Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0284, 1946-01-22.

Full Translation:

Ten yen for five sardines, five yen for a cuttle-fish! And the price of sea-bream, or tunny, is absolutely beyond our imagination. Upon inquiry, we were informed that the high prices are a result of the profiteering of fishermen rather than of fishmongers. In KYOTO, it is rumored that 70 per cent of the pleasure-seekers are fishermen. The shortage of fishermen, fishing boats, and oil has raised the price of fish, and it has made many newly-rich. We offer here a plan to mobilize sailors, engineers, and all other ex-personnel of the Navy, into the fisheries.

Among the demobilized ex-servicemen, there are many unemployed, who are now in danger of becoming black market merchants or burglars. There are many left on solitary islands in the South Seas who wish to return home as soon as possible. The total number may amount to several hundred thousand. If the applicants, among them, who ere fishermen, could be repatriated soon others would follow them in succession. As they were all trained at sea, they will not need long service in training for work on rough seas, and they will become readily accustomed to the unskilled work of fisheries.

However, there a question of boats and oil. The boats can be manufactured, or perhaps LST's can be borrowed, by appealing to the kindness of the American Forces. Oil, also, can be requested from AMERICA.

Rice, wheat, potatoes and all other products of the soil have their limitations, but aquatic products are never-failing. Especially, in recent years, our adjacent waters have teemed with fish, therefore, the scarcity of marine products, and the high prices are only due to the lack of proper planning. If we count the bottlenecks, they will be limitless. Therefore we must, first of all, exert our efforts to secure the absolute maximum number of products, by planning carefully, rather than by playing with a control system. If this is not done, the marine products, as for as we are concerned, will not be available.

Full Translation:

The Government has decided that rigorous steps will be taken in order to ensure sale of rice by farmers to the State. The project must be considered a bureaucratic maneuver whereby the authorities are conniving to camouflage their poor policies and shift the burden of overcoming the food crisis to the shoulders of the farmers. The Social-Democrat Party and the Communist Party are both offering strong opposition to this project, declaring that they will begin the struggle at once.

EDITORIAL SERIES: 284 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The formation of popular front, which has so far been lagging is apparently being realized with respect to the food problem. Throughout the country, labor unions are presently being organized and are opening their struggle for the achievement of democracy and the protection of the workers' right to live. As the organization progresses, the labor unions are actually advancing toward the realization of a united front. For example, the formation of labor unions in each industry is imminent. Concerning the food problem, too, a joint movement is now being organized. Thus, these movements toward democracy which have just begun to acquire a measure of freedom are increasing their powers by extending their spheres of activity.

In this way, the people's movement for the achievement of democracy is now becoming an accomplished fact; nevertheless, to our great regret, a nation-wide popular front is not yet formed. For this the Social-Democrat Party should be held responsible. That Party has so far rejected the proposal of the Communist party to form a popular front. As is demonstrated by the decision of their central executive committee on 16 January, the Social-Democrat Party refused to join with the Communist Party simply because the organization of both parties is not yet completed. Nevertheless, in its decision, the Social-Democrat Party is admitting the fact that the general situation today is already ripe for a popular front. Accordingly, it is quite obvious that the Social-Democrat Party is hesitating to form a popular front for fear of, possible internal disturbances. This means that the leading officials of the Social-Democrat Party are overvaluing its political power and are still somewhat bureaucratic. Here lurks the biggest danger for that Party, which professes to be the party of the masses.

Now that the purge directive by SCAP on 4 January has crushed the center of the Progressive Party and dealt a fairly severe blow to the Liberal Party, the Social-Democrat Party appears to be confident of becoming the majority party after the general election.

In all fairness, however, this Party, too, was dealt a blow by the directive - a blow no less severe than the blows at other bourgeois parties. Even during the war, which was carried out under feudalistic oppression, the majority of the officers of the Party were legally permitted to exist. Some of them mere positive in supporting the military clique and were also bureaucrats. Accordingly, as long as the Social Democratic Party does not venture to purge itself, it is questionable whether or not it will succeed in winning the leadership of the general public. Sooner or later, the internal disturbances within the Party will be revealed before the people. Thus it is a mistake for the Social-Democrats to overvalue their political power.

