Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0205, 1946-01-20.
Date20 January, 1946
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numberpolitical-0851
Call NumberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
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POLITICAL SERIES: 205
ITEM 1 The Coal Crisis and The Social-Democrat Party - Magazine: Shin Nihon - 5 Jan
46. Translator: T/4
Shiine and E. Hoshikawa.
Summary:
According to an announcement of the Commercial and Industrial Department, the total
amount of coal stored in JAPAN at the end
of November 1945 was 2,730,000 tons. Only 1,370,000 tons of it could be delivered
because of the labor shortage. The amount of
coal which can now be delivered monthly is less than 50,000 tens, so we do not exaggerate
when we say that the coal crisis is
severe.
Though we are also in the midst of a food crisis, there is a wide difference between
the two. The letter is due to an absolute
scarcity of products, where as the former is not due to a lack of resources. The responsibility
for the coal shortage rests
entirely with the present Government.
To our great regret, there has not yet been any noticeable countermeasure taken to
remedy the coal shortage by any of the
political parties in the Government. However, the proposal submitted to the Government
by the Social-Democrat Party to
nationalize all coal mines and to encourage the establishment of a labor union is
a sound one. The farmer plan was suggested
by the example set by the Labor Party of ENGLAND, but it can never be executed by
the present Government. However, it provides
an excellent platform for the Social-Democrats. As for the latter, it is welcomed
by the present Government since the Labor
Union Law has already been passed. However, the Minister of public Welfare alone opposes
the proposal and insists that
national conscription of labor be readapted to solve the present coal crisis.
Frankly speaking, the political development of the labor class cannot be expected
to materialize through the mere passage of a
union law. Wholehearted effort toward this development is necessary. The idea that
new legislation can form a political system
is nothing more than bureaucracy.
The Nation's first great postwar economic crisis is now before us in the form of
the coal crisis, and its solution rests in
our hands. Resolution of the crisis depends entirely on the labor of JAPAN. It is
high time for decisive activity on the part
of the Social-Democrats. The Social-Democrat Party, above all other, has control of
labor, the one all-important economic
factor of today, and by exercising that control and setting the coal mines into motion,
it may afford hope of a political
reform. At the same time, it will serve to solve the national coal crisis. The JAPAN
Communist Party would also do well to
heed these words.
Under the circumstances, formal legislative measures alone cannot arouse the poeple's
emotions. They must be accompanied by
conscientious efforts
POLITICAL SERIES: 205 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
and material reforms. Hence, we demand of the Social-Democrats the presentation of
a united front against the incompetance
which is so clearly in evidence in the coal crisis of today.
ITEM 2 Report on Public Opinion on the Abolition of the Emperor System - Magazine:
Yoron - 11 Jan 4b.
Translator: T. Kosaka.
Summary:
Question: Do you think the Emperor system is necessary?
Reply: Yes- 91%; No-9%
(No vote of abolition from females)
On the 5th of August, 1945, JAPAN accepted unconditional surrender, leaving as her
only hope of existence, the maintenance of
the sovereignty of the Emperor. This, of course, was JAPAN's one-sided understanding
of the situation. For this reason, JAPAN
has faithfully followed the POTSDAM Declaration and has carried out the demobilization
of her soldiers, both in and outside
the Country with unprecedented calmness, enabling the Allied Forces to occupy JAPAN
bloodlessly.
But now, criticism of the Emperor system is arising in many parts of the world. The
NEW YORK TIMES says, "Destruction of the
Emperor's sovereignty is the only way of establishing a peaceful JAPAN". President
TRUMAN's opinion is a representative one,
namely, "Give the Japanese the chance to settle the matter among themselves by free
voting."
The results of an investigation made by this magazine (YORON) are as follows (The
total number of people polled was 227, among
whom 212 were men and 15 were women):
Supporters of the System - wen 192, Women 15;
Opponents of the System - Men 20, Women 0.
Some of the supporters say that the traditions and characteristics of JAPAN are not
simple things which can be viewed
systematically. They are the blood of the Japanese Nation, and there can be no JAPAN
without the Emperor.
By acceptance of the POTSDAM Declaration on 15 August, 1945, the Emperor System was
driven out of existence. A revolution has
been achieved. This is not only a fact but also a legal truth. Therefore, it is reasonable
to establish a new government in
JAPAN based on the free will of the people, and to settle the problem by national
voting.
In order to reconstruct JAPAN, we must cutshort this long standing tradition of generations,
and let the problem be solved by
all of the people. Those are the opinions and reasons given by those who voted for
the abolition of the Emperor System.
ITEM 3 Now List of War Criminals - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Jan 46. Translator: H. Kato.
