Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0288, 1946-01-23.

Full Translation:

The new minister of agriculture, SOEJIMA, disclosed that he is in an awkward predicament, stating, "I knew formerly how to administer provisions, but I have no experience in administering such a critical food situation as JAPAN now faces. I shall, accordingly, be unable to fulfill my weighty task without the co-operation of interested Government offices, to say nothing of the consumers and producers."

We may say that this statement makes us feel that the new minister is unworthy of managing such an important national problem as food administration. He also seems to expect producers and consumers to administer foods voluntarily. It is said that the Minister SOEJIMA was appointed to that position on the recommendation of MIITSUCHI, the new home minister, who has a good record in finance and agriculture. SOEJIMA is likely to depend upon the political power of Home Minister MITSUCHI, since the Home Minister and the Minister of Agriculture should co-operate with each other to hasten the delivery of rice and other foods.

We do not know whether it is caused by impressions or not, but some members of the ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have betrayed their dissatisfaction with the new minister. NAMIKAWA, the president of the Board of Food Rationing, has tendered his resignation, and those heads of sections who have advanced views are equally dissatisfied with the Minister. These facts foretell for us many possible difficulties in the delivery problem and in urgent food adninistration problems. We think we can say that the combination of MITSUCHI with SOEJIMA is too conservative.

The delivery of rice has given no satisfactory results, and the amount of rice offered in HIROSHIMA is so small that it is almost equivalent to half that of an average year. Everybody recognized the fact that the results of delivery would be greatly influenced by the selection of a suitable person as minister of agriculture. However, our expectations were regretfully unfulfilled. The new Minister adopted the policies of the former minister of agriculture, MATSUMURA, and took a firm attitude in carrying out the rice monopoly law and other laws. We think, however, that we should first administer food by ourselves. If Minister of Agriculture SOEJIMA expects farmers and city dwellers to take an independent attitude, he must take more positive steps. Farmers have made up their minds to offer 80 per cent of the quota and appropriate the remaining 20 per cent for their own use and for transactions at black market prices. It is not suitable to take a firm attitude now that we are going to obtain good results. Such political thinking is causing failure in the delivery of food.

EDITORIAL SERIES: 288 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

JAPAN is now at the last critical moment. The system of society, which does not allow people to give full scope to their ability even at such a critical moment, is what is at fault. The circumstances are indeed serious. The anxiety about food problems, caused by the selection of the minister of agriculture, cannot be overlooked as a mere problem that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry alone should consider. It will require reorganization of the Cabinet, too. The Home Minister MITSUCHI may be experienced in State affairs and may make up for the defects of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet, but his policies seem to have no bright future. We eagerly hope that a democratic cabinet will be organized as soon as possible.

Full Translation:

About 600,000 military personnel bureaucrats and civilians have already been repatriated from the PACIFIC and ASIA. A little under 6,150,000 are still left to be repatriated. We hear that the Repatriation Ministry has the idea of examining the repatriated military personnel who surrendered before the Imperial Rescript terminated the war. This is just a case of the pot calling the kettle black. The Repatriation Ministry no longer has the right to judge its old comrades. It is quite ridiculous to keep the TOKUSENTAI (TN: Unit which encourages and supervises soldiers in the front line) today when the home country itself as well as the front has yielded to unconditional surrender.

It is said that the Nationalist Government, after its reform, will dispatch Mr. T. V. SOONG, President of the Executive YUAN, to each Allied Nation as President CHIANG, Kai-Shek's special envoy, and Mr. CHANG, Chun, the President of SZECHWAN Province will sit in SOONG's place. Just before the end of the war Mr. SOONG was dispatched to the SOVIET, where he played an active part and was successful. Meanwhile, JAPAN's diplomatic authorities tried to bargain secretly with the SOVIET and even dreamed of dispatching Prince KONOE to MOSCOW.

It was very awkward from every viewpoint for diplomatic authorities to regard Prince KONOE as a trump card in such instances as UNITED STATES-JAPAN negotiations, negotiations with the SOVIET, or in sending an envoy to apologize to CHINA.

JAPAN, dragged about arbitrarily by such military groups and diplomats, could not after all avoid the most bitter cup of fate since the dawn of her history.

Full Translation:

I heard rough footsteps of many persons coming up the stairs. At the same time, the door of the room adjacent to the directors room was flung open. Many workers wearing their fatigue blouses instantly surrounded the managing director, who was conversing with me, crying out such words as "Oh, here! here!" "Down with him"; "Be free with everybody!"

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 288 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

One of them thrust a written demand before the managing director. Again their outcries of "Your answer is either yes or no!", "Reply at once!" "Don't be tricked!" etc, filled the large room.

