Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0176, 1945-12-29.
Date29 December, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0557
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 176
ITEM 1 Improvement of Allowances for Salaried Men - Provincial Newspaper - Shinano Mainichi Shimbun ([illegible]AG[illegible]O) 23 Dec 45. Translator: K. Ketel.
Summary:
The fixed prices have been abolished, and the free price system has pushed away the
old distribution system, but due to faulty
management, this new system has only widened the gulf between the rich and the poor.
At a time when the nation is anticipating
inflation, regulations to restrain allowances, such as the war wage regulation, are
still in existence.
The life of salaried men is precarious. The recent amendment on wages for officials,
company employes, and common workers
ought to better their precarious situation. According to this amendment, the minimum
emergency allowance of an official who
receives less than 100 yen is fixed at 50 yen or 50 to 60 per cent of his salary -
whichever is greater. The allowance for one
family member will be raised members and an income of 100 yen a month, will get an
allowance of more than 100 yen. Whether
this is sufficient or not remains to be seen. To salaried man, however, even if he
is pleased by this new amendment of wages,
will bitterly feel the sudden rise of prices. The unhealthy relation of commodity
prices and income has been testified to
theoretically and practically.
On the other hand, along with this wage increase the Government may carry out further
improvements.
- 1.This subsistence improvement must be extended to include the general means of livelihood, such as food and clothing. It must be realized that over-burdened, low-salaried workers do not have any gurantee on prices for their living, as opposed to the so-called unemployed who are making profits by black marketeering and intermediate dealings.
- 2.Industries produceing goods demanded by the people must be revived and promoted. Then, the above-mentioned amendment on salaries will help maintain the workers on their jobs and mitigate the fear of inflation. The inactivity of industries does not depend on the lack of labor but on lack of material and funds.
- 3.A balance of purchasing power must be guaranteed. The fact that the required amount of earned money is insufficient for minimum purchasing power will not be relieved until the profit and property taxes are carried out.
- EDITORIAL SERIES: 176 (Continued) ITEM 1 (Continued)
- 4.A level for commodity prices must be fixed. If the Government does not do something to support the misery of wage earners, the protests of these miserable people against the Government are justified. If these proposed improvements are to be carried out, however, they must first be adjusted to the immediate conditions.
ITEM 2 Planned Consumption of Food - Tokyo Shimbun - 25 Dec 45. Translator: H. Arai.
Full Translation:
The more aggravated food distribution becomes, the more carefully should consumption
be planned. In order to have planned
consumption, the source of the food supply itself must be insured. Minister of Agriculture
and Forestry KAWAI has deplored the
fact that items mentioned in the domestic rice-supply register are not at all clear.
Only the amount of rice delivered is
entered in the register, and the amounts of other foods delivered in advance are often
obscure.
The duty for food distribution can be estimated fairly closely. Nevertheless, distribution
is always delayed from ten days to
half a month after the designated day. In addition, the amount distributed is always
about 30 per cent less than the promised
amount. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to make any plans for food distribution.
We cannot live on air. The actual state of affairs is that we are paying any price
demanded for food. It is obvious how long
the present conditions will continue. The authorities must recognize that Allied Headquarters'
authorities have pointed out
that the major food cricis in JAPAN is not caused by the absolute shortage of food,
but by its maldistribution. At present the
rich can eat to their hearts' content, but the general public cannot obtain even a
few sweet potatoes. The maintenance of
public peace is impossible under such conditions.
It is reasonable for the general public to wonder if the authorities who deal in
a food should live on the food which they are
supposed to distribute, but there is no use getting angry about it now. In addition
to theoretical plans, we must make a few
concrete improvement at once in order to make possible the planning of proper distributions.
ITEM 3 (1) A Food Import Bill (2) To Demobilized Black Market Dealers - Mainichi Shimbun - 26 Dec 45. Translator: M. Kawanabe.
Full Translation:
According to the government program concerning collateral for imported food, the
government will prepare for the export of
commodities amounting to three billion yen for this and the next fiscal year. However,
it is quite unknown who will produce
these commodities. Take silk production for instance. Sericulturists are eager to
secure food and are very busy rooting up
mulberry trees, an act which is quite contrary to Government policy. Government officials,
after
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
making a plan for get about its execution, and make no effort to stimulate production
and shipment of collateral goods.
In order to encourage producers, effective steps should be taken. We propose here
an issuance of a "Food Import Bill" to cover
every koku of imported rice. Receipts in accordance with the estimated value will
be given to these who ship products
specified as collateral by the Allied Powers. When the Government redeems these receipts,
it will deliver to the holders 16 to
20 per cent of the face values of the receipts in imported rice.
In such a step is not taken, I am sure the production and shipment of collateral
goods will not go smoothly. The proposal
mentioned here is only one example; I hope a better plan will be proposed. This will
be a key to the solution of the question
of whether or not the expected imports of food will be realized aid whether or not
the Japanese can tide over the present food
crisis.
