Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0216, 1946-01-23.
Date23 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-0894
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 216
ITEM 1 Election Pledges By Parties - Yomiuri-Hochi - 21 Jan 46. Translator: J. Weiller.
Full Translation:
Taking various factors Into consideration the general election will apparently be
held about 20 March. The Japanese people
should, beyond all doubt, be conscious of the fact that the coming election will he
the basis of the fulfillment of the
POTSDAM Declaration imposed on defeated JAPAN. Especially in view of the granting
of women's suffrage and the lowering of the
voting age to 20, neither the Nation nor the political parties should forgot for a
moment the grave responsibility in that the
realization of a democratic JAPAN depends upon the result of this election. Viewed
from this point the policies and platforms
which the various parties are advocating are questions which do not permit a moment's
neglact for the people who now confront
a crisis of the greatest magnitude in the form of insufficiency of food, inflation
and the hardships of unemployment.
Now, viewing the various parties and their policies we find the fallowing opinions:
The Emperor System: Against the curtailment of the Emperor's prerogative, maintained
by the Progressive, the Liberal and
Social Democratic Parties, the Communist Party concludes that the complete fulfillment
of the POTSDAM Declaration lies in the
overthrew of the Emperor System.
The Control of Inflation: In contrast to the passive display of technicality as of
old by the Progressive and the Liberal
Parties recording the Property Levy and the Wartime Profits Tax the Social Democrat
defines his position by urging the
wholesale confiscation of war profits the establishment of a high rate property levy,
raisins exemptions, etc.
Food Measures: While both the Liberal and the Progressive Parties decry bureaucratic
control, they have no fundamental policy
to show as their own; it is noteworthy that the Social Democrats are considering the
solution of the agrarian land question
from a broader viewpoint.
Unemployment Measures: All the parties are unanimously advocating its solution by
virtue of the 100 billion yen obtainable
through the Property Levy and the Wartime Profit Tax, but though it is acceptable
as a principle, there is a lack of concrete
measures. In contrast to the Progressive, the Liberal and the Social Democratic Parties
which are making certain assertions as
to present imminent problems, each with the supposition that political power will
fall into its hands, the Communist Party
alone is claiming that without the establishment of a real people's government, the
suspension of payments of indemnities to
munition factories, and of interest on national bonds, progress is impossible. The
party
POLITICAL SERIESL 216 (Continued)
ITEM I (Continued)
believes the coming general election will produce the formation of a democratic front
and the expansion of the Party.
The Social Democratic Party, by MIZUTANI, Chozuaburo, a member of the Standing Central
Executive Committee: Because of
unstable living; conditions, the masses are now acutely aware of the reality of complete
defeat. In spite of this, the
SHIDEHARA Cabinet, ignoring the people's opinions, has made a mess of its inerim government
which is outragious. whoever
participates in politics now should solemnly investigate himself regarding defeat.
The return of Mr. NOEAKA, Sanzo at this
juncture is very significant, and apart from the difference of policies we cannot
overlook the fact that he will be
implemental in unifying the democratic front
The Agrarian Land Question: The reform of the Agrarian Land System put into force
by the SHIDEHARA Cabinet is no more than the
suppression of the will for work, and bourgeoisie legalization for the protection
of landowners in that the original three
chobu changed to five chobu and the right of appeal by the landowners is admitted.
The most pressing problem is an immediate
distribution of fertilizer which must be delivered to the farmers cheaply in proper
quantities according to the districts, by
the Government.
When staple food is under state control there is no reason why manure must be bought
at black market prices. My Party demands
the nationalization of fertilizer and the delivery of famine tools by the state. In
order to carry out these plans a banking
agency for the farmers should be established. Regarding KYOSHUTO (T.N. Sales of agricultural
products to the Government
agencies at official prices) we back the motto "Production with total effort and KYOSHUTU
with total sincerity". We want to
make the Agricultural Associations which are closely allied to my party responsible
for KYOSHUTSU.
Next, we pledge to give the farmers a sense of security by confiscating the rice
hidden at the end of the war. It is
impossible to do so without establishing a people's Government with my Party as the
center as we are in a position to ask the
farmers for sacrifices. The present ration system must be done away with, and instead
fair distribution must he made through
labor unions, cooperative societies and people's committees.
Inflation: The present stop gap measures are absolutely no good, a viperous program
is needed. We should like to put into
effect the wholesale confiscation of war profits and the cancellation of all debts
pledged by the Government during the war.