Although a chief of a section mingled with the workers, they shook him crying that "It's this guy!", "Down with him!" etc, and one of them bore down upon him flourishing a bamboo sword over his head. Two or three workers ran after the chief. Crying, "Oh, it's fearful - We will go away", several woman workers moved backwards. When I asked them "How much money do you really receive?", two or three girls sniffled, "We cannot get along on thirty yen a month!" There was little hope in this tumult, for my business talk with the managing director. I went out of the room worrying about my shoes, which had taken off at the door.

The workers' outcries still continued. As I walked away through the fields, and I considered the scene I had seen and wondered whether it was good or bad. Proper demands cannot be prevented, but they compelled an answer by force.

Several workers of a suburban tram company, who had previously won their labor dispute, mingled with the crowd, perhaps to lead the workers. It is never bad to lead workers. However, the leadership must be fair and square. Now, the labor unions right to bargain and to strike are recognized and established by national law. Therefore, labor does not need violence to present its demands.

Despite this fact, the scene I saw was similar to a labor dispute taking place before the Labor Union Law was established. Labor disputes have no meaning unless they demonstrate that labor is fairer than the capitalists who exploit it. What I saw is not labor trouble but rioting, I thought, and I was really depressed. All you laborers - be lofty to the last! You should not be reduced to the same level as those you are now impeaching. (End).

Full Translation:

(A) The Competency of the Parliament and the People's Rights.

The present several studies or discussions of the Emperor System or the revision of the Constitution, irrespective of their left or right standpoint, are worthy from the point of increasing greatly the competence of the House of Representatives. As we pointed out some days ago, the abolition of the Lord Privy Seal System which has already been enforced, or the reorganization of the systems of the House of Peers or of the Privy Council, which is to be enforced shortly, will also greatly promote this directly or indirectly. These matters are only the first means to democratize our country. In such a way the House of Representatives will gain its proper powers. Is our supervision or restriction of the House sufficient in our right to vote, which is exercised only once in four years? In view of the past of our Country and of the real situations of the other civilized countries, we must cautiously consider this.

In the period of the old political parties, the powers of our House of Representatives were extremely confined, but it was often that one party, disregarding public opinion, acted willfully, as an autocracy gained power in the name of the common people. The present major parties are, in fact, only the continuation of the old parties, and the newly-risen parties, or the left wing have also more or less contained the surviving elements or have been influenced by

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 288 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

them. Now, the powers of the House are going to be enlarged; there-fore, we must strictly watch or restrict the House.

In this point the society for the study of the Constitution under the supervision of Mr. SUZUKI, Yasuzo, and his partners has asserted in "The Gist of A Draft Constitution" that the parliament can be dissolved by a plebiscite, and any decision of the parliament can be brought to naught by a plebiscite. This opinion, we believe, is truly a progressive one. As a system of the same kind, the system of the Soviets is now thought to be most progressive. In this country, according to the stipulation of Article 142 of the Constitution, the representatives of the highest conference are under an obligation to report to the Nation about their activities or those of the conference, and according to the decision by a majority of the voters and the prescription of law, they can be removed from office or be reelected at any time.

If our Nation is given the right to dissolve the parliament or to deny its decision, which "The Gist of A Draft Constitution" assorts, and is given the right to release an individual representative from office or to reelect him as in the Soviet, our democracy, with the enlargement of the powers of the House of Representatives, will truly be consistent and complete. Then, it will be enough for us to have only one House.

(B) Useless Instructions.

In the conference of the chief public procurators held on l6 January, Attorney General NAKANO gave instructions about the control of the criminals and the intensification of the arrest. In the conference of the Vice-Ministers held on 17 January, Mr. NARAHASHI, chief secretary of the Cabinet, emphasized the enforcement of official discipline.

Such instructions or agreements were too frequently addressed since the outbreak of the CHINA Incident. In fact, however, only the small and foolish criminals have been arrested, and the big ones, who are intellectual, are now very rampant. Official discipline, far from being enforced, is becoming relaxed with the defeat and the rumor of administrative readjustment. Consequently, there are now necessitated instructions or agreements. Why arn't the instructions or orders of the authorities enforced?

The general public is wondering about it, but the fact is very clear. When the higher officials instruct, their duty is performed, and they do not ask for the enforcement of their instructions. This is the reason. As the lower officials know this well, the respectable ones do not intend to obey the instructions honestly. To make matters worse, the authority of the officials is gradually decreasing, and their lives also are facing grim prospects. Therefore, they are forced only to instruct more and more.

They, in the past, have given instructions and are now repeating such foolish instructions. As long as the officials are not swept away, they will repeat this in the future.

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