Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0223, 1946-01-24.
Date24 January, 1946
RepositoryRauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Call Numberpolitical-0923
Call NumberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
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POLITICAL SERIES: 223
ITEM 1 Directors of the GIFU Associated Press Resign [illegible]Masse—Previncial
Newspaper The Chubu Nippon Press - 23 Jan 46. Translator: S. Hirata.
Full Translation:
The president of the GIFU Associated Press, Mr. OHASHI, Sotosaburo, announced the
general retirement of the present directors
at a meeting of the executive committee council of the press employes' association.
Prior to the previous arrangement to
change the press title to the GIFU Times as well as to carry out democratization of
management by means of the publication and
presentation of shares to all employes within the first ten days of February, this
step was adopted by the unanimous consent
of the company in order to establish a new organization. The method of appointing
new directors will be discussed by the
committee of electors, which is scheduled to be appointed at the ratio of six from
the employes' association and four from the
present shareholders. An important general assembly of the same association will be
held on Thursday to elect a
committee.
ITEM 2 The Emperor System (Part 10) by FUJI, Naoniki - Mainichi Shimbun - 23 Jan 46.
Translator: J.
Weiller.
Full Translation:
As one who engages in the study of history, my attention is attracted to fellow historians'
opinions, not only by their views
but also their methods of proposition and attitudes toward researches, As an example
I would like to touch on "the Elucidation
of the Emperor System", by Mr. HANI, Goro, which appeared in two series in the MAINICHI
SHIMBUN.
The writer is well acquainted with the fact that Mr. HANI is a shrewd historian,
by personal contact as well as through
reading his works. He has not been accepted recently on account of his scientific
probing of historical facts, but now that
the situation has undergone a sudden change the stage for his activities is open for
him, and the writer is one of those who
expects much success from him. It is not the writer's direct aim to comment on Mr.
HANKI's essays, but, by taking up one or
two points, he wants to supplement his own views on the phenomena with which he had
no occasion to deal in the foregoing
columns.
Mr. HANI's points of argument are: (l) Doubts about JAPAN's chronology of 2600-odd
years; (2) Rejection of the [illegible]intertupted Imperial lineage.
Regarding the former, it is common knowledge among historians
POLITICAL SERIES: 223 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
that opinions are divergent on the correct chronology, and in spite of many publications
on the question special pressure was
brought to bear upon remarks on the question, along with the wholesale prohibition
of any comment on the Imperial Family.
Books on this subject were banned and the authors were detained by the police, which
is really regrettable for research study.
Therefore, I have, of course, nothing to say against Mr. HANI's adopting a different
view, but, I entertain doubts as to the
way of his adopting it. What I want to question him about is whether or not he means
that the supremacy of the Imperial Family
is maintained because it has continued for 2600 years but is lost if 600 years are
deducted therefrom. Does he mean that the
people's reverence for the Emperor diminishes because ARAI, Hakuseki, one of the many
historians he quotes, arrived at the
same view? Does he also mean that Dr. KUEOITA, Katsuyoshi, because he agreed with
this view, made remarks in his "Study of the
Country's History" which can be taken as injurious to patrotism? Personally, I am
of the opinion that, to the people who are
the corner stone of the protection of polity, a change in chronology has no substantial
meaning.
Regarding the second point, which is about the misconduct of Emperors, while denying
the authenticity of the "NIHON SHOKI", he
quotes passages from the book as the evidence of such misconducts. For instance, in
connection with Emperor SUIZEI's conduct,
he quotes 15 lines from Mr. TAKEKOSHI's works, but in spite of this Emperor's reign
during the 600 years which he denies, he
inserts the description as historical fact without comment. Does not this attitude
contradict the scientific methods of his
study? This matter must be discussed as a question of the method of study extending
over all branches of history.
Along with the rise of "SAMURAI" classes in the medieval age the conception of the
polity was shaken owing to sudden changes
in the national structure. Among Mr. HANI's arguments touching on the point, he appears
to use the coexistence of the Southern
and the Northern Dynasties as an argument to prove that this separation caused an
interruption in the Imperial line. But the
acknowledged opinion asserts that by the handling of the Imperial Heirlooms between
the two dynasties, the legitimacy was
automatically decided. That this was acknowledged among the SAMURAI classes in those
times is proved by the fact that
ASHIKAGA, Yoshimitsu, who was the actual power when he asked Emperor GOKAMEYAMA (then
in YOSHINO) to come back to KYOTO,
proposed, as one of the conditions, to hand over the heirlooms to Emperor GOKOMATSU
(who was then in KYOTO) as a pledge of his
abdication in favor of the latter. This datum was discovered by Dr. MIURA, Shuko,
out of the KONOYE papers and reported to the
academic world; it is considered authentic. I am not satisfied with Mr. HANI's attitude
that, ignoring this fact, he merely
argued or the basis of the co-existence of the two dynasties.