Summary:
According to a SCAP Public Relations Office press release, the Supreme Commander
of the Allied powers, Douglas MacARTHUR, on
17 January ordered the Japanese Government to apprehend 111 Japanese, including seven
generals, as suspected war criminals.
They are to be turned over to the Commanding General of the XI Corps at the SUGAMO
Prison.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 205 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
The newly-listed war crime suspects are: Lieutenant General ISOGAI, Ranouke, Governor-General
of HONGKONG; Lieutenant General
KAGESA, Sadaaki, commanding officer of the Defense Forces of General Headquarters
RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN; Lieutenant General
KAWAGUCHI, commanding officer at PARONG, MINDANAO; Lieutenant General SAKAI, Takashi,
commanding officer of the Japanese
Forces at General Headquarters in HONGKONG; Lieutenant General TAWI, Hisao, formerly
commanding officer of the 6 Division;
Lieutenant General WACHI, Takaji, chief of staff of the Japanese Forces at General
Headquarters in the PHILIPPINE ISLANDS;
Lieutenant General WATANABE, Saburo, commanding officer of the 3 War Shipping Unit
at SINGAPORE; Captain AOMORI, Masao, of the
TOKYO branch camp No. 1; ADACHI, Fukusahuro, employee of the YODOGAWA branch camp,
OSAKA; AIHARA, Fuku, EHIME Prefecture
AKAWATSU, Toranosuke, employee of the YODOGAWA branch camp; ANAMIYA, Norio, of the
OFUNA camp; First Lieutenant ANDO, of the
MUKDEN camp; ARIGATA, Shigeru, guard of the MUKOJIMA branch camp, HIROSHIMA; ASOMA,
Tadakichi, of the OMORI camp; AZUMA, Suro,
who was stationed in the ANDAMANS and later served at the SASEBO Naval Base; EGAWA,
Yukio, of FUKUOKA branch camp No. 18;
Captain ENOGUCHI, Toshio, of the NAGOYA main camp; FUDO, Masao, HAKODATE branch camp
No. 2; FUJII, guard of the SENDAI branch
camp No. 4; FUJIKAWA, Yoshimitsu, guard of the MUKOJIMA branch camp, HIROSHIMA; FUJIMOTO,
guard of the TOKYO branch camp No.
12; Sub Lieutenant FOKUOKA, Chiyokichi, crew of the No. 10 convoy; First Lieutenant
FUKUYAMA, Sekuji, of the WAGOYA main camp;
Sergeant GOTO, Hachiro, of the NAGOYA main camp; Major HAMABA, Seihei of the TOKYO
branch camp No. 14; HARAKAWA, Gore, guard
of the TOKYO branch camp No. 20; Captain HIRAKAWA, Ko, commanding officer of the landing
forces in the ANDAMANS and later
serving at the SASEBO Naval Base; Sergeant HITOSUGI, Toshio, of the NAGOYA main camp;
First Lieutenant HOAITA, Daizo of the
NAGOYA war camp; Sergeant IEDA, Chuzo, of the NAGOYA branch camp No. 2; Sergeant Major
IIDA, Hiroshi, of the TOKYO branch came
No. 18 D.; Sergeant IIDA, Kiyoshi, ASAHI-Cho, CHIBA-Ken; First Lieutenant IKEGAMI,
Uichi, of FUKUOKA branch camp No. 18;
Captain ISODA, Yoshio, of the NAGOYA main camp; Sergeant ITO, Kunio, of the HAKODATE
main camp; ITOMI (or ITO) and KANO of the
MUKDEN camp; Colonel KANAKAMI, who served in PARANG, COTABATO and MINDANAO with General
KAWAGUCHI; KIMURA, Tomatsu, guard of
the TOKYO camp; KIRYU, Masaki, interpreter of the YOKKAICHI camp; KITAZAWA, Yoji,
interpreter of the HAKODATE branch camp No.
