Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0354, 1946-02-02.

Full Translation:

We want to clarify the various hinds of committees, now that the Commerce and Industry Ministry has announced the establishment of the Business Management Investigation Committee (KIGYO MEIRI CHOSA IIN KAI). Up to this time, the committee system had not always been accepted without criticism. Criticism of this system was usually made from the following viewpoints:

• 1.Various kinds of committees created by the Government were the means of giving the Government an excuse to evade its responsibility, in spite of its officially announced intention to consider the opinions of intellectuals and interested parties;
• 2.In carrying out the committee system, conferences held by the committees were formal end lacked sincere discussion; little effective criticism was made of the original plans of the authorities.
• 3.The chief aim of the members of the committee nominated by the Government was, though we are somewhat ashamed to admit it, the allowance to be paid them.

There can be no objection to the purpose of the committees provided that committee work is carried out as officially announced. The actual management of the committees, so far from their officially designated aims, aroused many objections. Since the termination, of the war, the difficult problems with which the Government has been faced lies piled up. Especially in economic problems which require Government action it is necessary for the Government to give full consideration to the opinions of civic groups. Therefore, committees of this sort will be more necessary in the future. We must therefore emphasize that the Government must not be allowed to maintain its complacent views unchanged.

Chief examples of committees created after the end of the war, are the Unemployment Committee, the Financial Institution Investigation Committee, the lend Reform Deliberation Committee and this latest Business Management Investigation Committee. Surveying these committees, we are astonished at the fact that the membership of these committees is monopolized by bureaucrats and financiers. If the word "class" can be used to express this, then class monopoly of the committes by the bureaucrats and financiers is plain to see, while there are hardly any members who represent the interests and wishes of the masses.

The class distinction based here is so typical that it should be preserved as a valuable specimen. In the current tide towards democratic revolution, this specimen of class distinction is most significant to the

EDITORIAL SERIES: 354 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

masses. For choosing delegates it has been stated by the Government that representatives of interested parties end those having knowledge and experience are to be considered. The distinction between men of experience and the representatives of business groups cannot practically be made clear, and consequently, the representatives of business groups, or more correctly, those of the financial circles and ZAIEATSU have come to occupy the overwhelming majority of committee seats.

Thus, such committees as the Unemployment Committee are monopolized by capitalists, the Financial Institution Investigation Committee consists only of agents of the capitalists, and the Business Management Investigation Committee is monopolized by industrialists claiming war indemnities and by the representatives of capital whose interests are closely connected with the farmer.

The bureaucrats and the few other delegates selected from non-business circles are, in the final analysis, men of the same group, wishing to maintain the old economic system, as can be seen by tracing their connection or relations with the outside. Such view as those mentioned above are not based on theory, but reflect the truth of the matter.

We fall behind no one in esteeming the value of knowledge and technical experience. It must be noted, however, that in choosing experts in economics, which cannot be understood without class interests, the criterion is different than in selection of experts in natural science or actuaries for insurance companies. We demand the elimination of delegates chosen for the purpose of serving the interests of the ruling classes, when wish to maintain the old order in economics. We also demand that all the materials presented to the committees be made public and placed at the disposal of those wishing to do special work or study concerning these matters. The publication of official materials is one of the prerequisites for exploding the fallacy that the ruling classes are the only ones who are expert and experienced.

Full Translation:

From the prevailing situation, the coming general election is likely to favor the newly-rising influences such as the Communists and the Social democrats more than the existing parties as represented by the Progressives and the liberals.

It is reported that, in foreign countries, the women generally tend to vote conservatively. Even if we take this into consideration, however, we do not think that Japanese women also will vote for the conservative Progressive or the liberal Parties. The main concern of the women voters will be a solution of the food problem. If so, the Progressive and the liberal Parties, which have made no attempt to solve the food situation to this day, will have little support from women voters. But his will be possibly only the case with women who have sound political common sense. But if the majority of women voters vote in accordance with the orders or suggestions of their husbands, the results of course, will be changed considerably.

Although the Progressives received a severe blow from the SCAP purge order they have retained many members in the prefectural assembly who will act for them as a substitute for the purged Diet members. They are formidable rivals to the newly-rising elements.

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 354 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The foundations of the Social Democratic end the Communist Parties are complicated. Furthermore, they have a slight chance of undermining a portion of the Liberal Party, but none with the Progressives. Therefore, if the Social Democrats and the Communists put up an unreasonable number of members as candidates, it will result in an internecine struggle, and those elected will be fewer, even if they poll a majority of votes.

In this sense, the Communists and the Social Democrats feel the urgent need for joint action in the election, However, the formation of such a front is impossible, because even a joint front for solving the food problem is still not concrete, If they miss this opportunity, to unite, JAPAN's future will be an unpleasant one.

Full Translation:

The amount of notes issued by the Bank of JAPAN on 31 January totalled 58 billion yen, showing an increase of three billion yen as compared with the amount on the same day of the last year. Compared with the smallest issue to totaling 54 billion 9 million yen on 10 January owing to seasonal influences, the figure indicates an increase of 30 billion six million yen that is, an average daily increase of 180 millions. What a dreadful inflation this is! If this tendency is left untouched, bank notes totaling no less than 80 billion yen will overflowing by about April resulting in tremendous confusion in our natural economy and livelihood.

The present inflation has a marked tendency to differentiate from that of the wax years. That is, the war time inflation was caused by the payment of state expenditures, while the present one has as its main cause the increased amount of deposit withdrawals and bank loans. The 10 January currency account of the Associated Banks in TOKYO indicated that the increased amount of deposit withdrawals and bank leans in TOTYO for the previous month was responsible for more than 70 per cent of the currency increase during the same period totaling 5,700,000,000 yen. If we take the whole country into account, it would be no exaggeration to infer from this that the present inflation may be ascribed to the decrease in loans.

From these phenomena, two main points may be gleaned; first, that withdrawals in large amounts are being made as clearly shown in the rate of current and fixed deposits. Second, loaned money is being appropriated for wage funds by "idle" firms. The former fact implied that the rich are changing their cash into commodities as well as hoarding other-necessities as a means of evading the property tax. What shameful speculation this is! We must, then, call attention to the second fact, that firms are paying wages from borrowed funds owed to banks after having spent their accumulate money. We find no fault in this fact itself, but they are sabotaging ordinary production which should have been continued along with their payments. They intend by their sabotage to cause confusion and poverty in the national economy and make exorbitant profits by making the most of a price increase in their goods in stock. These threaten to destroy our national economy and throw the country tack to the states of a colony.

From what is mentioned above, it is quite clear that the promoters of the present inflation are capitalists, landlords and other rich men. We once proposed that the Government freeze all funds except these necessary for living expenses. The Government, however, still opposes our proposal. What plan has the Government established except for the unpopular, stern sure for solving the food problem? We cannot help but entertain a deep mea suspicion that the Government's negligence in administration may heretofore have been a sinister design to help the rich engage in speculation by takin.

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ITEM 3 (Continued)

advantage of the inflation. If the Government had some semblance of vigor it would take immediate steps to restrict deposit withdrawals and prohibit this sabotage by the wealthy. Such a drastic step, however, can not be expected from the Government. In making such a demand, we must advise the working class that they, according to their occupation, should participate in the management of their banks, factories etc. and then fight for the suspension of speculation funds for the re-starting of production and or for the disposal of stocked goods.

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