Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0274, 1946-02-04.
Date4 February, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1118
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 274
ITEM 1 National Movement for Relief of Men Overseas - Yomiuri Hochi - 3 Feb 46. Translator: S. Sano.
Full Translation:
Relief measures for Japanese, (abroad) which were passed at the 89th extraordinary
session of the Diet by the joint resolution
of all political parties, have recently become a more important and urgent problem.
In accordance with the situation, a round table conference between the leaders of
the political parties and the
representatives of the repatriates from overseas, was held at the parlour in the Diet
building at 1400 on 2 February. The
representatives of political parties were:
KANEMITSU, Yasuo | (Progressive Party) |
KIYOSHI, Hideyuki | (" ") |
SATO, Yonosuke | (" ") |
HAYAMURA, Shiro | (Liberal Party) |
TAHARA, Harugi | (Social Democratic Party) |
KUROKI, Shigenori | (Communist Party), |
while the chief of the KOREA Synthetic Petroleum Company, ONDOKORO, and other representatives
from the People's Release Union
(JINMIN XAIHO R[illegible]EI) or the Labor League (KINROSHA DOMEI) were presented at the conference as the
representatives of the repatriates, and they had an informal talk with each other,
rising above their parties.
It is scheduled that they will hold another conference at 1000 on 6 February, where
detailed measures for the relief of men
overseas are to be deliberated centering on the plans of relief drawn up by all parties.
Regarding this urgent problem, all
the political parties are making a coalition on a non-party basis, and it is expected
that they will encourage the government
authorities, and on the other hand will appeal to MacARTHUR's Headquarters, and further
stir up the people for a national
movement.
ITEM 2 How to get the Democratic Front under Way - Yomiuri Hochi 3 Feb 46. Translator:
Paasche.
Summary:
NODA, Takeo (Progressive): "If It Is true that there have been Social Democratic
proposals for democratic front, but on the
whole the Communists are absolutely leading in this field since they have repeated
their offer so often. The grave danger
confronting JAPAN - inflation, food scarcity and other economic problems - are indeed
calling for common action through a
democratic front. However, when we look at the communist proposals there are other
things which come to our mind, for apart
from the evils of the times there is the communist attitude toward the Emperor as
well as their entire alarming ideological
accompaniment. We are quite aware of the advisability of joint efforts
POLITICAL SERIES: 274 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
for coping with the known difficulties and dangers but, frankly, the recent Communist
effort for a United front definitely
smells of election tactics and a bid for more power, nay, of a desire to seize power
eventually. All this does not prevent me
from being in favor of the democratic front.
KITA (Liberal "Are you gentlemen Talking of the People's Front or the Democratic
Front?"
YAMAKAWA Hitoshi (Social Democrat): "Both terms are now used inter-changeably."
NODA: "If the terms are not clearly defined they must necessarily caution us."
YAMAKAWA: "It would be well for the democratic movement if "asides" were avoided;
proposals and their acceptance should become
more open."
YOSHIDA (Co-operative Party): "In democratic front must be based on the grim realization
that famine is staring us in the
face, a fact which concerns all the people; this implies that we oust start on the
front without the slightest delay; this is
why we of the Cooperative Party ere now coming out with a tangible food-scheme. Much
of what I see when I look around reminds
me of a certain village in NAGANO Ken where group of teachers discussed the Emperor
System for no less than two months;
finally they too had to admit that there was no rice, so we made them shelve the topic
for a while helping them to organize a
cooperative Livelihood Association. Likewise, before we discuss the means and ways
of setting up the front, we had better got
handle the food problem and then unemployment. If we succeed in organizing an all-out
attack against these ills, the
democratic front will automatically take shape. What about establishing an all-party
Council for coping with the food peril
first of all? It is our duty to act, and our party will contribute through it's cooperative
Societies, as will all parties by
their special abilities, even though there be many different opinions on the Emperor
System and related problems.
