Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0358, 1946-01-20.
Date20 January, 1946
translation numberpolitical-1434
call numberDS801 .S85
Persistent Identifier
POLITICAL SERIES: 358
ITEM 1 The Communist Party Issued the Draft of the Party's Fundamental Rules and Policies - Akahata - 13 Feb 46. Translator: R. Ochiai.
Summary:
Now that our fifth general meeting is close at hand, please notice that we are going
to decide the party's fundamental rules
and platforms there. Here is the draft made by the party's central committee and we
ask everyone of you to attend the meeting
and discuss the following draft:
- 1.The JAPAN Communist Party's immediate object is to accomplish a bourgeois democratic revolution by democratic and peaceful methods. And in order to attain this aim: (a) We must purge all the war criminals and infringers upon people's rights from all important Japanese organizations. (b) We stress the abolition of the Emperor System. (c) Some revisions must be made in the system of landownership. (d) We will fundamentally reform the lives of the workers and make the medium and minor industry and commerce free from monopolistic capitalists. (c) In order to secure the people's livelihood, we will settle all the urgent problems of everyday life.
- 2.When we accomplish the democratic revolution, we expect to turn capitalism into a form of socialism which is acceptable to our country. This socialistic system, where nobody exploits, is the natural step for the country to take and we must attain our object by democratic and peaceful methods and not by force.
- 3.We have never advocated "the denial of private property". It is a stratagem of the Emperor System of Government to make our party seem to hold this as our primary aim. Our ultimate object, however, is to abolish the system of exploitation by transferring the funds and lands of the capitalists and landowners into the hands of society.
ITEM 2 SAKAMOTO and AONO Trial on 18 February - Asahi Shimbun - 19 Feb 46. Translator: N. Tachibana.
Full Translation:
On 18 February, the fifth day of the SAKAMOTO Trial, former Surgeon-Lieutenant KANDA,
Shoichi, who served with the first
detachment of the FUKUSHIMA Internment Camp, was called and examined by the defence
counsel. He testified as to the medical
facilities. When the defence concluded, Captain MORRISON, the prosecutor, cross-examined
him. The court reconvened at 1330 and
the examination of former Surgeon-Lieutenant KANDA was continued.
The defence counsel summoned Colonel ODASHIMA, Kaoru, high administrative official
of the War Prisoner Information Bureau
(FURYO JOHO KYOKU). Japanese Counsel KUROSAWA examined him on the proceedings and
conditions of the transfer of prisoners of
war from the PHILLIPIHES in reference
POLITICAL SERIES: 358 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
to the high rate of deaths among prisoners at the second detachment. In reply Colonel
ODASHIMA testified that thirty prisoners
of war had died while the ship was at anchor for a day at MOJI preparatory to their
landing. The court adjourned at 1600. On
18 February, the sixth day of the trial of AONO, prosecutor Lieutenant FUOGORU *(FOGLE
(?)) asked, "Didn't you kill the
patient by deliberately delaying medical prescriptions?" AONO answered, "I never deliberately
delayed medical treatment, but I
was unable to give adequate treatment to some prisoners of war." In the afternoon
Lieutenant FUOGORU continued to examine the
accused, but for the most part his replies were "I don't remember." Prosecutor FUOGORU
tried to upset AONO's testimony by
calling Lieutenant WASH as a witness. However, the defence counsel objected to this
on the grounds that a testimony without
clear evidence in writing was worthless.
Witness NOTO, Seijiro who served at the HAKODATE Docks Medical Office was then summoned.
The court adjourned at 1600.
ITEM 3 Women Candidates will Have a Speech Meeting under the Auspices of the MAINICHI Press Company - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Feb 46. Translator: R. Ochiai.
Full Translation:
It is too well known to be repeated here that an honorable vote by women plays a
great role in constructing a new JAPAN. There
are about 21,000,000 women who have recently obtained the franchise. Providing for
the coming general election, each party is
considering its policy with a female department head.
What principles and platforms are they going to present to the public? Here, the
women representatives from every prominent
party will have a speech meeting under the auspices of our Paper. We also intend to
give the people an opportunity to
criticize freely.
22 February (Friday) 1300.
The HIBIYA Public Hall.
Speakers: YOSHIMOTO, Kurako (Communist); KATO, Shizue (Social Democrat); OKU, Muneo
(Co-operative Party); SEKI, Eiko (the New
JAPAN Women's Party); KUBUSHIRO, Ochimi (Liberal), KOBA, Tomiko (Progressive).