The Government intends to appropriate 100 billion yen by the Property Levy Tax to
indemnify the munition works, but my party
strongly maintains that this huge amount should, he applied to funds for the restoration
of the ravaged areas, relief of
unemployment, and the stabilization of the people's livelihood. It is not only the
Zaibatsu that must be stripped but the
people at large must prepare for sacrifices to a certain extent. I have heard that
in KOREA some Japanese residents, when they
learned of the termination of the war burnt the national bonds they possessed. If
all the people are prepared to give away
what they have they can save themselves from a vicious inflation.
We are against the 20,000 yen limit of the Properry Levy. The maximum levy of 70
per cent should he raised to 80 while the
exemptions should also be raised. The method of collection must be on a basis of immediate
payment based on a rough estimate,
otherwise it will not be very effective. It was governmental inefficiency not to have
immediately restricted the banks
payments; the only reason we can imagine is that it was for the protection of the
privileged classes. To assure its success,
it is necessary
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POLITICAL SERIES: 216 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
to place the banks, the trusts and the insurance companies end other such agencies
under state operation.
Unemployment: Regarding the unemployed who number ten million, the crisis must be
tided over by shortening working hours. It
is necessary to work out come means for their relief at the expense of the Property
Levy Tax, in view of that fact that these
unemployed were the victims of misgovernment, A thorough, economic democratization
is essential for the purpose. Send those
who can farm to agrarian districts, at the same time set up civil engineering enterprises
for reconstruction and through
government media find jobs according to the applicants' capacities. Unemployment insurance
is also necessary. As the Welfare
Department is shortly to he abolished, it should be reformed either as the Labor Department
or the Unemployment Insurance
Department, but we are against its transfer to the Home Deportment.
Democratic Polities: The attainment of democracy lies in the formation of a popular
front and a revision of the Constitution.
If the provisions in Articles one to four pertaining to the Emperor's sovereignity
are left as they stand, the faithful
fulfillment of the POTSDAM Declaration is impossible and also democratized politics
depend on this point. The deletion of
these articles is necessary in order to seal the fate of the militarists, the bureaucrats
and other privileged clashes.
The Government's hesitant attitude concerning Constitutional Reform indicates the
privileged classes' last struggle. We mast
strongly assort that in a new Constitution something like a Greet Charter of Labor
should be inserted.
The Communist Party, by TOKUDA, Kyuichi, the Chief Secretary
The coming election has an historical meaning in the light of the extension of suffrage
and the first participation of our
revolutionary JAPAN Communist Party. The present conditions are heightening the general
publics concern in polition and the
result of the election will greatly influence the democratization of JAPAN. Therefore,
attaching extreme importance to the
result, we are to face the election with the following duties:
Measures for the Election: 1. We must thoroughly overwhelm the reactionary powers
on this occasion. 2. We will propagate
democratic political education and urge the people's participation in politics. 3.
We rust continue the party's activities
hitherto carried out; for example, our daily battles on the food measures, improvement
of living conditions, the increased
production of coal, an increase in wages, management control, along with the election
campaign; and 4. The election shall be
run along a united front with other parties and an effort will be made to build up
this front.
Food Measures: There can be no other fundamental solution than by voluntary means
through conferences composed of the labor
unions, farmers' organizations, and the Citizens' Food Control Committees. The firm
establishment of voluntary organizations
is the very first step toward saving the country from a deadlock. In order to increase
production for the reconstruction of
the nation's livelihood, We must break up capitalistic sabotage and for that purpose
it is indispensible to practice for the
time being the control of management and exert efforts toward the production of daily
necessities:
Without encouraging a "will to produce" among the laborers and working masses it
is impossible to extricate ourselves from the
present
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POLITICAL SERIES: 216 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
critical decline in production. The cancellation of the indemnity to munitions works,
thorough collection of the wartime
profit taxes and fair imposition of the property levies must, of course, be put into
effect, but for the real execution of
these policies a democratic front formed by the combination of the real democratic
elements in JAPAN is indispensable. As
regards unemployment measure and housing measures, nothing of the construction of
a new JAPAN can be materialized by the
Government under the old militaristic and anti democratic influences.
The existing critical situation does not permit a moment's hesitation. The measures
to be taken up at this stage are obvious
to the people; it is the immediate formation of a body which will act vigorously.
This is the objective we are trying to
attain.
There are two extreme attitudes toward the election. One is to rake up as many votes
as possible, as is seen in the
established parties; while the other is to utilize the election for propaganda purposes
only and not attach much importance to
the number of ballots. Our Communist Party sides with neither. Hy party, while attaching
importance to the significance of
propaganda and to the education of the people, takes serious view of the number of
votes to be acquired as a result of the
election. Should a member of the Diet of my party act against the electors' will and
thereby incur the demand for resignation
by the election, the party will support their demand and take proper measures against
the offending member.. The Diet members
of the party must act according to the party's orders and are not allowed individual
actions.
