Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0270, 1946-02-03.

Full Translation:

The Government, which has been deliberating on the revision of the Constitution with "A" Draft, a tenative draft worked out by the Investigation Committee, as a main plan, and "B" draft as a reference plan, will convene on the seventh Investigation Committer Meeting on 2 February, when the draft will be submitted and is expected to be approved. A decision on the outline will be made at the latest in the course of next week at a Cabinet meeting. The organization of the Deliberation Committee will be announced by an Imperial Ordinance. When the Government's original draft has been studied by the Deliberation Committee it will be forwarded to the Privy Council for Imperial ratification and thence will be submitted to the Diet.

Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO made a public statement on the 1st regarding the course of the deliberation and the future method to be taken up as follows: (1) The draft deliveration at Cabinet meeting embedied a slight change in letters to the provisions of Articles 1 to 4, but there is no basic change. (2) Article 4 which provides that the prerogative shall be exercised according to the provisions of the Constitution will be left intact, but measures have been taken to curtail substantially the prerogative by democratic revisions of other articles. (3) Upon submission to the Deliberation Committee, the Government's original draft will be made public in order to put it to the discussion of the general public at the general election, etc. As is clear from the above statement, in spite of the Government's announcement that it would. carry out considerable democratic revisions in order to fulfill the purport of the POTSDAM Declaration, it reveals the conservative tendency of the present Cabinet in that it attempts to keep intact the fundamentally important first 4 articles. It is naturally expected therefore that the question will invite storms of controversies from any quarters.

Summary:

The Cabinet discussions of the Constitutional Reform Bill wore carried on during the whole of the 1st. On the 2nd a General Assembly of the Constitutional Investigation Committee is to take place which will finally decide upon the wording of the Amendment Bill worked out by the committee.

POLITICAL SERIES: 270 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

The Chief Secretary of the Cabinet NARAHASHI had the following to say concerning the Draft of the Constitution published by a newspaper on 1 January: "The Draft described by the papers had nothing to do with the one actually worked out by the committee. The newspaper story has an uncanny resemblance to certain materials used by the committee but is entirely different from the text now under review by the committee. The committee will take up the discussion again during an extraordinary session on 4 February, at 1300.

Summary:

We called on the grand old man, OZAKI, Yukio (89), also known by his pen-name of "GAKUDO". He talked on famine, on the cold weather, on the democratic front. Before the "Guarding Angel of the Constitution' retired to his quiet villa at ATAMI, he had delivered a last blow which wound up his career as a parliamentarian, his demand for the general, spontaneous resignation of all Diet members.

This is what he told us; "We must build a JAPAN of real human beings, not slaves. Whether you call it the "Democratic Front", or just the "Human Front" is all one.

This is what the democratic front really means. During the war we had the tyranny of the war lords and the bureaucrats. The gangs are gone now, but their roots are still here. To get rid of the past, we need to work without sham and to realize where the path of real profit lies. You, may call that Democracy, Socialism or Communism. At any rate, those who have understood it, must get together in order to get rid of slave-like labor. One party, one group alone, cannot hope to bring salvation. There must be teamwork, and this was why I wrote to NOZAKA. The trouble with JAPAN is that everybody is up in arms against everyone else, and the people's stupidity is below contempt. They lost a war and got themselves into all sorts of hot water because they never think. They spend their childhood memorizing thousands of Chinese symbols so that the ability to think is choked. They remain paralyzed in the face of hunger and cold because of lack of mental force. True loyalty would consist in putting the country on the right path, but they cannot grasp this.

To make them aware of all this, we need the Democratic Front, the Huma Front. If rightists come to see me I tell them that by uttering opinions based on lies and fallacies, they are rendering the Imperial Family a disservice, and to the communists, who do not visit me very much I intend to say: "You should shelve the question of abolishing monarch for a while and turn instead to the investigation of other matters."

Full Translation:

Owing to the present problems of food and housing, the winter vacation of various university and colleges have been longer than usual this year. Beginning on 1 February, a lecture course to be given in the schools and by the middle of this month every school will have begun in lectures.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 270 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

During the holidays there were indications of a formal plan by the Minister of Education concerning the election campaign and a political movement for students. Accordingly, the students' eyes have turned toward politicsland social questions. The cultural movements in the schools are also springing up to a new life.

The main universities in TOKYO-To before the new terms take effect have the following condition:

1. The TOKYO Imperial University: It has been decided that the Faculties of Physics, Agriculture, and Medicine shall begin lectures on 1 February and the Faculties of Law, Economics, and Literature, on 17 February. Since the end of the war, the Cultural Research Body has appeared, and the Social, Science Research Institute (SHAKAI-KAGAKU - KENKYU-KAI), with Professor OKAWACHI, Kazuo as its leading professor. At the Institute, actual investigations into the number of air raids sufferers, and other social problems, are taking place. At the same time, since a new term is beginning, it is especially desirable to see definite actions. For American affairs, such as politics, economics, and culture, the American Research Association has been established under the leadership of Mr. TAKAGI, Yoseki. Students' interests in politics can be seen in the Students Political Federation (GAKUSEISEITI- DOMEI); but it has not taken any definite action as yet.

WASEDA University: All the faculties opened their lectures simultaneously on 1 January. The Social Research Association has been established with Professor KITAZAWA, Shinjiro as its chairman. The theoretical study of democracy and the criticism of actual society are carried on very enthusiastically. The Debating Club also is active in and cut of the University. The newspaper "WASEDA University" (WASHDAIAIGAKU SEIMBUM) and the "WASEDA Guardian" in English, whose publication was suspended during the war, were issued on 1 February.

KEIO University. On 4 February, various faculties will open their lectures simultaneously. The Faculty Literature Association, the Faculty of Law Association, the Faculty of Physics, and the Finance Association, whose movements had been suspended have been re-established as well as the Research Association of each faculty. The Democratic Research Association and the MEIJI Cultural Research Association, which have just been set up, have begun their activities. At the beginning of March, the MITA Paper is expected to be published.

The Technical College. On l0 January, the first lecture was held. Lectures will formally commence on 4 February. However as the College is a school of natural sciences the students' interests were for science and not for politics and culture, etc. However, after the end of the war, the Research Association, [illegible]such cultural bodies as the Department of Culture Association, the Political Institute, etc. Before the winter vacation, the representatives of various parties wert invited; and lectures on politics were heard. The study of political matters was independently carried out. Moreover, the Technical College Newspaper is scheduled to be published at the beginning of April.

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POLITICAL SERIES: 270 (Continued)

Full Translation:

The JAPAN Communist Party, in its statement on 31 January, expressed its regret at the Social Democrats' conservative attitude with regard to the joint front which they had requested the latter to join. In this regard, NISHIO, Suehiro, a Social Democrat said, "Now is not the time for us to campaign with one statement after another. I think the question of a united front will be considered from a new view point after the general election. Since we ought to obtain the consent of the federation or of the party's headquarters if a united front is needed, our general policy is to meet the situation properly, acting through proper channels.

Unless the food problem is settled with a definite plan as we declared on the 30th, there will be no effective results.

If movements are started separately in individual prefectures, there will be only confusion, so that the. Communist Party which prefers this measure, will be misunderstood as trying to expand its power under the pretext of solving the food problem.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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