Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0161, 1945-12-26.

Author Supreme Commander for The Allied Powers. Allied Translator and Interpreter Section.

Date26 December, 1945

translation numbereditorial-0515

call numberDS801 .S82

Persistent Identifier
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS
ALLIED TRANSLATOR AND INTERPRETER SECTION
PRESS TRANSLATIONS
No. 515 Date: 26 Dec 45

EDITORIAL SERIES: 161

ITEM 1 On the Emperor's Family - Yomiuri-Hochi - 24 Doc 45. Translator: K. TAKAHASHI.

Extracts:
The "YAMATO Lineage" (TN Race to which the Emperor's family belonges) which has been in existence for more than 3,000 years as the leading family of the people, is revealed in its true shape by the study of historical science composed of archaeology, folk-lore, ethnology, antropology etc. The Science indicates that the Emperor's family arose from a chieftain who achieved his rank after the conquest of the YAMATO district. Therefore it is not of our stock but on contrary, of an enemy and conqueror, a descendant of other races. The reason for the unbroken succession of the "YAMATO Lineage" until now is due partly to JAPAN'S topography. She is an insular country and naturally excluded foreigners. Consequently, she was hardly affected by influence from the main lands. This helped the lineage avoid any remarkable reformations.
The Emperors lost their political power and lived wretched lives by means of selling manuscripts or odes etc, during eras of MUROMACHI and SENGOKU. In the age of the TOKUGAWA Shogunate, their pittance from SHOGUN was only 30,000 Kaku of rice a year and they were restricted severly by "Court Noble Regulations" and other laws. Hence, the conception of the people about the idea of the Emperor at that time differed not a little from that after the MEIJI Era when the absolute system of the Emperor was promulgated by the MEIJI Government.
Dr. BERTZ, a German physician who stayed in JAPAN for a long time, states in his diary that there were so few who hoisted the national flag at the Emperor's birthday in (1877), that constables were compelled to visit every door to make the people do so.
Now I will write down uncounted facts in the history of the Emperor System.
The Emperor System in the ancient ages was directly connected with the people as the absolute monarch and the people's enemy. The tyranny of Emperors YURAKU and BURETSU, described in NIHON SHOKI (TN old history book,) was notorious. The former was so cruel that he dared to rip the stomach of a pregnant woman. Moreover we can cite many instances of sufferings of the people in the odes of
EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
MANNYOSHU. (TN old anthology).
In the medieval ages, the Emperor System had already become a mere family. However, men of influence used to exploit the Emperors in their struggles for power.
In the TOKUGAWA Era, anti-Shogunate forces did not hesitate to make use of the Emperor as their weapon against the SHOGUN. The SHOKYU Incident by the ex-Emperor GOTOBA and the KEM[illegible]U Restoration by Emperor GODAIGO were civil wars caused by and for the sake of the upper class, and inflicted on the people the destitution of war calamities and heavy taxes.
After the MEIJI Era, the SATSUMA and CHOSHU clans were successful in completing the MEIJI Restoration and former an allied feudalistic government which restored the Emperor's family and organized the absolute system of the Emperor. They made a cat's paw of this system, bound themselves up with it, and won success in constructing the foundations of capitalism. The new capitalism was built up at the sacrifice of the farmers and workers resulting from the disguised rationalization of feudalistic farm-tenancy. The [illegible]peror himself was also successful in taking advantage of the confusion when clans were abolished and prefectures were established. He, with the intention of reviving his family from the privation of long years, deprived the farmers of vast areas of farmlands and forests, leaving thousands hungry. The incessant aggressive wars since the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars were undoubtedly brought about in the nine of the Emperor System, The Emperor, concurrently, Generalissimo, was always the leader of wars and people died for the benefit of the limited leading class thought they believed their death was for the sake of the Emperor.
The Emperor System, which has continued to cheat the people under the excuse of cooperation, that is" the Emperor is benevolence itself", must not be permitted to evade the crime of having suppressed the arguments of the farmers and workers against the exploting class. The Mistreatment of democratic movements, regarding them as rebellious, and the merciless exercise of the peace regulations should not be forgotten because they are all executed in the name of the Emperor System. Having exploited the people and crushed co[illegible]onial nations, the Emperor System has gratified its ambitions with, and as a representative of, the Zaibatsu, the military clique and the landowners.
While the people have been thrown into the greatest destitution in their history by the defeat, the Emperor System shows no intention of striving to settle this problem, and seems even more absorbed in excusing itself from the war responsibility as well as in retaining its present status. We are sure that the Emperor System is our Enemy. (Contributed by a Communist, [illegible]KI Yu)

