Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0211, 1946-01-07.
Date7 January, 1946
translation numbereditorial-0655
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 211
ITEM 1 Producers and Consumers - Mainichi Shimbun - 5 January 1946. Translator: H. [illegible]rai.
Full Translation
It may well be said that the increse of burglars, who have banded together to break
into other people's houses, and the
appearance of black market dealers, who are dealing in goods at exorbitant prices
in the streets, are the two greatest evils
of the present phase of life in defeated JAPAN. When the conditions of society become
stable, such groups are sure to
disappear. However, far from disappearing, they are presently likely to increase.
When everybody thinks for himself about what
to do, he finds that he is unable to carry out plans. If he does not think he should
take steps by himself and gets others to
help him, he will be able to find ways to break the present situation.
Almost all burglars or black market dealers have formed into groups. As a means of
overcoming the food situation, this is
understandable, but no exactly beneficial to others.
It is true that the capitalists were saboteurs. However, a way has now been found
to make them active. The workers have formed
labor unions and pressed them for work.
Hearing of the black, market dealers' private circumstances, we understand that normal
transactions would be impossible under
existing circumstances. Customers were lost as a result of the retrenchment of enterprise,
and wholesale stores were wiped out
by air raids.
The street dealers who were night stall operators in former days, are traditionally
proud of their trade; therefore, they
don't make unreasonable profits. It is due to the high cost of goods that the selling
price is so high. The high cost of goods
is due to the high price of rice being traced in illicit transactions.
Among the street dealers, those who are making exorbitant profits are only the casual
traders. They lack the moral sense of
merchants and think that the higher the prices are, the more profits they can make.
When one who is enraged at then deals in
the same articles at lower, prices, buyers suspect that there are faults in the articles.
We hear that an article wasn't sold
at a low price but that it brought a higher price in another place.
The producers and consumers must form unions or consumers' associations and have
regular transactions with each other.
Otherwise, they will not escape from the present situation.
ITEM 2 On New Year's Day In Connection with Building a New Japan - Provincial Newspaper, Kochi-Shimbun (Kochi) - 1 January 1946. Translator: S. Inoue.
EDITORIAL SERIES: 211 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
Summary:
How shall we discuss this New Year? This year is one in which hardships and poverty
must be borne. We must realize on New
Year's Day that, although the war in over, another bloodless war will have to be fought
for peace and rehabilitation, in the
name of a cultured and moral state.
President TRUMAN said on the first Chirstmas Day after the end of the war, "We, along
with conquered enemies, must endeavor to
establish a permanent peace, and winning a peace is as hard as winning a war." This
is a message sent to nations all over the
world, rather than to the American people alone. At least, this is the year for us
to carry out the principles of this
message. The suggestion is that the establishment of a peaceful moral state is as
difficult as defeating a nation by force of
arms. What makes it worse for us than for the Allied Nations, is that we are handicapped
by the many burdens imposed upon a
conquered people. The imposition of reparations is one of them. As was revealed by
an interim report on reparations by Mr.
PAULEY, they are very heavy. However heavy they may be, we must bear the burden and
achieve full payment as a responsibility
imposed upon the whole Nation.
We have far more problems, politically and economically, to be dealt with at home;
politically—revision of the Constitution,
enforcement of a general election, and the problem of the Emperor System; economically—measures
for the currency,
stabilization of the prices of commodities, and the problem of unemployment. Moreover,
there are the problems concerning food
and war damages, which must be solved immediately.
Thus, more difficult problems succeed previous ones. However, as we go on solving
these problems, our reponsibility for the
war will lessen, and we may be able to derive some benefit from a world peace, built
upon the POTSDAM Declaration, in order to
clear away for the establishment of a new JAPAN. We feel very glad and at the same
time bound by duty to realize that this
will be attained neither by the policies nor the directions of militarists or bureaucrats,
but by the concentrated democratic
powers, wielded by a nation of 80,000,000 people.
When we try to form a new JAPAN on a cultural and moral basis, in accordance with
the spirit of a national mission, we must be
thoroughly inbued with democracy. In this sense, this is the year for a thorough democratization
of the Japanese nation. This
must, of course, be realized in the actual management of the coming general election
in accordance with the revised Election
Law, and in the agricultural problems, according to the agricultural Lands Reform
Law, as well as the labor problems through
the enforcement of the Laborers Union Law. We must realize that the first New Year
for JAPAN in defeat is, in this way, of the
greatest significance to us.
ITEM 3 Construction With Our Own Hands - Tokyo Shimbun - 5 January 1946. Translator: S. Ota.
Full Translation:
The construction of new JAPAN must be undertaken by the Japanese Nation itself. The
Nation stands at a loss with so much
burden imposed upon it. The people could not find a way to proceed unless they were
given directives from Allied Headquarters.
