Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0287, 1946-02-06.
Date6 February, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1165
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 287
ITEM 1 Islanders will be Barred, from the Election - Asahi Shimbun 5 - Feb 46. Translator: S. Ono
Summary:
In regard to the directive ordering the Japanese Government to cease the execution
of jurisdiction in specifically designated
islands, the Home Ministry is reported to be asking SCAP for a detailed explanation,
it is learned. The formulation of
subsidiary clauses attached to the directive makes clear that the order has nothing
to do with Article eight of the POTSDAM
Declaration, which stipulates regarding the final destiny of the islands. The inhabitants
and civil officials, therefore, who
still remain in the islands, are undoubtedly Japanese nationals.
Except those necessary for meteorological forecasting and navigation as every sort
of communication with the islands is
prohibited, the inhabitants are, under present circumstances, most likely to be prevented
from voting in the coming election.
Thus, the OKINAWA Islands, with a population of (estimated at) 300,000 on November
of last year, as well as the islands of
OSHIMA, MIYAKE and HACEIJO, with 70,000 citizens of TOKYO Metropolis are to be excluded
from the election campaign.
Interviewed by the press, a spokesman of the administration section of the regional
affairs bureau of the Home Ministry stated
as follows:
"We do not think it necessary to repatriate the inhabitants, as the final destiny
of the islands is as yet uncertain. We can
well imagine the shock the inhabitants will get when they are told that they are unable
to vote."
ITEM 2 The Measures For Employment Decided Mainichi Shimbun - 5 Feb 46. Translator:
H. Naoji
Full Translation:
The Japanese Government which has been studying measures for the relief of a large
number of the unemployed who are thronging
in the streets since the termination of the war have now decided upon the following
outline of the measures whereby each
ministry should drew up its own plan for relief worker for the unemployed within its
allotted duties.
- 1.To assure work, and especially to make the utmost of propaganda for social enlightenment in order to insure sound professions.
- 2.To carry out a complete investigation and study into all spheres of politics, economy and society, and into methods for social enlightenment for the purpose of establishing a democratic culture.
- a.To establish the New JAPAN Cultural Investigation Committee (provisional name), which is a sort of civil association.
- b.To organize completely both Government and civil investigation and research institutes of various kinds.
- POLITICAL SERIES: 287 (Continued) ITEM 2 (Continued)
- c.To assist in the reorganization of local cultural facilities.
- d.To execute a plan for the fulfilment of the school educational system.
- 3.To promote, most efficiently various kinds of public and private construction works.
- a.To readjust war damaged lands completely.
- b.To attend to the upkeep of rivers, roads and public works and the like
- c.To promote the building of houses.
- d.To supplement the electric works.
- e.To execute the public works in the sphere of agriculture and forestry.
- 4.To reorganize efficiently various kinds of organizations in the daily life of the people.
- a.To organize thoroughly the rationing system of staple foods.
- b.To organize completely the systems of short distance transportation end conveyances.
- c.To organize completely the system of delivery such as that of newspapers.
- d.To organize completely the system of communications.
- 5.To execute a plan for the expansion in the number of personnel engaged in the levy of taxes in city, town and village offices, especially of those engaged in statistics.
- 6.To provide the necessary man-power in the case of coal and fiber industries and vehicle transportation and in other civil industries.
- 7.To let the great cities execute the urgent works for the relief of the unemployed in order to aid the intelligentsia.
- 8.To facilitate the immediate execute of the various plans for the utilization of the mountains and forests to benefit those who want to become farmers.
- 9.To organize completely the facilities offorded by casual works and work-houses.
By these measures for the relief of the unemployed, the Government intends to relieve
2,702,720 common laborers, 444, 025
skilled workers, 500,000 casual laborers, 3,616,746 unemployed and the budget assigned
to the projected plans runs to 3,
877,136,765 yen.
