Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0037, 1945-11-28.
Date28 November, 1945
translation numbersocial-0124
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 37
ITEM 1 Demobilization Lament - Yomiuri Hochi - 18 Nov 45. Translator: K. Nobunaga.
Full translation:
Five years ago, just two days before our September wedding ceremony, my dear husband
was sent to some country in the south on
military duty. Not once in that time has he been given a furlough to see me. A wife
in name only, I have waited patiently for
five years, believing in victory.
On 23 May, my house was destroyed during a B-29 raid, and my father killed. Now my
ill mother and three sisters are
alone.
Neither the government nor the insurance company have paid any compensation. Before
the misfortune, I had saved a little money
because my parents were living with me. But now, with father dead, I have no income.
I cannot live unless I buy food at black
market prices. There is no hope for me. I become very despondent when I think of the
time when all my savings will have been
spent for food. My hard-earned savings will vanish in a moment.
My brother, who is awaiting repatriation in the same country as my husband has not
heard of father's death. I've received no
word from them since communications were stopped.
When I see happy demobilized veterans I cannot, help feeling envious. I understand
it will take three or four years for the
troops in the south to get home.
Assistance to soldier's families, and subsistence quarantees seem to be empty promises.
I hope at least to regain my peace of
mind until demobilizations. — A Soldier's Wife.
ITEM 2 Appeal to Farmers - Mainichi Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: K. Nobunaga.
Full translation:
"Our country was defeated in war." That is the reason why we expect co-operation
from our farmers. But, because of lack of
farmer's co-operation and assistance, our people may starve. We, the younger generation,
must work as hard as we can for the
sake of the reconstruction of JAPAN. We know, we have much to do.
SOCIAL SERIES: 37 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
In spite of that, it is because of lack of food that we cannot earnestly devote ourselves
to our work. I am sure the majority
of young men and women are in the same position. Therefore, JAPAN's reconstruction
depends upon the farmers. The Emperor
intends to use his jewelry and other precious possessions to help alleviate the situation.
And at times such as this, it is
difficult to believe that the farmers are indifferent to our problems. The farmer,
therefore, should make an all out effort to
do their part in the reconstruction of JAPAN.
ITEM 3 First lecture of reinstated Professor of Tokyo Imperial University - Mainichi Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Full translation:
Professor OUCHI delivered a lecture on finance on 19 November before 1,000 students
at TOKYO University, his first appearance
since being reinstated there.
A second year student of the School of Economics spoke on behalf of the student body.
He said that he was in the army when the
Japanese court pronounced Professor OUCHI innocent of the charges brought against
him. He thought Professor OUCHI would be
re-instated at once, and when he was not, the student said he felt for the first time
that JAPAN was going to lose the war. He
knew then that Japanese education and schools were no longer free. With Professor
OUCHI's re-instatement, liberty returned to
the University.
At the present, the student added, President UCHIDA of TOKYO University, named as
one of those responsible for blocking the
freedom of learning ought to resign. The student body, wants Professor OUCHI who honors
freedom of learning, to be the new
President of the University. This speech was met by tumultuous applause and approval.
Professor OUCHI then replied that seven years ago he was arrested by the police in
the middle of a lecture. When he received
the verdict of not guilty last year, he visited President UCHIDA. President UCHIDA
then told him "Your presence is
inconvenient!" Professor OUCHI said he thought he would never again be able to teach.
But due to the intervention of Dean
MAEIDE head of the School of Economics, the Economics faculty was reorganized and
Professor OUCHI was reinstated. Professor
OUCHI compared himself to an old canary who had lost his voice and has to find it
again. He spoke of the past and said that
when Professor YAUCHIBARA was dismissed on account of some trifling matter appearing
in his publications, it was as if one of
the beautiful poplars in the avenue of poplars which he so dearly loved had been broken.
Today, however, the avenue of poplars
has resumed its original beauty. Professor OUCHI then began his first lecture on finance.
The Economic Friends Society decided to hold a rally of all students of the School
of Economics as well as the students of
other schools in the University to join in a movement for a popular election for a
new president, and at the same time dismiss
all fascist professors. A committee of the Society has further decided to publish
a pamphlet on the events leading to the
reinstatement of six professors and one assistant professor and the dismissal of four
professors and one assistant professor
in the School of Economics.
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SOCIAL SERIES: 37 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Round Table Talk of R.A.A. - Tokyo Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
The TOKYO SHIMBUN reports the second in a series of round table discussions of a
special organization set up to provide
recreation for the Allied Occupational Forces in TOKYO. The proceedings of the meeting
are as follows:
HANAKO: I object to being called "OKICHI".
ISHIDA: I assure you that we are calling you girls "OKICHI" in a big sense (to the
manager TSUJI). How many girls have you now
in your organization?
TSUJI: About 1,300 or 1,400, of whom 350 to 360 are dancing now. We not only want
to pay our girls well, but we also want them
to be well fed, even if it means buying food on the black market.
ISHIDA: The girls must realize that every day while they are dancing, some of their
countrymen starve to death!
HANAKO: We never mention food, even if we are hungry!
