Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0342, 1946-02-01.

Full Translation:

Messrs. SEKI, Takeo and KANEKO, Keiichi, I will answer your letters.

The statement, "Leave the matters pertaining to airplane to me" was written by a certain journalist in spite of my advice. As a matter of fact, I spoke on the situation at the press interview as follows:

In those days, the Japanese Government could not put its policies into effect due to the war. All ministries have always quarrelled over their spheres of influence with each other when doing something, one ministry always interferes with another although it may have no authority in the matter. Consequently, nobody can pub his policies into practice. Therefore, the sphere of influence of every ministry should be made clear and respected and its policies should be rapidly executed. Otherwise, it is impossible to achieve a victory.

In producing airplanes, a precedent should be given the right of having the precedential opinion enforced. In spite of this, my opinion appeared in the newspaper with the foregoing.

It is a fine custom of JAPAN to honor the spirit of the war dead, We should not hesitate to honor the spirits of American soldiers who died glorious deaths in B-29s in JAPAN regardless of victory or defeat. Since the war has ended, there is no need for us to be afraid of being criticized as flatterers. Let us do it as a plan of our people through your efforts. It is to you journalists I speak even at a press interview. As a result of defeat, we have become uneasy. Therefore, let us avoid writing in such a manner as will excite our nerves, (From ENDO Saburo, a former director of the Airplane Bureau in SAITAMA Ken)

Full Translation:

Recently, many staff unions have been successively organized in coal mines in HOKKAIDO "Staff" is a general term for technicians and office-workers, whose duty is to put their expert knowledge and talents to practical use in order to manage and carry out an undertaking. It is the aim of the staff to gain the object of investment of capitalists, to promote the interests of laborers and to bestow industrial favors on the public in general.

It is undeniable that the technicians and office-workers formerly could not demonstrate their proper ability because of the control of the capitalists owing the mines. However, they are neither agents of the capitalists nor the exploiting class. They have a holy mission

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to employ capital and labor skillfully for the development of enterprise and for the realization of equality. The staff is never in opposition to labor unions, but ought to act in concert with laborers and capitalists.

The compulsory and selfish management of business by laborers, as well as the monopoly of capitalists is evil. In order to bring harmony between capital and labor and to lead business to prosperity, the staff must give full scope to their expert capacity for the rationalization of business and the increase of efficiency. Every industry in AMERICA is operated by this method, and its property is due to the advanced management of technicians.

In this sense, all the technicians and office-workers at coal mines should conquer their past apathy and form a proper union as soon as possible. I believe that this measure is necessary to restore the coal mines and attain the real object of increasing production. For the reconstruction of coal mines there is no alternative but to employ scientific techniques.

Conflicts, between laborers and capitalists, which testify to the infiltration of democracy, may be favorable to us, but the most important matter is how to increase the production of coal necessary for existence. A dispute in itself is meaningless. I wish that the formation of a staff union and the restoration of coal mines will be soon realized to meet the current coal shortage. (By SAYAMA, Sohei, Professor of the Engineering Department of HOKKAIDO University.)

A Letter to the Teachers' Union

It is a good thing for the people that school-teachers have organized a union and demanded improvement of their treatment. In former days, these school-teachers were quite obedient to the authorities and went on accepting many unsatisfactory methods of education.

But now the educational policy has thoroughly changed.

I don't think that all the teachers considered the former history course and the old method of education to be right. It may, however, be too severe to blame the teachers alone, because some leaders will remain in office until exposed by SCAP and many people will overlook such persons.

(By SUGI, Goro, of HIRATSUKA)

Full Translation:

When viewed from the positive side, JAPAN'S democratization has not yet advanced a single step. This was pointed out by Mr. YAMAKAWA, Hitoshi at the round table conference concerning a democratic front, sponsored by tile YOMIURI HOCHI. Our earnest wish is to escape from this deplorable state as quickly as possible, and the general election which is to be held on March 31 is a splendid opportunity for us to do so.

More than five months have elapsed since our surrender. We have experienced many unprecedented events in these months. Not a small number of war criminal suspects, such as the TOJO military clique,

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ITEM 3 (Continued)

the KIDO official clique and the ZAIBATSU members were arrested. Prince KONOYE and Generalissimo SUGIYAMA killed themselves. Thought control was abolished, the ZAIBATSU dissolved. The emancipation of people from State Shinto, the respect of basic human rights, the encouragement of labor unions, etc. all have taken place. All these are radical changes entirely unprecedented in our history. However, to our regret, these were all carried out on SCAP's initiative, and not on our own.

Most of the labor unions recently formed one after another by the proletarian masses have so far been successful in materializing their demands in regard to the removal of war criminals, better treatment, and other claims. It is true that some of these movements have served to help the future development of democracy, but not decisively, The better treatment which they have acquired is not yet enough to let them escape from the threat of vicious inflation due to official and capitalist sabotage. Considering the results, it has produced no better treatment, but only has proven a desperate attempt to safeguard life - to escape from hunger. Still, the situation is getting worse and worse day by day and the horror of hunger is increasing.