ITEM 2 The Government's Responsibility for the Increase in Coal Production Asahi-Shimbun - 24 Dec 45 - Translator: T. UNAYA[illegible]A.

Full Translation:
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
The coal shortage in JAPAN is becoming more and more severe and General Headquarters of the Allied Forces has again emphasized that the Japanese Government should bear the responsibility for coalmining.
The Government has already announced that is has undertaken the necessary distribution of food for the additional ration for coalminers, but the distribution to the stores at the coal-mines has not yet increased.
Explosives and lubricating oil which had been supplied by the Allied Forces have not yet arrived owing to delay in transport. The mine operators have evaded their responsibilities under the pretext that unless the price of coal is raised they can not consider its paying proposition and accordingly the increase in coal production is hopeless.
After the world panic in 1929, when MANCHISTER goods came into competition with low-priced Japanese goods, the Prince of Wales visited the cotton-spinning districts to appeal to the workers for an increase in production. It is, of course, necessary to consider whether taking the same measures is suitable to the present circumstances in JAPAN, but at this time every means should be taken.
Now that things have come to such a past, such a measure as sending a Chamberlain to the coal-mining districts will be of no use. However every means such as those undertaken for the achievement of the war's end, should be utilized to increase coal production.

ITEM 3 An Unfortunate Custom Increase of Coal Production & Sincerity - 24 Dec 45 - Mainichi Shimbin. Translator: Y.A.SUZUKI.

Summary:
To strike a man is one of the unfortunate customs which makes Japanese culture so low and uncivilized. The Japanese themselves do not think the action as bad, as foreigners, who claim it is an unfor[illegible]giveable outrage upon personal rights. If it was quite natural for a father to strike his child, a teacher to slap his student, and a policeman to hit people, imagine how much more the soldiers have to suffer. Some foolish officers and non-commissioned officers considered that striking their men was one way of training them to become tough. For example, if something wrong was done by one man in a sound, all the men, guilty or not, would be ordered to line up in two columes and required to slap each other's face with a leather shoe until they were bloody. Not only slapping but other brutal tortures were performed without compunction. Therefore, the war criminals now being tried for brutal treatment towards war prisoners, may not have committed these barbaric acts because of hatred, or to trampel on personal rights, but because of this unfortunate custom of ours, of course, brutal treatment of war prisoners is an inexcusable crime, and it cannot be wondered that the majority of our military are shunned because of their low and uncivilized acts. Nevertheless, there must be some difference between acting voluntarily and committing a crime as the result of, a custom.
If my opinion would help the impartial American court members to judge fairly, nothing would make mw happier. (From KUIAJIMA, Take jiro
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 161 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Increasing Coal Output and Sincerity.
Many officers and non-commissioned officers who have struck, kicked, bled, and brutally trampled the soldiers who sacrifice themselves for victory, are now coming back as demoblized men. I am positive that they will excuse themselves by saying that they acted brutally in order to manifest devotion for their country. It has been said that the officers who struck the soldiers had more devotion than the men who were beaten.
There is no way of knowing how much these devoted demoblized officers and non-commissioned officers think of their country. Consequently, if they, with their hearts filled with devotion, would charge into the coal mines, it would not be long before we would be able to fulfil our aim of increased coal production. (From MIYOSHI)
DISTRIBUTION "X".
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