ISHIDA: There is an interesting story of a member of the American Military Police
who is a doctor in civilian life. He went to
a brothel in SHINJUKU. He examined the girl he met there and told her she needed a
weeks rest. When the proprietor protested,
the American left a sum of money equal to one weeks' income for the girl. Now, even
after her week's rest, the girl does not
want to go back to work unless the American comes back to her.
TSUJI: Many of our girls have fallen for the Americans and dream of a honeymoon in
a B 29. I also have an interesting story to
tell. One day a friend of mine was accosted on the street by two intoxicated American
soldiers, one pinched his cheek, the
other pulled his whiskers. This was too much for my friend. As he is quite well versed
in the arts of self defense himself,
floored one American and turned on the other, whom he expected would pounce on him.
Instead, he found to his amazement that
the other American was holding his side and laughing until the tears rolled down his
cheeks. My friend asked what was so
funny. The American replied "The way you floored my friend, Jesus, was that funny!"
TSUJI: The Americans can get very angry, but they laugh freely whenever anything
strikes them as really funny.
ITEM 5 Christian Associations' Rescue of the Vagrants. Sufficient Food, Clothing and Old Military Barrack's Provided - Yomiuri Hochi - 20 Nov 45. Translator: K. Minagi.
Summary:
Aid for the vagrants in the TOKYO area is now in charge of KAGAWA, Toyohiko. He asked
for the co-operation of all Christian
Social organizations, as well as the Japanese Co-operative Union. On 20 November 600
to 1,000 vagrants were housed in old
barracks of the 112 Regiment. The total capacity there is 6,000 people.
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SOCIAL SERIES: 37 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
The shortage of food in the regular ration will be supplemented by supplies volunteered
by provincial farmers. A special
clothing ration, baths and cinemas are all part of the projected plan for aiding the
vagrants.
ITEM 6 Memorial Meeting of The Society for the Freedom of Speech - Mainichi Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: H. Nishihara.
Full translation:
The "Society for Freedom of Speech" held a "meeting in memory of the victims of fascism"
on 19 November at HIKOKAN in
TAMURA-CHO, SHIBA-KU.
Memorial Speeches were delivered by SAEGUSA, Hirone; OKA, Kunio; EGUCHI, Kwan; and
MATSUMOTO, Shinichi on the deaths of MIKI,
Hiroshi; TOSAKA, Jun; KOBAYASHI, Takiji; and OZAKT, Hideo, all actual antifascists.
ITEM 7 Seven professors of Kyoto Imperial University resign - Mainichi Shimbun - 20 Nov 45. Translator: H. Nishihara.
Full translation:
At a meeting on 17 November the law faculty of KYOTO University decided to reinstate
certain liberal professors who resigned
in 1933. At the same time, Professors WATANABE, Sotaro; MAKI, Kenji; TANAKA, Shuyu;
ISHIDA, Bunshire; ROTANI, Shunrei; IKEDA,
Sakae; and NISHIMOTO, Eishi submitted their resignations.
The professors whom the faculty will ask to assure their old positions are TAKIKAWA,
Koshin; TSUNETO, Kyo; now professor at
OSAKA Commercial College, and TAMURA, Tokuji, now professor at DOSHISHA University.
President TORIKAI of KYOTO University went to TOKYO on 18 November to confer with
officials of the Ministry of Education on
re-establishing liberal policies at his institution. He reported the following results
of this meeting.
- 1.The ministry of Culture will furnish funds for professors to work in research.
- 2.Appointments and resignations of professors will be decided by the Ministry of Education only after receiving recommendations from the President of the University.
- 3.A Board of Professors will govern the University.
ITEM 8 Controversy over the exportation of National Art Treasures - Asahi Shimbun - 21 Nov 45. Translator: H. Nishihara.
Summary:
In connection with exportations to pay for the importation of food, two opinions,
opposed to each other are current.
One demands the exportation of all the national treasures and important art works,
staging that when all people are starving
no art works are of great importance.
- 4 -
SOCIAL SERIES: 37 (Continued)
ITEM 8 (Continued)
The other, demands that no art works be exported lest it detract from Japanese culture.
The latter is supported by historians
and artists.
A list of the national treasures and important art works follows:
| National treasures | Important art works | |
| Painting | 1,000 | 1,200 |
| Sculpture | 2,000 | 350 |
| Ancient notes | 1,100 | 2,000 |
| Sword | 450 | 900 |
| Industrial art works | 500 | 1,500 |
| Structure | 1,700 | 200 |
| Total (Approximately) | 7,000 | 6,000 |
This is a very small number and most of them belong to shrines and temples.
In connection with the American point of view, Lieutenant-Commander SUTAUTO* said:
"America wants to protect Japanese culture
and does not want to take away the national treasures and important art works. Mr.
WONA was worried about the damages to
Japanese ancient art works in war-time, and requested me to make investigations."
General Headquarters demanded lists of art works and religious memorials aiming to
protect them. Agitation to export all these
art works arises from a hatred of the privileged class to which held the art works
in their possession and did not show them
to others. It was also caused by the bad management of the museums.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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