Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0278, 1946-02-04.
Date4 February, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1126
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 278
ITEM 1 Superintendence of Candidacy Qualification - Mainichi Shimbun - 3 Feb 46. Translator: S. Kawasahi.
Full Translation:
The date for the forthcoming general election has been decided. Applications for
certificates of qualification by the Home
Office Ordinance were first received by various prefectural offices on 2 February.
The attitude of the people toward the
general election has become an urgent problem in political circles.
The coming general election is the most important factor in deciding whether or not
the democratization of JAPAN can be
attained. The rise or fall of our country really depends upon the general election.
Nevertheless, the Home Office Ordinance
has not laid down any positive principles for the promotion of a national, democratic,
and political sense. The Home Office
Ordinance has no legal, restrictive power. Those who believe they are not liable under
the directives of SCAP may run for
election as candidates, even if they do not have written certifications of the Home
Minister.
Those who write false facts in their personal careers will be punished. It is a provisional
measure which was made in haste by
the authorities. It can not be said to be a perfect counter-measure. However, in the
near future, the applications for
candidacy will be legally restricted by the promulgation of "prohibitions of employment
and candidacy" under the directives of
SCAP is an Urgent Imperial Ordinance. It is a lukewarm ordinance which attempts to
indicate that the directives of SCAP are
the direct-understood. The Ordinance regulates that all candidates are to obtain the
certificates from the Home Minister. The
Home Office authorities forecast that the delivery of certificates will be ended by
the end of this month.
Under the present conditions in which the number of candidates is estimated at more
than 2,000 persons, it is doubtful whether
the delivery will be carried out as expected. Here is a problem on which the nation
should make cool judgment with perfect
control. It is a problem of whether or not only those who have the certificates of
the Home Minister will be real democrats
and the representatives of democratic political parties. In practice, the written
certificates will become the bills promising
qualification by statesmen who carry on their backs the new JAPAN and are not liable
under the directives of SCAP. Negatively,
the written certificates will become recommendations by the Government.
Such a fact only confuses a nation which is in the course of developing democratic
ideas. Namely, under the directives of
SCAP, the Government has not taken a positive attitude with which the authorities
can draw the line with regard to prohibition
of candidacy. The above policy of the Government can be said to be due to the fact
that their own weakness in politics is
feigned ignorance; and the preservation of the old powers and former political party
members will be permitted.
POLITICAL SERIES: 278 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
The Government has not yet any definite measure for restricting the candidacy of
undesirable persons, though the fixed date of
the general election has already been decided. The nation is feeling dissatisfied
with this incompetent attitude. The coining
general election should be supported by the free will of the people. If the bill calling
for written certification should be
undemocratic, unreactionary and preserving the old influences and power, then some
observant individual should expose the
situation.
ITEM 2 Women's Frank Views about the General Election - Mainichi Shimbun - 3 Feb 46.
Translator: J.
Weiller.
Four elementary school teachers expressed their views that they will not pass up
their right to vote, and will do their own
choosing of Candidates. The candidates of their choice will be men of firm conviction
and know the real situation that
teachers are in. When voting, their first consideration will be for the party and
then individual members; they are
well-disposed to the Progressive Party because it supports the Emperor System, but
in view of the party's past conduct, they
will think twice before voting for it. Therefore, they believe that the Social Democratics
and the Liberals seem preferable to
the progressives in view of the formers professed policies. The Communist Party is
out of the question because it clamors for
the overthrow of the Emperor System, but they are interested in NOZAKA. They do not
count much upon women
representatives.
Three Waitresses of the DAIICHI Hotel hope women candidates will be elected so that
they will work for the emancipation of
Japanese women who are placed in a disadvantageous position both at home and in society.
They are not going to cast their
ballots for men who are against the Emperor System; they like the Social Democratic
Party but do not know why. They would
flatly refuse to be bribed.
Five Nurses of the NIPPON University's No. 1 Hospital think the women are better
off without suffrage and do not want women
running as candidates; especially they dislike their own sex associated with the Communist
Party, because they are losing
their feminine qualities. They know nothing about the parties, nor have they ever
thought of voting. As they are always
handling patients they want men who are seriously considering the food question. They
do not pay much respect to the
Communists because of the party's cry for the downfall of the Emperor System, but
toward NOZAKA they may have good feelings in
spite of his being an outstanding member.
Two housewives in ZOSHIGAYA, TOKYO are of the opinion that women alone can understand
women so they want women representatives
who understand homo life. They think the Social Democratic Party shows concern for
the welfare of the poorer people.
Three students of the JAPAN Women's University will not cast ballots merely because
of a favorite candidate. The personality
of a candidate being a secondary question, they must study the parties. They are not
hopeful of the Progressive or the Liberal
Parties because they fear that these parties will not be able to cope with the prevailing
situation. Until NOZAKA's return
they could not approve of the Communist Party since it looked is if it was not rooted
in real socialism. As for to the Party,s
future attitude, they may think favorably of it. They do not have much expectation
for women candidates.
Two open-stall merchants at AWAJI-Cho and KANDA-Ku know nothing about parties, but
they dislike men who, when elected, do not
show the slightest interest in the electors. They want men who are well versed in
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POLITICAL SERIES: 278 (Continued)
ITEM 1 (Continued)
the hardships of their class, and if they are women so much the better as they do
not like to be dictated by men even in the
matter of election.
A hostess of a tea house in SHIMBASHI hopes that women representatives will be elected
to protect the oppressed women. Her
profession is apt to invite misunderstanding, she says, but even in such a society
there is hope and honor. If a candidate is
a man well versed in the situation of the lower classes, she asserts, she does not
mind if he belongs to the Communist
Party.
A geisha at SHIMBASHI states that inasmuch as the times are different she would not
vote for a candidate if she were asked to
do so. She does not approve of the women candidates so far put forward, and would
prefer new men to old politicians.
A farmer's wife in TOCHIGI-Ken hopes that women candidates will be elected who will
hold their own against men. Being in the
country, she deplores the fact that she has little chance of acquainting herself with
various parties' policies and wishes to
be more enlightend in simple language. Most of the old women are apathetic to the
election, she adds.
Two girl clerks in MARUNOUCHI believe women representatives will understand delicate
points which are beyond men's
comprehension, but the present women leaders give the impression that they are of
a leisured class, so that they want working
women and housewives for their representatives. Lecture meetings seem best to advance
our political knowledge and we hope our
employers will pay attention to our political education as we have so such time taken
up at work.
The Paper's comment.
Throughout this investigation four notable points are perceived:
- (1) Women are not so apathetic to the election as is generally supposed.
- (2) Irrespective of ages, they clearly stated their opinions to the questions.
- (3) Women are desirous of having representatives of their own sex, and that tendency is more strongly felt among housewives and women in less favored circumstances.
- (4) However, their political knowledge is poor after all, and despite their will to take advantage of suffrage, they give an impression that it is premature because their knowledge of and comment on the parties were entirely pointless.
DISTRIBUTION: "X"
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