We have now learned from the facts before our eyes teat the people must come into power in order to enjoy real emancipation. Therefore, the coming general election is a golden opportunity for the people. Needless to say, it is desirable for them to form a democratic Government prier to the next election if possible. However, it is important that they should organize popular forces through the general election for the formation of a popular Government. Therein lies the important significance of a democratic front.

In response to the proposal on the part of Mr. YAMAKAWA and the Communist Party to form a democratic front, the Social Democratic Party has taken the attitude of a spectator, and the bourgeois parties, such as the Liberals and Progressives, have said they will not cooperate. Hence, the broad scale formation of a democratic front is not likely to be feasible prior to the election and so its success seems to depend more than ever upon the results of the election.

One of the distinguishing marks of the next general election lies in an inquiry into the qualifications of candidates. In the last election, the TOJO Cabinet "mass-produced" many members by means of extreme interference. On the contrary, in the coming election it is aimed to prevent war suspects from returning to the political scene. The people should strive to co-operate in their inquiry into qualifications by urging doubtful candidates to give up the candidacy. Furthermore, we should take every caution to do away with the prevailing hereditary evil customs. We should shun our personal feeling or thinking based on various connections and strive to select true representatives. We should be entirely opposed to those candidates, who use hereditary power or attract voters with money or goods. People say that even today, at least one hundred thousand yen is necessary for election funds. This is evidently impeding the campaign activities of new democratic elements. In view of the current situation under which all the nation is on the verge of life or death, we should take every caution not to hold another old feudalistic election which would be the object of derision by the world.

Full Translation:

As a preliminary step for the general election the Government is planning to utilize the staffs of educational institutions throughout the

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country is order to make known to the public the basic meaning of democracy. But there are some things about which we are apprehensive.

The following is a warning to those instructors who are about to start applying themselves to this important job: Throw off the "Character First" principle in election voting. How wore the Parliament members in the TOJO regime elected? It was nothing more than the result of this "Character First" principle of voting. The TOJO Cabinet, in its attempt to gather votes for its nominated candidates, was planning to impart instruction for election, the basis of which was this "Character First" principle. This principle, although it did much toward the elimination of corruption in election, had its inevitable bad consequences with regard to the most vital point of whether or not the successful candidates were really representing the popular will.

There is no need to dwell upon the reactionary role played in defiance of the Diet system by those puppet Parliament members in the TOJO regime. The character of even those comparatively familiar to us is quile difficult to be appreciated, while the character of the candidates from some remote place are absolutely unknown to us. The plan of the TOJO Cabinet was projectes on this "Character First" principle. Instructions were given along this line of propaganda: "Unless politicians of noble character are elected the purge of the political world cannot be attempted. Lot us vote for men of high character". The people, believing that there could be no blunder in the choice of candidates by the Government, fulfilled their duty in electing these Government candidates. Thus this "Character First" principle proved eventually to be a camouflage deftly employed to distort the true picture of democracy to the Japanese people. Now those instructors in question have all been educated along those lines and they have even been practising this principle. If the coming election is carried out in the same manner the result will be disastrous.

The fundamentals of democratic administration should be taught thoroughly to the public. Democratic administration means parliamentary administration, and parliamentary administration means administration by decision of the majority, and administration by decision of majority means party administration. Lack of this fundamental knowledge has led to the deplorable result of attempting political education concerning election based on this "Character First" principle. I vigorously urge credence in the simple expression "Election is, after all, the choice of the party." There will, however, be too many instances in future instruction in the choice of candidates, of indifference to the importance of the political party's role, especially in the case of the villages. Men who blame the weaker sex for their political indifference are thoselves to be flamed for their lack of knowledge on these matters. "Democratic administration is nothing more than party administration." That is why I am induced to cry for the expulsion of the "Character First" principle and advocate "Voting for the Party".

(by ISHIGAKI, Fukuichi, a teacher SHIZUOKA)

II

On the Method of Expressing Political Views

Informed as I am by the press and radio of the fragmentary talks or opinions of the leaders of various political parties, I am still in a fog as to the true character of each party. Therefore advocate the following:

• 1.Clear publication of the principles and policies of the party to which the candidates belong. By reading these we shall be able, with a knowledge of the candidates' parties, to listen to their speeches pertaining to their political opinions. - 4 -

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• 2.The expression of political views should deal with concrete problems suited to the circumstances of the locality and these should be chosen from among the items of the published principles or policies of the party. This can be made by either the candidate himself who explains all the principles and policies of his party or by the assistant speaker who shares this job. In either case, however, it should be convincing to the public. My special wish is the clarification in detail of the policy of the candidate's party from the policed of other parties.
• 3.In the past when such a party as SEIYU KAI or MINSEITO was in its prime, these kind of assemblies tended to become a shameful change of words exposing each other's deficiencies. Today, I believe such strife among the political parties is taken with the attitude of visiting a theatre for enjoyment. Adoption of a concrete measure for imparing as much political knowledge as possible is to be advocated, including provisions for the women who by the extension of the voting age may be bewildered as to the choice of suitable persons to vote for.

(INABA, Sampei, a clerk, SHIZUOKA)

DISTRIBUTION: "X"

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