The greatest obstacle in the way of a working rice supply system is the fact that
the farmers resent the administrative
pressure from above which forces them to supply certain quantities of staple food.
Therefore, the contributions must, in the
future be on a voluntary basis. To make it so the farmers must supply what they are
ready to give on their own accord. This
will enhance the farmers' self-confidence and might lead to salvation through organized
team work. At the same time such
spontaneity on the part of the agrarian class would constitute the beginning of a
democratic front. The many food caches in
towns and villages must also be taken care of by the people, but food administration
by different groups in different places
will not work. The Government must set up a comprehensive organ working according
to a nation wide plan; probably no party
will fail to cooperate in this undertaking, but should the Government be unwilling
to act fairly this would be reason enough
to start a movement for it's overthrowal. The political parties of the day were brought
together by politicians and for this
reason have not much to do with the common people. The real political parties will
be born from the election and the people's
own organizations.
ITEM 3 Consultation Investigation Committee's Work Ended - Asahi Shimbun - 3 Feb 46. Translator: T. Kitayama.
Full Translation:
The Government's Constitutional Investigation Committee held its conference on 26
January, and discussed the revision draft.
The result was to be brought before the plenary meeting of the Investigation
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POLITICAL SERIES: 274 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Committee for discussion, and the seventh general meeting of the Investigation Committee
was held at the Premier's official
residence at 1000 on 2 February. The conference was attended by MATSUMOTO, Chairman
of the Committee and Minister without
Portfolio, Advisors SHIMIZU, MINOBE, and NOMURA, committeemen MIYAZAWA, KIYOKIYA,
KAWAMURA, NARAHASHI, ISHIGURO, IRIE, SATO,
NADA, OKUMO, MOROHASHI, KOBAYASHI and OIKE.
They discussed drafts A and B formed by the conference of the Committee, and opinions
were given mainly by the advisors. The
result was that there were two or three points in the draft in which it was decided
to amend certain words and phrases. Two or
three important opinions were also given concerning other points. These amendments
and opinions will he reported by Minister
without Portfolio MATSUHOTO when he explains the revision draft at the Cabinet, meeting.
The Investigation Committee has just finished its task of making up the revision
draft of the Constitution and is to rest for
a while. But should external elements voice opposition, the Committee will hold a
conference for further investigations.
Minister without Portfolio MATSUMOTO intends to complete his explanation of the draft
at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting to
be held on the 4th, but as many opinions will be given by Cabinet members, he will
be unable to finish the explanation on that
day. After on understanding is obtained at the Cabinet meeting, the Minister, keeping
in close contact with all quarters
concerned, will have the revision draft discussed by the Investigation Committee.
The draft will then be published to bring
forth opinions from the general public.
Concerning the revision of the Constitution, the government finished discussions
of the Investigation Committee on the 2nd.
Holding a Cabinet meeting every day, it examined the draft made by the Committee,
and is quickly drawing up the Government's
plan for the revision of Constitution. As soon as this examination is finished, the
government' is scheduled to revise the
associate laws. In regards to the associate laws, the Government is going to introduce
in the coming extraordinary session of
the Diet, along with the revision bill of the Constitution, a new law bill accompanying
the revision of the House of Peers
Ordinance, a revision bill of the House of Representatives and several other law bills.
These bills will be made up by the
Constitution Revision Investigation Committee of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau and
the secretaries of both House.
As for the Imperial House Law, Minister without Portfolio, MATSUMOTO, who is in charge
of the Constitution revision, has no
intention of revising it. On this problem, MATSUMOTO states that no opinion was ever
advanced, during the period in which the
Constitution revision was being discussed, either from the Government itself or from
outside sources. Consequently, since the
abdication of the Emperor must be made in accordance with the Imperial House Law or
since there is the possibility of the
Emperor's death, the abdication of the Emperor has not been considered in the present
work of revising the Constitution.
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