Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0050, 1945-12-02.
Date2 December, 1945
translation numbersocial-0173
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 50
ITEM 1 YOKOHAMA Policemen's Quarrel - Yomiuri Hochi - 28 Nov 45. Translator: M. Ono.
Full translation:
More than 80 patrolmen of the YAMANOTE Police-Station of YOKOHAMA went on strike,
it was reported yesterday. Taking a serious
view of the matter, NAGAOKA, the Chief of the Police Affairs Department of KANAGAWA
Prefectural Police, and WATANABE, the
Chief of the Information Department of the same police met with them and promised
to make the best of the situation. After
this the patrolmen attended to their duties at once.
ITEM 2 Round table talk on the food question (5th part) - Yomiuri Hochi - 28 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
The discussion revolves around the problem of land reform. The proposed project is
to buy up land from the landowners and make
the present tenant farmers independant landed farmers. The question is how are the
landowners to be paid. The Communists want
the landowners expropriated without payment. A farmers representative suggests that
the Government buy up the land and pay the
landowners not in cash but in hypothetical bonds. The tenant farmer must pay for the
privilege of becoming a landed farmer by
paying a higher allotment to the Government for the first two years. In this connection,
the difference in yield of various
fields is pointed out. For example, rice production on dry ground and in paddy fields
and the quite different conditions of
farming in the vicinity of TOKYO and in HOKKAIDO. In the vicinity of TOKYO small scale
landed farmers can still make a
lucrative living, but, in HOKKAIDO farmers can work only on a larger scale using mechanized
processes.
Mr. TAKATSU concludes the talk by pointing out in the existing food shortage the
shortage is evident, but still the
distribution is not equitable. In the cities some people still have a lot to eat,
while others are suffering extreme want.
TAKATSU believes that the whole problem partly revolves around the question of the
trust of the Japanese people in their
present Government. TAKATSU believes that if the Japanese farmers trusted the policy
of the present Government they would
deliver more. In other words, the present Cabinet is too undemocratic to make a truly
democratic Government possible. TAKATSU
believes that General Headquarters is reluctant to help the
SOCIAL SERIES: 50 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
present Japanese Government on account of its undemocratic attitude. If the Government
showed itself thoroughly democratic in
its policy, TAKATSU is convinced that the General Headquarters would see to it that
the Japanese people got the necessary rice
imports.
ITEM 3 Food Situation - Tokyo Shimbun - 28 Nov 45. Translator: T. Ogawa.
Summary:
On 24 November General Headquarters announced that the importation of food will be
permitted. Had the importation of food been
denied, the majority of our nation would have starved to death. In answer to this,
it is needless to say, that the Government
should make more positive and concrete effort to obtain collateral and secure ships.
The time has come for the producers as
well as the consumers to bear the heavy burden. For this purpose, the producers must
complete their delivery of alloted food
supplies. Supposing the delivery of 30,000,000 koku of rice, the alloted quantity
for this year, was completed, we could cover
the demand only until April or May 1946 at the latest. The amount which will be consumed
by those, aside from farmers, in
JAPAN is estimated at 4,500,000 koku a month. If we can cover the demand until May,
then we will have the crop of barley and
potatoes in August. Despite the extremely bad crop of barley last year, the crop amounted
to 7,000,000 koku. With this much we
can cover the demand until the August-September period. The delivery of early rice
can be expected in October. Consequently
the problem depends on how well we can manage through the June-July crisis next year.
If import is permitted, this gap will naturally be filled. The demand to raise the
current ration of 2.3 go to 3 go prevails
throughout the country. Permitting a 3 go ration, will result in a 3,500,000 koku
shortage, even if 3,000,000 koku of food
were imported from abroad. It is quite impossible under the present circumstances.
It will be possible, however, to restore
the ration of 2.3 go, if only the import of 3,000,000 tons of food were permitted,
since the figure 3,000,000 ton has been
estimated on the 2.3 go basis.
