retreat far from the front line at which the establishment of an active social policy is possible.

In discussing salaries or wages, it is necessary to make clear the account of the enterprises and the practical policies of their management. It will throw our future into confusion if we try to gloss over the present difficulties and force upon the enterprises too heavy and too large a burden. In this respect, the workers should be informed of the management and accounts of the enterprise. Consequently, participation of the workers in management becomes a necessary condition in the present state of affairs, and its realization will be a key to the solution of the wage problem, for it is not likely that an individual worker will try to increase his wage by disregarding the difficulties of the enterprise. Next, reasonable treatment will be enforced in April of next year in the form of a minimum wage law. We demand that the Government, in instituting this, make accurate calculations which will meet the expectations of a progressive public and which also will eliminate any fundamental menace to the livelihood. Such a step cannot be a question of wage increase alone; its close relationship to the stabilization of prices, and the establishment of an economic system, should be wished.

The workers' economic unrest will give rise to social unrest which will not remain fixed but will advance with the decrease of production power, and in such a situation as the present it will destroy the respects of reconstructing our country. We can never be too prudent in the settlement of this economic problem.

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