Four or five volunteers will be invited to speak for about five minutes. Those who
wish to do so must apply to the official in
charge before the meeting.
ITEM 4 People's Control over Banking Organs - Communist Party's Attitude towards Government's Policy - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Feb 46. Translator: M. Kojima.
Full Translation:
The Communist Party decided on the following attitude in opposition to the measures
for checking inflation announced by the
Government on 16 February at the meeting of the Central Executive Committee held on
17 February.
- I.A prerequisite for the stabilization of the people's living is the full production of commodities.
- a."Concealed goods" should be completely exposed and placed under the people's control. - 2 -
- POLITICAL SERIES: 358 (Continued) ITEM 4 (Continued)
- b.Any measure for checking inflation will "be of no value without increased production. The production sabotage by both the Government and capitalists should be frustrated and laborers should actively participate in the management of production.
- c.Farmers' delivery of staple foods to the Government should be put under the people's control.
- II.The distribution of commodities and the machinery of farmers' societies should be democratically controlled by the farmers' own organizations. The staple food distribution organs should be under the citizens' democratic organizations.
- III.Commodities should be produced and distributed by a people's council formed by labor unions, farmers' committees and citizen food control committees.
- IV.Freezing of floating funds.
- a.The black market funds of capitalists and landowners should be frozen.
- b.Funds necessary for production activities should be freely supplied. Production plants should be completely utilized. However, funds should be used through the management councils participated in by employees.
- c.Freezing of funds related to the raising of wages and reduction of living expenses should be forbidden.
- d.The people's control over banking organs.
- V.The immediate and full employment of the unemployed. The immediate relief and employment of war sufferers, repatriated fellow-countrymen and demobilized soldiers.
- VI.The unconditional supply of necessities to farmers, foresters and fishermen.
- 13.
The presenting of specially built residences to war-sufferers, and the release of
large mansions to the working masses.
It is impossible for the present Cabinet to fulfil such policies. Therefore we communists
demand the immediate resignation en
masse of the SHIDEHARA Cabinet and at the same time, insist on the immediate formation
of a democratic united front.
ITEM 5 Party Purges - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Feb 46. Translator: Paasche.
Summary:
SCAP has made it known through a spokesman that in case party leaders are affected
by the directive of 4 January their party
must be dissolved. It had been previously known that designated politicians were unable
to pursue activities connected with
important party affairs or to make speeches in the name of the party. However, the
present SCAP comment indicates that the
parties are in for a more farreaching purge.
The entire leadership of the progressive party, full of affected politicians, retired
on the 18th, led by director MACHIDA. A
new start was made with SAITO, Takao and his friends trying to continue
- 3 -
POLITICAL SERIES: 358 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
party activities.
As a matter of fact, several parties have now to reckon with self-liquidation owing
to the past careers of their founders,
because when the parties were hastily patched together after the war, they were more
or less exclusively based on the
reputation of individuals. Let us take the case of the Liberal Party, which appeared
to be in danger because of rumors
concerning Party Chief HATOYAMA. HATOYAMA maintained that the directive did not concern
him and therefore not the Liberal
Party. As in other cases, the Government took the stand that it was up to the Party
itself to dispose of this problem so that
probably an inside purge has taken place.
As regards the Progressive Party it has drawn much popular speculation on account
of its many affected members. The meetings
of the 18th and 19th saw the resignation of key party men on a large scale. Since
suitable men have become quite scarce, the
chances are said to be good for SAITO, Takao to be the leading figure in the party.
With the elections in sight, the party
will possibly avail itself of this opportunity to become a democratic conservative
party, since the replacement of the
personnel has become unavoidable anyway.
Of the Co-operative Party's 28 Diet members only three were not "recommended candidates"
(KITA HOKKAIDO); ANDO (AICHI); SUZUKI
(AICHI)). The remaining 25 are disqualified and will not take part in the elections.
This looks like a final catastrophe for
the party committee. There was no directorship in this group, which was led by an
Executive Committee (FUNADA, KUROZAWA,
IKAWA, etc.). Since, with the sole exception of IKAWA, all were either prosecuted
for war guilt or recommended candidates,
IKAWA continued activities assisted by 14 men who were merely in the"recommended candidates"
category. However, the TOKYO
meeting of the 28th will see a new executive committee. The party leadership and other
important party posts will be filled
from among the new Diet members after the election.
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