Nor am I content with his citing the actions and words of TOKI, KONO, and others,
as if such "rare ruffians" were usual. Nor
can I agree with his taking up the behavior of ODA, Nobunaga, when he was young, as
an instance of disrespectful attitude
generally adopted by the then ruling S[illegible]MURAI classes toward the Emperor. It is a well-known fact
that when ODA, Nobunaga, reached a mature age he embodied the loyal spirit and performed
deeds for the benefit of the
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POLITICAL SERIES: 223 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
Imperial Family.
I am not going any farther in raising questions because it is too much trouble to
enumerate Imperial virtues and vices, and
loyal and rebellious subjects in history. After all, we must decide on our attitude
in dealing with these examples. In other
words, in adopting a scientific attitude we must weigh the evidence correctly, differentiating
between what is exceptioned and
what is general. As Mr. HANI specially stressed at the beginning of his discussion,
a firm attitude of historical study must
be maintained, formed on historical facts, criticised and discussed, but not preconcluded.
Along with such academic questions, what demands more concern of the writer is the
people's present view on the Emperor
System. For example, the JAPAN Communist Party's Platform avows the overthrow of the
Emperor System. Against the attitude
expressed when first the party acquired legitimacy, the views of Mr. NOZAKA, Sanzo,
and his followers, who have been at YENAN,
are reported to be opposed. Mr. NOZAKA touched several times on the subject on his
way home, thus giving the impression that
there was disagreement between the two, but, according to the joint statement of Mr.
NOZAKA and the Party's Central Committee,
the Party's demand for the unconditioned overthrow of the Emperor System has been
revised. Thus, though the Emperor System is
rejected as a national system, the continuance of the Imperial Household will be dealt
with as a separate question to be
decided by the free will of the Japanese people as soon as the democratization of
the country is attained. According to this
principle, the separation of rites from administration is anticipated to materialize.
But what I would like to point out is
the characteristic world-view of the Nation. If an opportunity may arise for the party
to put into practice its policy, it
appears as though, in the process of its realization, it will undergo some transformation.
I express this view as a result of historical study but it cannot be a prophecy:
Mr. NOZAKA revealed his opinion by saying
that the reason he did not at once take up the Emperor question was because he desired
to await the people's decision as their
minds were undergoing a change. Whether the Nation's trend is towards the abolition
of the Emperor System or toward the
phenomena which I previously described as the spiritual foundation for the preservation
of the polity, will influence
millions. Personally, the writer, as a historian, is optimistic regarding the future
of the Emperor System, and he is
determined to have his expectation realized.
ITEM 3 The Fourth Day of War Criminal HONDA's Trial - Mainichi Shimbun - 24 Jan 46.
Translator: N.
Tachibana.
Full Translation:
The Fourth day of the trial of war criminal HONDA was opened at 0900, 23 January.
Throughout the previous day, Mr. OKADA, Shinichi, former camp interpreter, had explained
the condition under which cases of
inflammation of the lungs had broken out at the camp. In reply to the summons of the
advocates, former
- 3 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 223 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Colonel SAKABA, Kanane, chief of the camps in the SENDAI area, explained the condition
of the camp and said that HONDA and his
subordinates made desperate efforts to nurse the sick prisoners of war. The court
adjourned at 1150.
In the afternoon, prosecutors put various questions to witness SAKABA, who stated,
"Prisoners at the YUMOTO camp were provided
with 705 grams of food a day, the same quantity as that of a Japanese soldier, and
a number of Japanese miners protested
against what they considered was too much kindness. Without the camp officers' efforts
the numbers of sick and dead prisoners
of war would have been doubled."
ITEM 4 Premier Will Talk With General MAGARTHUR Today - Yomiuri Hochi - 24 Jan 46.
Translator: H.
Naoji.
Full Translation:
Prime Minister SHIDEHARA, who has been confined to his bed for many days, has now
completely regained his health. He attended
his Official Residence on 21 January for the first time since the outbreak of his
illness. Since his return, he has been
dealing with political affairs as far as his health permits.
It was decided that the Premier will call on General MACAHTHUR on the afternoon of
24 January to talk with him on important
matters in order that the JAPANESE Government may be able to face the political situation
after the reorganization of the
Cabinet and make complete preparations for the various possible political measures
that the Government must take to overcome
the crucial situation.
DISTRUBUTION "X"
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