Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0179, 1946-01-13.
Date13 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0750
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 179
ITEM 1 Mr. YAMAKAWA, Hitoshi, Advocates The Popular Front - Yomiuri Hochi - 12 Jan 46, Translator: K. Murakami.
Extracts:
The democratic revolution in this country has made rapid headway since the end of
the war—disbanding of the Army, abolition of
the military and secret police, dissolution of the ZAIBATSU, reform if the mysterious
Emperor system, and [illegible]shuent of militaristic leaders. However, as yet, we are still lacking a powerful combination
of
democratic elements to compensate for the vacuum caused by the abolition of these
systems, which still leaves national
authority in the hands of reactionary forces.
The Communist and Social-Democrat Parties, which were legalized after the end of
the war, are not as yet sufficiently
powerful. The recent movements by labor and farmer unions as well as the progressive,
cultural movements by the intelligentsia
are separated and lack the necessary unification; consequently, they cannot be powerful
promoters of revolution.
Under such circumstances there are many who demand the formation of a popular front.
Mr. YAMAKAWA, Hitoshi, one of the eldest
Socialists in the country, who has been silent since the war's termination, on 11
January advocated the immediate formation of
a popular front. He called upon democratic political parties, labor unions, farmers'
unions, cultural bodies, organs of
expression, and fellow thinkers throughout the country, thereby creating quite a sensation.
He aims at forming a solid
organization of the above bodies as well as of democratic individuals, thereby avoiding
dominance by a single party or clique.
It is expected to be in operation soon. Initiated by his advocacy, the movement towards
democracy in this country will make
rapid progress under the hammer of a popular front.
ITEM 2 Moves Behind the Scenes - Tokyo Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: T. Kitayama.
Full Translation:
In the mist of the present political confusion when speculation abounds about the
next political leaders, the President of the
Liberal Party, HATOYAMA, stated that a secret promise to co-operate with the Social-Democrat
Party was made before the
inauguration of the Liberal Part; Being confronted with the issue of alliance with
the Communist Party, the Social-Democrats
have been placed in a complicated position. In answer, the Social-Democratic Party
has stated that at present the problem of
co-operation with the Liberal Party is now settled, and that the sudden release of
HATOYAMA's statement was motivated by a
desire to bring over the Social Democratic Party to his side, as his party is incapable
of gaining political power on its own
strength. Thus the Social-Democrat Party denies the rumor about co-operation with
the Liberal Party.
According to HATOYAMA’s political view, SHIDEHARA's interior Cabinet
POLITICAL SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
has lost its "raison d'etre" so long as it has no positive measure to relieve the
present social instability. It is a
misfortune for the nation. It is most desirable that the Liberal and Social-Democrat
Parties should he united in an efforts to
overcome: the present political crisis.
But this view of HATOYAMA's is not the one decided upon by the majority of the Party.
Some of its members are opposed to his
beliefs.
MIZUTANI, HIRANO, and NISHIO of the Social-Democratic Party met HATOYAMA at a dinner
party. HIRANO informally interviewed him
during the New Year's holidays. If the two Parties are to join, and if HATOYAMA is
nominated by the Emperor as SHIDEHARA's
successor, there is no meaning to the unification of the two Parties, unless HATOYAMA
is magnanimous enough in his attitude to
give such positions as relate to the people's welfare to the Social-Democrat Party.
If he is not liberal in the true sense of
the word, confluence of the two Parties can never be achieved.
But even if this problem is settled, the Liberal Party, cannot give all welfare positions
to other parties, having commitments
of its own within the party. There is great difficulty lying in the way of the settlement
of the problem, but in case the
SHIDEHARA Cabinet should collapse, the succeeding Cabinet cannot overcome the present
political difficulty without the
co-operation of other parties. This is the view supported by everybody with political
common sense. Moreover, the Progressive
Party is now in a chaotic condition, and the possibility of a joint Cabinet of the
two will be possible if a rapprochoment on
various political issues can be realized.
ITEM 3 The Government Opines that the last directive of the Allied Powers does not affect the prefectural governors.- Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: S. Ono.
Full Translation:
It is reported that the Government is of the opinion that the prefectural governors,
who concurrently headed the local
branches of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, are not to be affected by the
last SCAP directive,. The basis to support
this Governmental view is that since the proper function of the governor is to serve
as the chief administrator of the Ken,
his holding additional status as chief of the local branch of the Imperial Rule Assistance
Association, etc. is to be
considered as merely nominal.
ITEM 4 The Wife of Lt. General HOMMA Starts for MANILA As The First Women Defense Witness In The War Crime Trial - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46.
Summary:
HOMMA, Fujiko, wife of Lieutenant General HOMMA, Masaharu, who was commander of the
Japanese forces in the PHILIPPINES, will
leave ATSUGI Airfield on 12 January for MANILA, where she will serve as a defense
witness at the war crimes trial of her
husband. She is the first women to appear before a military commission in the war
crimes trials and to stand as witness for
her husband. She discussed her resolution on the trial as follows:
“Defense Counsel, Captain Frank CORDES asked me to honestly tell the court that Lieutenant
General HOMMA is a good family man.