ITEM 3 Secrecy in the Procedure of the Constitutional Revision - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 5 Feb 46. Translator: J. Weiller
Full Translation:
Regarding the Constitution Revision, at the Plenary Meeting of the Investigation
Committee on the second the committee's draft
materialized with a few amendments so that the Government will arrive at the final
decision on it at a Cabinet meeting on the
fourth or fifth. The Government is further to submit the draft to the Deliberation
Committee where it will be studied by that
body composed of Government officials and others, but against the procedure now being
taken up by the Cabinet
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POLITICAL SERIES: 287 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Critical opinion is gradually gaining ground that as it still savors of the bureaucratic
secrecy it should be done in a more
democratic manner. According to State Minister MATSUMOTO the Government Draft, as
soon as it is approved, is to he made public
and at the same time he submitted to the Deliberation Committee, but, it is pointed
out, then it is doubtful how the public
will reflect on the Committee. It is suggested, therefore, that the Government, from
the standpoint of respecting the people's
will, should immediately publish its draft and after observing the national trend,
should frankly and courageously amend the
draft, if necessary at the committee, thus completing the real democratic revision
of the constitution.
It is further opinted out that, when the bill is brought up before the Diet under
Imperial order a question will arise
regarding the Diet's right of amendment of the revision hill. According to the provision
of Article 73 which deals with the
procedure of revision, the Diet is not empowered to propose a revision, consequently
it has no right of amendment where.
However, the present revision being the first instance since the enactment of the
constitution and also in view of our
acceptance of the POTSDAM Declaration, it is deemed necessary that a new departure
should be attempted in the procedure of
revision. Namely instead of vesting the Diet, which is devoid of initiative, with
a mere resolution of yes or no, the right of
amendment should he accorded to it in a high degree. This question is expected to
be a big issue before the coming
extraordinary session and it [illegible]ears that State Minister MATSUMOTO is making studies with a view to
admitting this right in some form.
Such being the case, some measures are expected to be worked out before the extraordinary
session regarding the right of
voting in connection with the Constitutional revision, and in such a case vigorous
discussion on the bill will evidently be
developed in the new Diet.
ITEM 4 Candidates For General Election - Mainichi Shimbun - 5 Feb 46. Translator: M. Kojima
Full Translation:
Because of the announcement of the date of the general election, the TOKYO Metropolitan
Office began the reception of written
applications, in both Japanese and English, of candidates for election at the council-room
of the Public welfare Board on 21
February. Among the 111 persons who presented written applications on that [illegible], 23 persons'
permanent domiciles are in the TOKYO metropolis and the other 83 persons' permanent
domiciles are in other kens. The female
candidate from whom a written [illegible]datioon was first received is Mrs. YAMAGUCHI Reiko (45 years old,
an independent), ITABASHI-Ky, TOKYO. On 3 February, the number or applicants was very
small because it was Sunday. That is to
say, among seven appli[illegible]only one had a permanent domicile in TOKYO To and the other six applicants'
permanent domicles are in other kens.
On 4 February, Mr. NOZAKA Sanzo came into the room gently as usual. He asked a young
clerk concerned saying, "After returning
home, I have changed my name Sanji to Sanzo. I have applied for the chango of name
to the TOKYO district court. May 1 stand as
a candidate? Is my right to vote and qualification to stand as a candidate safe? As
a supplementary list of repatriates will
be completed on 1 March, he felt easy end asked the clerk again how to fill out an
application. Moreover, the number of the
persons who had presented written applications at the room up to 1200 on 4 Feb was
163. Among them, persons' permanent
domicles are in TOKYO To and the other 115 persons' permanent domicles are in other
kens.
Classifying them according to the discrimination of their political parties, the
Liberal Party's men are 22, the Progressive
Party's 21, the social Democratic Party's 13, the Communist Party's is only Mr. NOZAKA
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POLITICAL SERIES: 287 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
end others ere of parties which had grown in groups and independents. As has been
mentioned before the only female candidate
is still Mrs. YAMAGUCHI.
ITEM 5 The Liberal Party Held Its Urgent Plebiscite Conference - Asahi - Shimbun - 5 Feb 46. Translator R. Ochiai
Full Translation:
The staff, supposed candidates and representatives from the provinces were summoned
to an urgent conference which the Liberal
Party held at its headquarters at 1000 on 4 February. After president HATOYAMA expressed
his firm intentions of supporting the
Emperor system and of maintaining the national structure, ANDO, the head of the inspections
office of political affairs,
explained about the party's general plans on the constitution revision and on [illegible]food problem. They
were passed after various questions and answers; having discussed the measures for
the coming election, the meeting ended just
after l600. It will again open its conference at 1000 on 5 February in order to decide
on measures to meet inflation and
reconstruction enterprises.
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