(Letter from HAGIWARA, Mitsuhiro, TOKYO)
II
Black-market dealers who were once members of the Army and Navy! I have a word to
say to you as your old comrade at the front.
You are selling three sardines for one yen, three dried persimmons for ten yen. Before
I can congratulate you on your
prosperous work I must profess my strong hatred for you. You are a perfect picture
of avarice! It is a pitiful sight to see
you behave in such a way. You were once patriots, you have physical strength worthy
of your youth, and your hearts must be
still burning with the flame of passion. Why don't you get honest work?
Why do you defy the dignity of labor and shun glorious work? You may say an honest
job will not improve your livelihood.
However, it is the ordeal which the defeat of the war has brought upon us. Remember
the mental state in which you listened to
the Imperial Declaration announcing the Termination of the War. If you cannot abondon
your black-marketing at all, take off
your old navy and army caps, which still retain the insignia of your rank. There is
no reason why black market dealers should
retain their rank!
(Letter from demobilized soldier)
ITEM 4 Expectation for the Unification of CHINA - Yomiuri Hochi - 26 Dec. 45. Translator: S. Ota.
Full Translation:
General MARSHALL, special envoy from the UNITED STATES to CHINA, arrived in CHONGKING
with generalissimo CHIANG, Kaishek on 22
December. There, representatives of the Chinese Communist Party and other parties
have been making ready for the coming
political conference, due to open formally 25 December. The aim of this conference
is, of course, the settlement of the
Nationalist-Communist conflict, the dissolution of the Communist Army and the establishment
of a unified government. It is
clear that compromise is somewhat difficult for both Nationalists and Communists,
yet it must be noted that both parties are
looking forward with anticipation toward its settlement.
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
In regard to this problem, the NEW YORK Herald Tribune reporter in CHUNGKING points
out: 1. the pressure of UNITED STATES
diplomacy shown in President TRUMAN's statement and the dispatch of General MARSHAIL
to CHINA: 2. unified Chinese public
opinion opposing the internal war: 3. the fact that both the Nationalists and Communists
have become conscious of the fact
that it is impossible for them to realize their aims by military means. The reporter
comments that the issue is very hopeful,
although he thinks that there should not be excessive optimism.
As was mentioned before, President TRUMAN's statement is being used as a guide for
the negotiations. Moreover, General
MARSHALL is a most able man and can probably wield much influence, TRUMAN's statement
outlined principles for the suspension
of internal strife and assured the Chinese that "the UNITED STATES recognizes the
present National Government as the only
Government in CHINA". On the other hand, he stresses that "the UNITED STATES is aware
that the present National Government is
formed by only one political party. We believe that peace, unification, and democratic
reform will be more advanced if other
political parties within the country are allowed to participate".
With regard to dissolution of the Chinese Communist Array, it was stated: "For establishing
a more extensive, representative
government, this army should be broken up and reorganized into the Chinese National
Army." It may be said that the full
meaning of the principles suggested is brought out in the words, "for establishing
a more extensive representative
government."
CHOU, En Lai, Vice-commander of the Chinese Communist Party, stated that the outstanding
difficulty in unifying CHINA is that
the National Government insists the Communist Army must be disbanded first and the
unification of parties, effected later. The
Communist Party would prefer it in the reverse order of course. It may be supposed
that General MARSHALL has a new positive
idea for the unification of CHINA.
Thus, the realization of the unification of CHINA has become more hopeful with TRUMAN's
statement and the arrival of
ambassador MARSHALL in CHINA. No one can deny the leadership of CHINA over the Asiatic
countries. The unification and
democratization of CHINA is the most influential factor in democratic movements of
all Asiatic countries. From this point of
view, we expect much from the success of the coming conference. Moreover, we hope
that plans for the unification of CHINA will
be developed and the democratic revolution of all the Asiatic countries will be given
spiritual leadership by CHINA.
ITEM 5 Forecasts and Consequences - Asahi Shimbun - 26 Dec 45. Translator: H. Arai.
Full Translation:
After something has happened somebody always says that he had foretold it. Most people
say, they knew before the outbreak of
the war that the chances were against JAPAN. moreover, all those who have returned
from defeated GERMANY or ITALY say they
understood long ago that Nazism and Fascism was doomed, and that HITLER and MUSSOLINI
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
were alinated from their peoples and destined to be furied in oblivion, They also
said that the [illegible]ripartite Pact was nothing but a coalition among the rulers, and the combined power
of the three nations was not
strengthened by it. Therefore, considering the state of affairs in each country, they
should not have been hostile to the
Allied Powers. It was like a fly trying to bite the tortoise. As to the uselessness
and the danger of JAPAN's foreign policy
toward the Allied Powers, they gave repeated warnings to the Japanese Government.
Nevertheless, the home Government paid no
heed. In consequence, JAPAN has not a thorough defeat. Everyone knows that a dictator
is alienated from his people, and a pact
among dictators does not mean a real coalition of nations. We must make it impossible
for dictators to appear in the political
world again.
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