2; KITAMURA, Sueharu, medical non-commissioned officer of the OMORI camp; Sergeant
KITAKA, Sajiro, cook of the SENDAI camp;
KOMATSU, Ken, civilian of the HIROSHIMA camp; KOSHIKAWA, Junnosuke, guard of the TOKYO
branch camp; Captain MABUCHI, Masaki,
No. 20, 1, MINOCKA, MADA-Ku, KOBE; Sergeant Major [illegible]ATSUKAWA, Zenichi, OITA; Corporal [illegible]ATSUMURA, of the S[illegible]RAKAWA camp; First Lieutenant MATSUO, Shokei, of TOKYO
branch camp No. 8; Second Class Se[illegible]man MATSUOKA, Hiroshi, of the OMORI camp; MATSUOKA, Mangen, of
the OMORI camp; MIUMI, Natsuo, guard of the HOKODATE branch camp No. 2; Sergeant Major
MIWA, Toiichi, of the NAGOYA camp;
MOR[illegible]NO, Eiichi, employee of the HIROHATA camp; Sergeant NAGATA, Tsuneo, of the NAGOYA
main
camp; First Lieutenant NAKAMURA, Shuji, of the ARAKI Forces at APARI, LUZON; Sergeant
Major NAMIKATA, Takeji, of the MUKDEN
camp; RAM SOU CIO, FORMOSA, of the CABANATUAN camp; Second Lieutenant NISHIZAWA, of
the TOKYO branch camp; Corporal :
NISHIKAWA, Keiso, of the CARANTUAN camp; Second Lieutenant NEMOTO, Fugio, of the TOKYO
camp; NOMOTO, Takao, of the TOKYO camp;
First Lieutenant NUMAJIRI, Shigeru, of the TOKYO camp; OBAYASHI Kiyoshi, guard of
the ZENTSUJI and later HIROSHIMA camp;
Sergeant OGATA, Masakatsu, of the SENDAI camp; Second Lieutenant OGURA, Shigeo, of
the TOKYO camp; Noncommissioned Officer
OHARA, Katsui, of the OFUNA camp; Second Lieutenant OKAMOTO, Hitoshi, KLMAMOTO; Second
Lieutenant OKUBAYASHI, Seitaro, of the
HIROSHIMA, camp; OTAKE, Shigakiyo, guard of the TOKYO camp; First Lieutenant KODERA,
Kinshiro, who returned from the LUZON
Island; Probational Officer OUCHI, Nobutaro, of the OFUNA camp; Lieutenant Commander
OZAKI, of the 18th Naval Construction
Unit; Sergeant Major SAKAINO, Takayoshi, KAMIKAWA-GUN, HOKKAIDO; Sergeant SAWAI, Hideo,
BEPPU, OITA; Noncommissioned Officer
ISHIWARA, Isamee, who returned from TRUK Island to URAGA; Ward Boy SHIOIRI, Rikio,
TOKYO; Petty Officer SHOJI, Kideo, who
returned from TRUK Island; Corporal
- 3 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 205 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
SHURAKI, Takeo, of the YOKKAICHI camp; First Lieutenant SUDO, Yoshio, of the TOKYO
camp; Lieutenant Commander SUGIHARA,
Hiraku, who was stationed in the ANDAZMAN Islands, and later at the KURE Naval Submarine
School; SUZUKI, Ken, civilian of the
SENDAI branch camp, TOKIWA coalmine; TAKAHASHI, Seiso, guard of the TOKYO branch camp
No. 9; First Lieutenant TAKAHASHI,
Takao, formerly of the OFUNA camp; Superior Private TAKAHASHI, Takeshi, of the HAKODATE
branch camp No. 3; TAKEUCHI,
Tetsunosuke, naval employee who recently returned from TRUK; TANAYAMA, Keiji, formerly
of the OFUNA camp; TATEDO, Sotaro,
civilian clerk, of the HAKODATE branch camp No. 3; Second Lieutenant TODA, Toshio,
formerly of the NAGOYA come; First
Lieutanant TOMAKI, of the MITO camp; Captain TOSHINO, Junzaburo, HATSUYAMA, EHIME;
UEMATSU, Goke, civilian formerly of the
SENDAI branch camp No. 4; Sergeant Major UENO, Torao, of the HAKODATE branch camp
No. 3; Captain WADA, Yoshitono, formerly of
the Prisoner Of War branch camp No. 1; WATANABE, Hidewa, guard of the HAKODATE camp;
WATANABE, Sadao, guard of the HAKODATE
camp; Superior Seaman WATAWABE, Tomikuni, of the OFUNA camp; Second Class Mariner
YADOIWA, Isao, of the HAGOYA, camp; Sergeant
YAMADA, Masao, of the [illegible]AGOYA camp; First Lieutenant YAMASHITA, Yoshira, of the NAGOYA camp;
YA[illegible]ASAKI, interpreter of the SENDAI camp; YAMANOUCHI, interpreter; YAKAMOTO, Seijiro,
employee
of the HAKODATE camp; YASUDA, Kishiro, Captain of the TACHIBANA-MARU; First Class
Private YOSHINAGA, Yoshitaro, of the LUZON
camp; Corporal YOSHIO, Tetsuo, of the SENDAI camp; First Lieutenant YOSHIZAWA, Kanichiro,
of the TOKYO camp.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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