Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0176, 1946-01-13.
Date13 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0736
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 176
ITEM 1 Crafty Arrangements by Liberals, L[illegible]cial-Democrats Sport of - Mimpo - 10 Jan 46. Translator: A. Kido
Summary:
Since the issue of the recent "house cleaning" directive by SCAP, the Government
has been devising remedical measures to cope
with the situation. The political situation is as confused as ever. Secret efforts
are being made by the Liberal Party to
control political power, confusion exist in the Progressive Party, and there are attempts
on the part of the Local-Democratic
party to gain power. Thus, the last scandaleons struggle for the reins of power is
being continued.
Premier SHIDEHARA, Foreign Minister YOSHIDA, Chief Secretary TSUGITA, and Director
of the Burean of Legislation NARAHASHI are
consulting on remedial measures. Of the Cabinet ministers, the following six are to
resign from office, being included in the
provisions of the 4 January directive: Minister of State MATSUMOTO and TSUGITA, Home
Minister HORIKIRI, Minister of
Agriculture and For stry MATSUMURA, Education Minister MAEDM, and Transportation Minister
TAKAKA.
Chief Secretary TSUGITA, not considering himself affected by the new directive is
of the view that it is best to effect a
wholesale reorganization of the Cabinet, excluding the affected persons, and to prepare
for the general election. Director of
the Bureau of Legislation NARAHASHI stoutly opposes this idea, however, spying that
since the directive affects so many, the
Government should resign in masse. It is clear that behind this proposal by the Director
of the Bureau of Legislation is the
President of the Liberal Party HATOYAMA, who is planning to form the succeeding Cabinet
from the Liberal Party, with Foreign
Minister YOSHIDA as its head, by collapsing the present Cabinet from withing through
the efforts of Welfare Minister ASHIDA
and Director of the Bureau of Legislation NARAHSHI.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party, should it obtain political power, plans to nominate
ministers from the Social-Democratic Party.
The Social Democratic Party has expossed its satisfaction with this plan and is willing
to recommend Mr. SUGIYAMA as minister
of Agriculture and Forestry, and Mr. NISHIO, or MATSUOKA, as Welfare Minister.
If this scheme is realized, the Liberal Party will have won the rightist elements
in the Local Democration Party. If the
difficult problems of food and social administration carried out by members of the
Social Democratic Party is satisfactory,
the Liberal Party will receive the credit of unsatisfactory the Social-Democrats will
by driven out of the Cabinet. Should
they enforce such a radica1 policy that cannot be approved by the Liberal Party, they
will either be suppressad or threatened
with a reorganization of the Cabinet. Such are the crafty arrangements being made
by the Liberal for the
Social-Democrats.
POLITICAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM: 2 A Critical Study by Wakayama, Junshiro, Mainichi Correspondent in Ziirich-Mainichi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: S. Ono
Summary:
Following is the gist of a critical study of T[illegible]nnoism by WAKAYAMA, MAINICHI correspondent in
ZIIRICH, S[illegible]ITZERLAND. He has been in GERNANY for over ten years and was for [illegible]rly a lecturer at the Universities of KOLN and ZIIRICH:
"Professor Max Waber, famous German economist and socialogist, one said that defeat
in war would place imperial rule in
danger, while victory would bring about a menace to a republican Government. That
this holds true is clear when we see, at
present, the existence of resounding clamor against imperial rule in various parts
of EUROPE in YUGOSLAVIA, GREECE,
BUIG[illegible]RIA, RONMANIA, ITALY, and BELGIUM. In JAPAN, too, where imperial rule was expected
to
survived for et runity, we can hear mounting criticism of its axistence. Nowadays,
no one listens eagerly to the passionate of
its existence. Nowadays, no one listens eagerly to the passionate poems of ancient
poets who praised imperial rule. This
phenomenon, I believe, is not of sad and grievous character but rather pleasing to
behold. At the same time, the eyes of the
Allied Powers are focused upon the problem, centering around the relation of Tennosim
to democracy. Research on the problem of
Tenneism must be started from the fundamental point of view fits compatibility with
democracy.
