Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0038, 1945-11-29.

Extracts:

The New JAPAN Party, on the 23rd, decided in favor of immediate enforcement of the three go-rice ration, the emergency housing plan, and the removal of the restrictions on special deposits. These three hills have already been handed over to Prime Minister SHIDNHARA.

Extracts:

Feature of the proposed Agricultural Association Law revision Bill are as follows:

• 1.Officers of city, town, and village agricultural associations are to be elected by direct votes of the members. In the event that competent excutives are not selected through such elections, the boards of directors of the associations may choose them.
• 2.Officers of the prefectural and national associations are to be nominated at general meetings.
• 3.Hitherto the president alone represented the association but henceforth the directors together with the president will act as joint representatives. The president and vice-president as well as the directors will be popularly elected.
• 4.The government will exercise no authority regarding officer's dismissal. It will order a re-election only in case of a violation of law or to alter policies detrimental to the public welfare.
• 5.Activities of associations such as the Agricultural Executive Association will be unrestricted.
• 6.The central body has undergone a series of changes and soon after the termination of the war it was called State Agricultural Society but if the revision is realized the Imperial ordinance for total mobilization will be abolished. Under the present law the farmers in a village or town are, as a matter of course, to join the association in which the village or town is a member and this system is to be retained.

POLITICAL SERIES: 38 (Continued)

Extracts:

The composition of the Imperial Household Ministry is to be revised along with the abolition of the office of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. This announcement will be published and take effect on the 24th. The most remarkable feature of this reform is that it aims to take political power from His Majesty the Emperor, because of present conditions. With this reform, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and other court officials will, hereafter, not take part in decisions such as the election of a chief of a succeeding cabinet. As a result, political power will be transferred to the Diet, where it once resided during the days of constitutional government.

Reform in the composition of the various components of the Imperial Household Ministry has increased the authority of the office of Chamberlains and transferred several duties of the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal to the office of the Chamberlain. The following were some of the duties of the Lord Keeper:

• 1.Command of the Imperial Seal and the Seal of State.
• 2.The management of the Imperial rescript, Imperia1 edict and other documents in the Imperial Court.
• 3.Petitioned to His Majesty, the Emperor, on behalf of the people.

These duties having to do with documents will be handled by a Board of Records and Documents established in the office of the Chamberlain. The offices of the Court Physician's Inspector, the Board of the Court Meals Inspector, and the Court Cook Inspector will be instituted. All business affairs in the Imperial Household Ministry will be undertaken by the Vice-Grand Chamberlain, and the Grand Chamberlain will devote his efforts to assisting His Majesty, the Emperor, Laws involved in this reform are Article Forty-five in the Imperial House-hold Ordinance, which will he deleted, and the Imperial Ceremonial Law and Imperial Line Law, which will contain the phrase, Office of Military Aid to His Majesty.

Changes in personnel effected following the reorganization of the Ministry of the Imperial Household were published on the afternoon of the 24th. In one change XINOSHITA, Michio, Lord Steward to Her Majesty the Empress and Vice-Grand Chamberlain had his work restricted to the latter activity and the fixed number of chamberlains was reduced to eight. The offices of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Court Councillors and the Secretary to Her Majesty the Empress were abolished. The number of court physicians was decreased from sixteen to six.

Chief changes in personnel are as follows:

Count KANROJI, Ukenaga, Vice-Grand Chamberlain henceforth an official of the SHINNIM rank with the right to resign his post; Marquis MATSUDAIRA, Yosumasa, appointed Chief of the Board of Records and Documents; court physician, TSUKAHARA, Isematsu, appointed Inspector of Court Physicians; NAGATSUMI, Torao, appointed Chief of the Court Meals; Chamberlain, KOIDE, Hidesune, appointed Vice-Chief of the ritualists; MITSUI, Yasuya, Secretary of Her Majesty the Empress appointed Chamberlain and Secretary of the Imperial Household Ministry.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 38 (Continued)

Full Translation:

In compliance with the General Headquarters Directive to authorize labor unions and promote their development, the new Labor Union Bill will be submitted to the Extraordinary Session of the Diet. We believe that the post-war situation in our country demands such a bill.

The bill is expected to be subject to much criticism by both capitalists and laborers. The Government must not persist in its original plan, but must strive to pass the best bill possible listening to criticism without prejudices.

The labor movement in our country was interrupted prematurely by the outbreak of the war. Its prematureness was, we suppose, due to the prematureness of capitalism itself in this country. At present, JAPAN is still a junior country in economic development, and, moreover, she is a defeated country. It follows naturally that the labor movement in JAPAN can not follow in the footsteps of the UNITED STATES and other advanced countries. We think the fact that the movement tends to be a movement not of the laborers themselves but of the agitators is due to the fact that the laboring class does not recognize the importance of the question, and that the agitators base their movements too much on principles without insight into the actual situation. The industrialists must not oppress the movement for fear that the laborers, helpless as individuals, should assert their rights on the strength of their powerful unions.

If labor takes its movement or union as a means for class strife, we are afraid the labor question will never be solved. They must see that it is a question of their own interests and not the interests of their leaders. They must act, recognizing their obligations to the state and the world economy. Only then can they enjoy general support.

The Government's original bill chiefly concerned collective bargaining. It is true that many defects will be found in it, especially in the clauses which provide for the functions of the labor committee, define the union as a voluntary organization or put certain restraints upon a union's power. Nevertheless we believe that the benefit of any law lies in its wise application.

We acknowledge that the role of the leaders is very important in raising the standards of the laboring class, not as yet awakened to social or political consciousness. If the interests of capitalists and laborers are compatible in principle, they must find a meeting point on some conditions. But if their cooperation means the official kind of "cooperation" attempted during the war, it will result in failure. If it is merely a compromise, it soon will break up. Therefore, we believe that the key is the respect for labor by both parties. The industrialists must esteem their employees' labor and pay them well. The laborers also must appreciate their role in bringing social prosperity.

At present when we must carry out reconstruction amidst many difficulties, capital and labor must never indulge in disputes merely for the sake of dispute. In short the labor Union Bill should aim not only at the laborers' interests but at the reconstruction of a peaceful JAPAN.

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