Minister of Agriculture MATSUMURA stated that "As soon as the quantity to be imported
is determined, we hope to increase the
basic ration. This means that we are at the peak of the critical food situation at
present. Apparently this situation will
gradually be improved. Nevertheless, this will be impossible, if the domestic delivery
of food to the Government does not run
smoothly. With unequal distribution, the people will not be saved from starvation
even if the import of 3,000,000 ton of food
is permitted. Evan the Allied Powers, who were our enemies only 100 days ago, have
announced the import of food as they can't
bear the miserable situation. Can we Japanese, who are letting our compatriots starve
to death, be considered as fulfilling
our mission? The consumers also should behave conscientiously showing the willingness
to starve with their fellow-countrymen,
if such is their destiny."
It is a great scandal to see that some of the privileged classes have recently purchased
large quantities of food in black
markets. If one man eats to his satisfaction, another will starve. We must not allow
the existence of such selfish people who
think only of themselves at the time of a nation-wide food emergency.
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SOCIAL SERIES: 50 (Continued)
ITEM 4 Japan so Propaganda in China during the War by Fujimura Saku (part 1) Tokyo Shimbun 28 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
I believe that none of the Japanese leaders expected that the war would end in an
unconditional capitulation to AMERICA and
ENGLAND. I personal entertained the opinion that if JAPAN could win over the Chinese
people, the war would end in a draw, or
at most in partial defeat. I have therefore exerted myself to win over the Chinese
professors, but, on the whole, JAPAN's
endeavors to win over the Chinese people have been a complete failure. There are several
reasons why JAPAN failed in this
attempt. But the one reason which the Japanese people should profit from for the sake
of their future is that the Japanese war
aims and principles, stated during the war, were often ambiguous. Indeed, it has often
been pointed out abroad that JAPAN's
war aims and principles did not have any relation to existing conditions. One of the
reasons lay in JAPAN's frequent change of
policy toward CHINA. Nobody knew what kind of a new order was to be established in
East ASIA; the principles stated seemed
like so many empty phrases that JAPAN was unable to effect a common uprising of the
peoples of East ASIA.
Another mistaken principle was the one of harping on the oneness of East Asian ideals
while actually many differences existed.
JAPAN's third mistake was her emphasis on the historical mission of the Japanese people,
causing others to think of JAPAN's
ambition for world hegemony. (TN. FUJIMURA, Saku, is honorary professor of the TOKYO
Imperial University and former honorary
professor of the PEKING Teachers' College)
ITEM 5 Women and Women Suffrage - Tokyo Shimbun - 28 Nov 45. Translator: T. Unayama.
Full translation:
If you say "It is eatable, 'women suffrage'?", it will be a 'rakugo' (a comic story
ending in a joke) or a 'manzai' (a comic
dialogue), and it is a nonsense, but to say "a 'kamme' of sweet-potatoes is far more
welcome than women suffrage" is
realistic, and makes a tragic story.
Women, more than men have opposing views regarding women suffrage, and women who
think, it a troublesome and annoying matter
are more numerous than was expected. The words 'a kamme of sweet-potatoes are more
welcome', prove this fact.
"They have hitherto lot us learn nothing about policy, and today suddenly gave us
women suffrage. How can we manage it?" These
words will come hone to the administrators who have, up to this day been negligent
in educating women in political and social
welfare. However, it is a great mistake on the part of women to say that they know
nothing about politics, for politics should
not only be problems which require advanced learning but also matters in our daily
life.
That is to say, these affairs which women discuss with one another in queues in front
of the distribution office or at the
well-side; such as, "We cannot live on such a small ration", "We cannot afford to
buy such a radish which costs fifteen yen a
'kamme' ", "Why does a pair of 'geta' (Japanese clogs) cost twenty-five yen?", and
so forth. These matters are the foundations
of far reaching state policy.
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SOCIAL SERIES: 50 (Continued)
ITEM 5 (Continued)
Women ought not, therefore, to say that they know nothing about politics. Women should,
first of all, perceive this point, and
at the same time politicians should clear away their old ideas regarding politics,
politics is not abstract arguing about the
Constitution.
If a candidate for a municipal assembly has a concrete plan and the power of execution,
he will, without fail, be voted in.
Elections, politics and the like should be carried out in such a manner.
Of late, corruption in the Diet has been criticized, but the voters who voted in
such members should be held partly
responsible. Then, women, from the standpoint of political responsibility, are completely
virgin.
The idea that "one man revives the state", ended, at last, in failure; this time
we must "revive the state", with a vote.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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