"Now, the establishment of democracy is an awesome trend, in the world today, it
being a necessary course in the development
of world history, not moraly coincidental with the victory of the Allied Powers. The
problem of Tennoism if it is to be
solved, must be discussed along the lines.
"Is Tennoism compatible with democracy? In this connection, the British Monarchy
is very often cited by the supporters of
Tennoism is the best example of this compatibility. This belief, in my opinion, is
totally mistaken. There is no doubt that,
contrary to the case in GREAT BRITAIN, Tennoism in JAPAN has been often utilized by
despotic leaders to suppress the
democratic tendency here. Let us, therefore, start with a historical survey of the
system.
"The peculiarity of Tennoism lies in the distortion of ancient history and the endownment
of divinity to the Emperor. Cases of
mythological distortion of ancient ages are numerous in world history, but the existence
of the obsolute ruler, as a living
god, is peculiar to this Country. The latter characteristic gave birth to the religious
belief that JAPAN is a holy country,
while it encouraged the revolutionary movement whenever the social order became stagnant,
under the slogan of the restoration
of imperial rule. The revolution, becamed by the mystic Emperor, tends to be reactionary,
and in this the cause for the
reactionary movement of patriotic associations during and before the last war is clearly
seen.
"The natural law of Christianity in the Occident, contrary to that of JAPAN, became
the source of the natural law theory of
ROUSSEAN after losing its religious tinge, contribution, to the development of the
enlightened era in the eighteenth century.
Tennoism, however, has failed to show any signs of development, remaining in the primitive
stage of mythology, which, I
believe, forms a grave m[illegible]nace to the democratization of the Country, because it is a constant
source of reactionary movement. Furthermore, mysticism in politics, which is the natural
result of mystic Tennoism, is opposed
to the modernization of the country. It unavoidably leads to the prohibition of free
criticism of national politics,
suppressing the free will of the people.
"What I have described above is, I suppose adequate to clarify the incompatibility
of Tennosim and democracy. Constitutional
change, no doubt, in the status of the Emperor is a matter of urgent necessity, but
it does not lesson the need of the
ideological change of the Emperor. What is to be done is to deprive Tennosim of its
mystic veil?
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POLITICAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
"As I have already mentioned, the discussion of Tennoism in the Allied countries
is centered around the problem if the
system's compatibility with the establishment of democracy in JAPAN. Those who oppose
the system claim that the continuance of
Tennoism will necessarily lead to the isolation of the Emperor from the public, providing
opportunity for the rise of
revolutionary movements, while its advocates are inclined to allow the survival of
the system so as to avoid the confusion
accompanying radical reform.
"What we must bear in mind, however, is that even such advocates of Tennoism as GREW,
former American ambassor to TOKYO, and
CLIVA and CRAIGY, former ambassadors from ENGLAND to JAPAN, are supporting the system
in democratized form, which is free from
the mysticism of former days. SANOTT, who stayed in JAPAN for several years as a missionary,
referred to the system in his
article in the Reader's Digest, in which he insisted upon the necessity for the removal
of the "holiness" from the Emperor
requesting the ebdication of the present Emperor and the onthronment of young ruler
under a regency.
"RONER, former Polish ambassador to TOKYO, takes up the problem from the same angle,
assorting that the democratization of
Tennoism is the sine quanon to the democratization of the Country. In Europe the monarchies
continue even where the sovereign
power of the state lies in the hands of the people. For example, look at GREAT BRITAIN,
SWEDEN, NEATHERLANDS, DENMARCK, and
NORWAY, where democratized monarchies exist side by side with parliamentarianism.
HUKUZAWA, YUKICHI, the greatest revolutionary the rist of the MEIJI era, once said,
'We do not cut down at random a pin tree
of traditional legend. Tennoism has a tradition of two thousand, years. We may allow
it to survive without harm.' No doubt,
the so-called deity of the Emperor was nothing to a man of his perspicacity.
"Politics now is something apart from theoretical discussion. Tradition plays an
important role in the Government of a nation.
