Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0173, 1946-01-11.
Date11 January, 1946
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numberpolitical-0726
Call NumberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
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POLITICAL SERIES: 173
ITEM 1 No Agreement in Joint Move By The Liberals and Social Democrats - Mainichi
Shimbun - 12 Jan 46.
Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
Troubles among the Liberal, Social Democrat and Communist Parties are the great concern
of political circles. The words
"Understanding for collaboration has existed between the Liberal and Social Democratic
Parties", stated by HATOYAMA, president
of the Liberal Party, have caused a great stir. The intention of turning the Social
Democrats into a Fascist body has already
been rumoured. Chief Secretary KATAYAMA declared that the Party had nothing to do
with the matter. He said that the Party had
informally come to an understanding for collaboration. He added that the Party had
issued the statement in question from an
independent point of view and had no intention or hope of the joint move of the two
parties. He stressed that the Party will
make its way in a spirit of independence and would decide its attitude after the examination
of the truth of the report.
On the other hand, President HATOYAMA said that the formation of the joint front
had been established after consultation with
influential leaders of the Social Democrats. He added that both parties had maintained
friendly relations for several years
with the same motto, namely, the overthrowal of the military clique. He said that
it would be foolish to think otherwise.
ITEM 2 The Popular Front and The Government - Mimpo - 11 Jan 46. Translator: Paasche.
Summary:
One week has elapsed since the great purge was ordered by SCAP. The SHIDEHARA Cabinet
tried at first to weather the storm by
replacing only the Cabinet ministers falling under the directive, but because of changing
circumstances, particularly the
threat of a popular front in the making, the Government had to face the eventuality
that mere reform is not enough for a new
lease of life. SHIDEHARA intends to be entrusted anew with the task of forming a Government
on the grounds that there is no
suitable successor. Should this be Impossible, he expects Foreign Minister YOSHIDA
to be entrusted with the task. He
furthermore schemes to invite democratic leaders into the Cabinet, the idea being
to give a reactionary setup a democratic
air, with the actual power remaining in his hands.
HATOYAMA's Liberal Party is stated as being the chief participant in a coalition
cabinet, joined by a section of the Social
Democrats. Should this too prove unfeasible, the Premier has another reactionary plan
to resort to. In that case some other
suitable person must be found willing to form a Cabinet chiefly of Liberals and Socialists.
In such a situation the refusal of
the Social democratic Party to join the Communists in a common front and the Communist
criticism of a section of the Social
Democratic leadership group as reactionary is of special significance. The Socialists
have published a reply, and
POLITICAL SERIES: 173 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
in the midst of this strife the return of the communist leader NOZAKA and his group
is looked forward to by Communists and
Social Democrats alike as significant for the formation of a common front.
The following Government, frightened by the growing threat of the people's front
has despaired of quenching the fire by usual
methods and consider to pull the entire building down. The idea is to destroy the
people's front by drawing the Liberals and a
section of the Socialists into the Government, thereby isolating the Communists. This
is what the stalemate proclaimed by the
Government really means.
If the Social Democratic Party is taken in by the lies of the Government and makes
the mistake of joining the Cabinet, the
Party will surely regret it; on the other hand, to seek responsibility only after
the elections are over and the spheres of
political influence are divided up would be tantamount to leaving the starving unemployed
and inflation-ridden people at the
mercy of a reactionary Government for the sake of good election results. Since the
people's front is not realized to this day,
the question of whether a freedom-loving party should join the Cabinet should be decided
solely in the light of whether such
participation is useful or harmful to the popular front. For this reason, participation
should be considered only on condition
that a definite political program is accepted by the Government. If the promise is
not kept, in other words, if the
strengthening of the popular front is hindered, participation would become meaningless
and it would then be incumbent on the
party in question to attack the Cabinet from within and without so as to bring about
its downfall. As a matter of course the
other democratic parties would have to join in the fray.
At present the aim of all democratic parties is the formation of a powerful people's
front and the elections as well as
eventual participation in the Government must be subservient to this, and on the other
hand, the distruction of such unity is
the immediately problem before SHIDEHARA and his reactionaries.
ITEM 3 The General Election will Be Considerably Prolonged - Mainichi Shimbun - 11
Jan 46. Translator: N.
Tachibana.
Full Translation:
Owing to the unsettled political situation caused by the directive of SCAP the announcement
of the general election will have
to be delayed considerably longer, contrary to the expectation that it will be announced
on or about 15 January. The directive
issued on 4 January aims at the banishment of those who co-operated in waging war.