Meanwhile, the strongest point of the Communist Party lies in the fact that the members are not in the least responsible for the war. The leaders of the present Communist Party have been groaning in prison for nearly twenty years; nevertheless, they have refused to abandon their ideas. Such persistence in the minds of the Japanese Communists has no equal in the political history of the world, and proves the strong will of the Japanese race. As the dark records of the previous militaristic administration are brought to light and as feudalistic powers over the people are abolished, the Communist Party is rapidly winning popularity. Thus, the present situation does not allow the Social-Democrat Party to monopolize the honor of being the party of the masses.

On the return of NOZAKA, Sanzo, with his abundant experience in politics, the Communist Party has adopted principle of popularizing communistic movements, thus creating a considerable stir in every stratum of Japanese society. Under these circumstances, should not the Social-Democrat Party join with the [illegible]Party to form[illegible]popular front as early as possible?

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 284 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

We emphaziae earlier, the better!

The Social-Democrat Party is proclaiming, "The Communist Party is abhorrent to the ideas of people." In the present Communist Party, however, there is hardly a vestige of its being a secret circle as in the past when all communistic activities were strictly prohibited.

Since our democratic movement, which is induced by force of the Potsdam Proclamation, is still on the way toward completion, the movement should be popularized as much as possible. In this light, these is an urgent need for joint action by the Social-Democrat Party, the Communist Party and all sorts of liberal association and movements. At the same time, positive steps should be taken in advance to prevent any bureaucratic manipulation or interference. An organization truly dependent upon the masses must be achieved.

Full Translation:

The investigation of truth or the study of science must necessarily be linked with progress. The progress of society means nothing but a step forward to a more rational society. It is progressive to convert a feudal and militaristic society into a democratic one. This is because the latter society is far more rational than the former and its development means a step forward toward a more rational society. The investigation of truth or the study of science has as its object the exclusion of irrationality and an approach to rationality. More particularly, the object of investigating social science is to study rationality in every phase of politics, economy, and literature. In such a manner, the study of science must necessarily be linked with progressivism, because both have as an object, a step forward to rationality.

Needless to say, the duty of a university is to search for truth, or make a profound study of the sciences. Accordingly, its attitude toward society must be always progressive. If a university is reactionary, it is because it has either neglected to study science or because it is constituted of elements who have no ability to seek truth. A university is organically related to the Nation. Above all, a government university is based upon law, and is managed on the national budget; therefore, its progressivism is undemiably restricted to some degree.

A university's leanings, however, must be always more progressive than the general tendency of the country. When a country is generally progressive, a university must lead in its development. When a country is wholly reactionary, even though it should prove impossible to withstand the forces of reaction above, the university must remain in opposition until the very last. Did our universities endeavor to check militarism end reaction in JAPAN?

When the theory, "the Emperor is only en organ" was rejected, none of the professors who were convinced of its right were stood in opposition. Such an attitude of the university obviously cannot be said to be rational or progressive. For instance, the arrest of the professors was a result of the reactionary professors informing the authorities about the activities of the progressive professors. This was outrageous conduct. Of the professors who were involved in the affair, those of the TOKYO Imperial University were exempted from suspension from office, and those of the private universities, immediately after the affair, were ordered to retire from office without being declared guilty or not guilty. When the affair was settled and all the professors were

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 284 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

declared not guilty, the faculty meeting of the Economic Department of the TOKYO Imperial University unanimously opposed their reappointment. Judging from these affairs, our universities were not only far from being the last bulwark against reaction, but also played a role which promoted the reactionary tendencies. Where is the true cause for reaction in a university whose duty is to be progressive?

One of th[illegible]most important causes lies in the fact that the university lacked sincerity in its search for truth, and the professors had no ability to study science. In other words, the university was composed of incompetent faculty members. Not really being faithful to science, they had no will to oppose the inorganic development of society. The Law Deportment of TOKYO Imperial University composed of incompetent professors, for example, was not so reactionary as the Economic Department whose faculty was also imcompetent; private universities were even more reactionary.

How, then, could so many incompetents have remained in the universities? There are many causes, one of which was the fact that their salaries were too low, and the salaries of the assistant, professors were next to nothing. Under such limitations, it has become a rule that only the beourgeoisic can become professors, since a professor cannot live without some other source of income. It is therefore quite natural that those most interested in seeking truth are not in the universities.

We must do away with the incompetent professors and improve conditions. But the solution should not be confined only to the betterment of conditions. Of all civilized nations, JAPAN had been closest to government subsidy for cultural pursuits. In order to construct a new and cultured JAPAN, these expenditures must be increased above any other. The treatment of professors must be bettered and universities must become shelters for progressive thought. In this way we can establish the foundation for a cultured JAPAN.

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