In short, in the coming election the contest is between democracy and militarism
or anti-democratic elements which still
retain sufficient influence. The best way to overcome the present crisis is through
the evolution of a common front among the
various democratic elements in JAPAN.
The Progressive Party, by TSURUMI, Yusuke, the General Secretary
Whether the Nation is thoroughly conscious of the defeat or not depends on their
self awakening. As to my party, with the
conviction that in order to clarify the reality of defeat and work out a means of
national reconstruction it is most rational
to ask for the people's solemn verdict; we have been urging the immediate execution
of a general election. Criticisms are
being heard to the effect that the reorganization of the SHIDZHARA Cabinet is contrary
to the people's will, but in carrying
out the general election, which is to become the foundation of JAPAN's reconstruction,
it's necessary that the Government
should, be favorably regarded in the international spheres and untainted by any party
colors. My party which retained an
absolute minority until the dissolution of the recent Diet would like to pledge itself
as the first party, on the following
points.
Food: These days farmers are conservative. They greatly doubt whether or not the
rice they produce with the sweat of their
brows has really been fairly distributed throughout the Nation; at the same time,
they are dubious of the proper distribution
of farming implements. They are also desirous of fostering a co-operative and autonomous
spirit in the agrarian districts. My
party is planning to relate the towns and agrarian villages and to arouse the farmers'
co-operative and autonomous spirit,
rejecting bureaucratic control so that the farmers may exert themselves for production
and sell their produce to the
Government without suspicion.
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POLITICAL SERIES: 216 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
Peace and Order: Our second point is the maintenance of public order. We aim at the
realization of the wholesale dismissal of
undesirable officials and at improving the conditions of the better ones. We went
to improve the living conditions of the
lower rank officials, in order to enable them to willingly offer their services for
the maintenance of order. Only with such
improvements can we prevent the chaos which is threatening many villages.
Unemployment: It's thought essential that a grand socialistic policy be put into
force making use of the new funds arising
from the Property Levy Tax.
Inflation: Whether one be a nubile official [illegible]not one should entirely give up dissolute living and
curtail his consumption of vital commodities. It is a good example and worthy of our
consideration that the English Peers
above all others changed their mode of living during the war to which upper strata
in AMERICA paid great attention.
Property Levy Tax: We approve of this tax but the point is how to spend it. We must
lay stress on the fact that the money
should be appropriated for food, the unemployed, maintenance of order and other important
necessities. The capitalists who
have cash which they suddenly acquired during the war are thinking of ways to conceal
their assets by all means conceivable,
which means blocking production on one hand and accelerating inflation on the other.
Special measures must be devised in this
connection.
Emperor System: Taking an example from Christianity, in the Roman Catholic Church,
no comment on God is allowed, but in the,
Protestant Church just comment is permitted. The conception we took up in the past
is the same as that of the Catholics but we
must go ahead along the Protestant way in the future. Our policy is for the absolute
protection of the Emperor System under
just criticism based on rationalism.
Liberal Party, by ANDO, Masazumi, Chief of the Investigation of Political Affairs
As the Nation is now suffering psychologically and economically we must study means
of relief from all sides.
Emperor System: The psychological aspect is the uncertainty of the Emperor's position
which has been up till now the center of
National reverence. The Social Democratic and Communist Parties are maintaining the
view of placing the Emperor outside the
pale of the national system but we take an opposite stand. It is quite a logical measure
to curtail the so called Emperor's
preogatives in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of militarists or
bureaucrats and we see the necessity for
constitutional reform along such lines, and at the sametime enlarging the Diet's authority.
Economics: Measures against inflation: (l) Freezing the indemnities to the munition
factories; (2) Postponement of the payment
of wartime bonds and the reduction of interest; (3) absorption of currency by split
sales of the Government assets and
enterprises; (4) Thorough revision of the tension system; and (5) The curtailment
of expenses by a big scale reduction of
Government personnel. Immediate execution of the policies is necessary.
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ITEM 1 (Continued)
Food: Modify the quota of KYOSKOTSO (TN KYOSHUTSU is the sale of certain quotas of
rice to the Government at fixed rates) of
the allotment and raising the purchasing prices, at the same time giving sufficient
distribution of these commodities to the
farmers who completed KYOSKUTSU and allow them to sell the balance on the market.
Means must be devised to accelerate the
importation of rice.
Unemployment: As a positive policy, we must institute on a big scale public works
and while thus absorbing some of the
unemployed, improve labor conditions by setting up a social and unemployment insurance
system in order to strengthen and
fulfill the working spirit of the masses.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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