Such was their miserable status. Allied Headquarters ordered the complete abolishing
of feudalism, mysticism without
scientific basis, the unreasonable idea of the superiority of the race, militarism
and the privilege of some classes or
strata. This suggests that any steps forward by new JAPAN must be
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 211 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
made by the nation itself. What have we done thus far to cope with those directives?
The Government is bent upon following directives ordered by Allied Headquarters.
They ignore any efforts to oppose fate. This
may also be said of the people. They have spent the past five months since the war's
end idly in absent-mindedness, their only
effort being to cry about the coming food crisis or to bestir themselves in getting
food. Is the reconstruction of JAPAN
possible under such conditions?
The obstructions which hindered the construction of democratic and peaceful JAPAN
have been removed by Allied Headquarters.
Furthermore, if we take advantage of the prestige and power of Allied Headquarters,
we think that it would be to our own
detriment. When we look at the directives hitherto issued by Allied Headquarters,
we are rather astonished by the fact that
they are attentive. They are formulated as if they were teaching a thoughtless child.
Is the Government or the Nation ashamed
at receiving such attentive directives? If there is anyone who still needs to be aided
by the Allied Powers, he is surely not
qualified to undertake the great task of building the new JAPAN as an independent
country.
The situation of JAPAN since the war's end is not an easy one, of course. The obstacles,
at least those in sight, have been
removed. Yet the groundwork for constructing the new JAPAN, as well as the plan to
lay the cornerstones, is left for the
future. These must be accomplished by the Japanese Nation itself. However kindly the
parents may lead a child, he cannot walk
unless he himself makes an effort to walk. Is JAPAN or her people so feeble that she
cannot make the effort?
We exhausted our energies in the past. Moreover, we did so for an unworthy cause,
in executing the war, which was completely
lost. Thus, it may be rather natural that we are disappointed and have lost our self-confidence.
However, the new aim has been
set before us. This aim is quite different from the ambitions of the past which were
betrayed by revelation of reality. Our
new objective is a hopeful one, that is, the construction of democratic and peaceful
JAPAN. The way to this objective is not a
smooth one. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to rach this objective if we work diligently
by ourselves. Let us cease relying
on other nation's power from now on! Of course, we must obey the orders from the Allied
Powers. However, we must seek the way
by ourselves before we are ordered to do so by the Allied Powers.
ITEM 4 The Public Market - Tokyo Shimbun - 5 January 1946. Translator: B. Ishibashi.
Summary:
Mr. MATSUMURA, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, in replying to a question at
the 89th Diet admitted the necessity of
establishing public markets. The Public market system was established in our country
at the end of the TAISHO Era as a result
of the rice riots, which were caused by the maladministration of the erstwhile Agricultural
Minister, NAKAKOJI. The rioters
sought fair rice prices. I think that the establishment of public markets is one of
the most important measures which our
Nation must take to check the present dangerous inflation. I have no time to dwell
on the conditions of the public markets of
that time. At any rate, it is necessary that consumers should be supplied with commodities
at reasonable prices. Public
markets are sure to be efficient in giving the public practical lessons as to what
fair prices are.
While prices are now publicized by broadcasting, the efficiency of this method is
doubtful because the general public has come
to the
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 211 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
stage where it has little knowledge of the quality of goods. Prices should be made
known to the public, and at the same time,
genuine goods should be specially marked. In the suggested public market system, leaflets
were distributed to instruct the
public on how to discriminate in determining the quality of goods. Of course, prices
are settled by the elements, and supply
and demand; however, the official price system of today is unreasonable and does not
fit the real state of affairs. At
present, because of shortages, the prices of goods of superior quality are unsettled,
while goods of inferior quality are sold
at exorbitant prices. here is no stability in our price system. High prices would
be natural if they were due only to the
shortage of goods, and so unduly high prices should be regulated. I hope that public
markets will be established, as soon as
possible so that their prices may be set at a reasonable level and prices, in general,
may become normal.
Public markets were abolished at the beginning of the SHOWA Era. This happened only
because the price in the markets became
similar to the general ones. At any rate, the public market system should be taken
up as an important national measure. In
putting it into practice, use could be made of the black markets, now found everywhere
in our country. Their development
should be assisted by sending officials to decide on fair prices. If public markets
were established on a par with black
markets, it is likely that there would be many kinds of goods of superior quality
in the black markets and too little in the
public markets. Such being the case, it is necessary to establish markets which will
conduct business fairly and to make them
take the lead. I hope that public markets may be established as soon as possible,
so that goods may be circulated openly and
in abundance. (Letter from ITOKAWA, Shozo.)
DISTRIBUTION: "X"
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