If we are to lean anything from the sad experience of the war, it is a fact that politics,
when tinged with mystisism, becomes
very dangerous. The brutal reign of the nazis, as well as the imperialism of the Japanese
militarists, were backed with the
mystic warping of the political system. The first task, therefore, in rebuilding JAPAN
is to take away the will of mysticism
from the Emperor."
ITEM 3 Death Penalty of Furushima - Asahi Shimbun - 11 Jan 46. Translator: S. Kawasaki
Full Translation:
On 10 January, the 11th day of FURUSHMA's trial at YOKOHAMA, the court was open at
0900. Defence counsel DICKIBNSON a postcard
to FURUSHIMA at the witness stand and asked "Do you know of this note, which states
that you took too good care of prisoners
at the time when you wore commandant of the prison camp?" FURUSHIMA answered, "I know
it well, and I received many others
besides that one"
Getting the approval of the judge, FURUSHIMA attempted to defend himself, stating
as fellows: "After carefully looking into
the treatment of foreign prisoners who spoke different languages and had different
customs, I was of the opinion that as human
beings are all the same throughout the world, the prisoners should be given treatment.
Therefore, I endeavored to treat the
prisoners liberally and generously."
FURUSHIMA's wife, KAZUKO, was present, and her face showed how anxious she was about
her husband. This touched the hearts of
the audience.
Lieutenant MARGOLENS, prosecutor stood and related the differences between the testimony
of FURUSHIMA and the facts of his
crimes. He
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POLITICAL SERIES: 176 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
declared that the fact that he had ill-treated prisoners could not be denied in view
of the statement of Colonel MURATA that a
moxo cautary was not used as medical treatment, but as punishment.
In the afternoon, following an argument on his behalf by Captain MARTIN Lieutenant
Colonel DICKINSON said, "In the Japanese
forces, striking is not considered an unusual form of punishment. Moreover, in prison
camps life at any place, all sorts of
this might happen." He read about the actual conditions of a camp of American soldiers
in ENGLAND, reported in the magazine,
"Time". He stated "It is not fair that such a case should be determined by documents
alone."
However; procecutor ENGLAND continued by saying that American Soldiers who suffered
as prisoners of the Japanese during the
war cannot be kept in JAPAN for the trial. The defendant made an affidavit to the
effect that he had treated the prisoners
courteously. I cannot believe the commandant's ignorance of the fact that while he
was in charge of the camp. Private MANN
died, and 19 prisoners wore sacrificed. The prosecutor stated, "the criminal who illegally
mistreated these prisoners cannot
be permitted to dwell upon the earth." He recommended, the death penalty. The head
of the court martial declared that a
sentence would be given during the afternoon of 11th. The court adjourned at 1430.
ITEM 4 Opinions of Political Parties On The Attitude of Shidehara Cabinet - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 11 Jan 46. Translator: K. Murakami
Summary:
Under the present powerless Government, led by Premier SHIDEHARA, who still remains
quiet, and due to the apothetic attitude
of higher political circles regarding the latest Allied directive, the political situation
has become more and more unsettled.
Thus, the Cabinet now has to face the crisis of general resignation, which seems to
be inevitable. Opinions of each political
party on measures for alleviating the confusion are as follows:
Liberal Party: The SHIDEHARA Cabinet is naturally responsible for creating the present
political situation. Therefore, we can
find only one remedy, a general resignation, though, if necessary, the Prime Minister
can receive an Imperial mandate to form
a new Cabinet.
Communist Party: It is quite natural for the Cabinet to prefer a general resignation,
about which we have already made a
statement. If the Cabinet tries to go on despite public opinion, our party will again
advise it to resign. Mr. SHIDEHARA can
never again receive an Imperial mandate. In order to take measures to most the critical
problem of food and inflation,
political power must be in the hands of the people. This is our opinion at the present
time. As for political parties, they
are generally prefared for it. To decide fairly on the persons to be responsible under
General MacARTHUR's directive is a
question to settled only by a Cabinet backed by the people.
Progressive Party: The main thought of the present Cabinet is the general election.
Frequent changes of Government cause
nothing but economic and social disturbances, and if the Cabinet changes, the general
election will be postponed again. A
general resignation, followed by another Imperial mandate, would be useless. The Cabinet
should strive for partial
reorganization.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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