Of course, the Government is preparing to
enforce an Imperial Ordinance to prohibit those who come under the directive to stand
as candidates, but matter are so
complicated that the Government must examine each candidate's qualifications on its
own merit.
Each candidate will have his qualifications for candidature examined by the prefectural
governor who is a election chief, but
in view of the present state of communication and liaison which are not trustworthy,
this examination will, in fact, last a
month. Consequently the announcement of the general election will be delayed far longer.
Besides, judging from the present
political situation, it is impossible to forecast when the state of affairs will be
settled, when an Imperial Ordinance will
be promulgated and enforced, and when the application for examination of candidates'
qualifications will be submitted to the
chiefs.
With regard to compilation of the budget, the Government can not help taking exceptional
measures, and it will perhaps depend
on the supplementary budget, which was decided at the Cabinet meeting the other day,
and the working budget, which followed
that of the preceding fiscal year.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 173 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Second Set of Reform Party's Candidates - Yomiuri Hochi - 11 Jan 46. Translator:
Paasche.
Full Translation:
Council of the JAPAN Reform Party has decided to nominate the following persons as
auxiliary candidates:
MISAWA, Kikuo | (TOKYO 1) |
TOBIISHI, Kyutaro | (TOKYO 1) |
KAWANO, Takai | (HOKKAIDO 1) |
OKUBO, Shiro | (YAMAGATA) |
TAKAHASHI, Toshio | (MIYAGI) |
MATSUMOTO, Masa | (NAGANO) |
IMANISHI, Yuji | (KYOTO) |
TAKAMUKI, Kikuji | (KYOTO) |
MASUDANI, Zenzo | (NARA) |
IWASAKI, Yoshio | (HYOGO 1) |
NISHIZAKI, Kaishiro | (HYOGO 2) |
HIRAKI, Ichiro | (YAMAGUCHI) |
YUASA, Eitaro | (TOKUSHIMA) |
ITEM 5 General Resignation Today - Yomiuri Hochi - 11 Jan 46. Translator: Paasche.
Full Translation:
During the night of 8 January the political situation suddenly lost its character
of a statemate and has since become more
dramatic and changeable even with out Premier SHIDEHARA resuming his work. This is
confirmed by what chief secretary TSUGITA
told the press on the night of 10 January. It seems that a general resignation of
the Cabinet will materialize on 11
January.
ITEM 6 Cabinet Ministers Conference with Premier in Sickbed - Tokyo Shimbun - 11 Jan
46. Translator: J.
Weiller.
Full Translation:
As the period of political unrest lengthens, grave concern is being manifested by
both public and official circles as to
whether the SHIDEHARA Government will resign en bloc or tide over the crisis by reorganization.
The chief secretary of the
Cabinet TSUGITA, the Director of the Bureau of Legislature NARAHASHI, and Foreign
Minister YOSHIDA called in turn on Premier
SHIDEHARA on 10 January, The Premier was lying in bed at his private residence at
SETAGAYA, and the visitors, after conferring
with him for some time, respectively left him in the afternoon. About the same time
assistant chief secretary MIYOSHI left the
official residence. Thus the movements of political persons are becoming more brisk
as the days go on. Furthermore, Finance
Minister SHIBUSAWA called on chief secretary TSUGITA at the Premier's official residence
at 1300 on the 10 January and had an
important talk with him.
ITEM 7 Prime Minister Launches The Reorganization of The Cabinet - Mainichi Shimbun
- 11 Jan 46.
Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
Already seven days have passed since the Allied purge order was issued on 4 January,
but the Government has hesitated to take
steps in regard to political unrest and instability. Sharp comments are being made
among the public at large about the
protracted and fruitless conferences of the Cabinet and among the political parties.
Foreign Minister YOSHIDA, Minister
without Portfolio Dr. MATSUMOTO, chief secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA, and Director
NARAHASHI, of the Cabinet Board of
Legislation, visted Prime Minister Baron SHIDEHARA at his residence at SETAGAYA at
0930 on 10 January and conferred with the
ailing Premier for two hours.
- 3 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 173 (Continued)
ITEM 7 (Continued)
The Cabinet attitude appears to have been decided there in regard to whether it should
resign en masse or carry on by
reorganization in order to put an end to the present political unrest and instability.
Prime Minister SHIIEHARA still clings
to the hope of a reshuffle of the Cabinet and is starting reorganization and negotiation
with some new persons. However, the
chances of survival of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet grow slimmer and slimmer, judging from
prevailing opinions, both public and
official. The present political situation certainly points to wholesale resignation
of the Cabinet.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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