I told him if I could be of any use on this matter, I would gladly help him. I have
not the slightest intention of asking for
mercy for nay husband. I should like to have all the world know truly what sort of
man HOMMA is I have faith in the trial and
am not thinking now about the verdict. My husband left us his will, saying that he
has committed no act unworthy of a military
man. I trust the words of my husband, and he is neither a jingoist nor a
- 2 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
rash militarist.
"'Armanent is for defense, not aggression.' I was told that my husband made this
his motto during the Chinese Incident as well
as, 'Don't burn, violate, or plunder.' I can't see why reliable men under the command
of lieutenant General HOMMA committed
the alleged, atrocities. It was because I believed HOMMA was always gentle and sincere
that I remained at home with pride and
ease. But now I keenly feel my duty and must contribute what I can at the public courtroom.
If I myself lose face as a
Japanese women, I shall apologize heartily. I am fully prepared to appear as the first
woman witness at the trial, which is
attracting world attention.
"About 12 years ago when he was in LONDON as the military attache to the embassy,
I made a three-hour trip to PARIS by air
with him. I don't know how long the coming trip is, but I am fully confident of appearing
at the trial even the day after my
arrival to MANILA. Though I am only a women in a party with some persons from SADO,
my home, I feel certain that Marquis
TOKUGAWA, Yorisada, former military administration adviser in the PHILIPPINES and
KON, Hideomi, former correspondent with the
Japanese forces in the PHILIPPINES, will stand as defense witness with me. I would
never plea for my husband's life. If there
were any effeminate conduct whatsoever at the trial, my husband would hate it and
never allow me to be the wife of a military
man."
ITEM 5 The Ministers' Activities in regard to the Premier - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: N. Tachibana.
Full Translation:
Various Ministers visited Premier SHIDEHARA at his sick bed very frequently on 11
January to confer on the problem of
reorganization or general resignation of the Cabinet.
First Chief Secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA visited the Premier at his private residence.
Foreign Minister YOSHIDA visited
him after he reported to the Throne on the political situation. During the noon recess
of the Cabinet meeting Justice Minister
IWATA also visited him. The Cabinet meeting was reopened at 1300 with Foreign Minister
YOSHIDA joining it.
In order to ask the Premier's attitude toward the opinions of the Cabinet Ministers,
Agriculture Minister MATSUMURA visited
the Premier at 1405, and Chief Secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA, too, visited him
at 1410, reporting to him on the progress of
the Cabinet meeting. These three conversed for an hour and a half. In consequence
of the discussions the Premier decided to
reorganize the Cabinet. The two Ministers left the Premier's residence at 1550.
The third Cabinet meeting was opened at 1625, when the Chief Secretary reported on
the Premier's decision, and all the
Ministers agreed with it. The meeting adjourned after a ten-minute session.
ITEM 6 Events up to the Reorganization of the Cabinet - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Jan 46. Translator: N. Tachibana.
Full Translation:
The directive issued by SCAP on 4 January has exerted a serious influence upon the
political situation. Consequently, activity
took place in regard to discussions on reorganization or general resignation,
- 3 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 6 (Continued)
but finally the Government decided to reorganize. There were three phases in the
process of arriving at the decision. The
Government leaned toward reorganization for the first several days, then favored the
general resignation from the night of 10
January to the morning the 11th. It swung back to reorganization again in the afternoon
of 11 January.
At first Premier SHIDEHARA made up his mind to change those ministers who came under
the directive and to face the political
situation by reorganization. Furthermore, he intended to clean up some doubtful points
in the directive and decide on a
concrete plan. In this way the SHIDEHARA Cabinet had intended to reorganize itself,
but the reorganization did not go on
smoothly because Foreign Minister YOSHIDA's visit to SCAP did not materialize and
liaison went awry on account of Premier
SHIDEHJRA's illness. On the other hand, some ministers urged general resignation in
view of the present situation, and the
deli[illegible]became more acute. As time went by, the Premier began to feel that the only thing
left
for him was to tender his resignation in view of the various conditions and on the
ground that he did not have the heart to
blame the ministers who came under the directive for their guilt by expelling them
from the Cabinet. Thus he clearly expressed
his desire for general resignation to Chief Secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA, who
visited him on the morning of 11 January.
The Chief Secretary reported on this at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting on 11 January.
Hearing this, all the ministers who came under the directive said, "It is not proper
that the Cabinet should resign because of
our retirement, It is useless to confuse the political situation by causing a change
of Government. We demand that the Premier
make up his mind to face the present conditions by reorganizing the Cabinet." Many
Ministers agreed with this opinion.
Chief Secretary of the Cabinet TSUGITA with Agriculture Minister MATSUMURA visited
the Premier at his home and reported to him
on the opinion of the Cabinet meeting. Consequently, Premier SHIDEHARA changed his
mind again and. determined to ease the
situation by reorganizing the Cabinet. The Chief Secretary reported this to the Cabinet
meeting at once. In this way the
political situation, which has been unsettled for a week, is likely to be settled
by the reorganization of the Cabinet.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
- 4 -
Loading...