ITEM 1 Small Pox - Provincial Newspaper-Hiuga Nichi Nichi Shimbun (Miyazaki) 27 Jan 46. Translator: M. Ohno.

Full Translation:

KAI, Aya, aged 45, of NAGAIKE-Machi, NOSEOKA-Shi, came down with smallpox on 13 January. Consequently, all the residents living near the patient's home were vaccinated. There are no symptoms if further appearance among other patients there. KAI lately had not gone to any place outside of the city. It is not clear through what source KAI contacted the disease.

ITEM 2 3 Cases of Burglary in Tokyo - Asahi Shimbun - 31 Jan 46. Translator: S. Sakata.

Full Translation:

On 30 January the house of OKUDA, Jitsuzo, woolen goods merchant, of 1, 3 chome, YUSHIMA-TENJIH-cho, HONG0-ku, was broken into by a gang of four robbers masked with Japanese towels. Threatening the members of the family with pistols and Japanese swords, and binding them, the gang robbed them of 60,000 yen, 50 suits of clothes, and a bicycle.

About the same time a group of seven young burglars riding on bicycles broke into the house of HORIINO, Ryonosuke, of 935, 2 chome, EGOTA, MAKANO-ku. Threatening the house members with Japanese swords and pistols, the group robbed them of 7,090 yen, a bicycle, and an overcoat.

Also on the 30th, three 22 or 23 year old robbers in a group stole into the house of TAHARA, Shoitsu, of 21, SEKIGUCHI-DAI-machi, KOISNIKAWA-ku, and threatened his wife, TOKU (age 44) with pistols and Japanese swords. But, becoming aware of a member of the family asking the next house for help, the robbers escaped with nothing.

On the same night, a masked man calling himself a policeman forced his way into the house of ANDO, Tokusaburo, tire repairman, of 557, 3-ckome, SHIMOMEGURO, MEGURO-ku. Threatening the family with a dagger, the burglar robbed them of 350 yen and some red-boiled-rice.

ITEM 3 New President of Tohoku Univ. - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 31 Jan 46. Translator: T. Ogawa.

Full Translation:

An election of a new President, due to the resignation of Prof. KUMAGAI, Taizo, the former President, was held yesterday afternoon at the TOHOKU Imperial University with all the professors in attendance. As a result of the voting, Prof. SATAKE, former dean of the Medical Department, was elected.

SOCIAL SERIES: 218 (Continued)

ITEM 4 Disposal of Imperial Properties - Asahi Shimbun - 1 Feb 46. Translator S. Inoue.

Summary:

The government is considering urgent measures for the disposal of Imperial properties now that the political situation is assuming an unexpected trend daily and the property and war-profit taxes have revealed the amount of there properties. Imperial Household Minister, Mr. MATSUDAIRA, visited Mr. SMIBUSAWA, Minister of Finance, on 30 January and consulted with him regarding the Imperial properties. The value of this property was roughly estimated at 1,500,000,000 yen (exclusive of fine arts, jewels and lumps of gold or silver) by SCAP on 30 October, last year and a SCAP directive was issued ordering the property frozen on 20 November. This was followed by another directive issued on 25 November which further pointed out that they could not be exempted from the property-tax.

The last directive, which orders the property subject to taxation, runs contray to the present constitutional article which stipulates Imperial freedom from any taxation. Thus, a drastic renovation of the Constitution with its subordinate ordinances and Imperial property must be carried cut.

Consequently, a readjustment of Imperial property is necessitated and among man circles there is prevailing an opinion that from a democratic point of view, it is not advisable for property amounting to 1,500,000,000 yen to be monopolized by the Imperial Family. Although it is not yet revealed how the liberation will be handled, judging from the existing components of the property, the forthcoming objects to be released may be the lands and forests. The extent of the liberation may be considerable and negotiations are now being held between the Imperial Household and the government on that subject.

The disposal of the Imperial property is connected with Article 22 of the Imperial Property Law, while the Imperial duty for taxation involves Article 21 of the Constitution and Article 3 of the Imperial House Law.

ITEM 5 Population Problems and Birth Control - Asahi Shimbun - 1 Feb 46. Translator: S. Sakata.

Summary:

In order to establish a new population policy after the war, the Welfare Ministry held a conference concerning the population problem at the Ministry office on 30 January. TAKANO, Iwasaburo, TODA, Teizo, NAGAI, Toru, KONO, Mitsu, TERAO, Takuma and other authorities attended.

At the conference it was decided that the Government should form at once a special section having competent citizens as its nucleus, to establish a new population policy in the place of the old policy based on the greater East Asia co-prosperity ideal.

YOSHIZAKA, Shinzo, director of the Population Problem Studying Society delivered an important speech on birth control - "The problem of birth control must be very carefully considered from both the medical and the economic stand point because the effect of birth control will not have so rapid an effect on the problems of food and unemployment. As birth control is apt to be badly utilized by those who really need it, the Welfare Ministry should guide the people in its proper use by the help of skilled physicians. The Authorities concerned should appoint some physicians in practice so as to prevent; the mis-use of birth control by bad doctors or midwives, he advised.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 218 (Continued)

ITEM 6 Prefectural Government Reforms - Yomiuri-Hochi - 1 Feb 46. Translator: [illegible]Mishihara.

Summary:

Officials have been studying the reform the prefectural government mechanism. The cabinet meeting on 29 January approved a plan to revise part of the regulations pertaining to government organizations. The revised regulations were promulgated on 31 January and come into force: on and after 1 February.

As a result, the following reformations and decrease in the number of Government officials will be effected: (1) The former Home Administration Section (MAISEIBU) will be hereafter called the Home Affairs Section ([illegible]BU) (2) In the fifteen prefectures of KYOTO, [illegible] [illegible]AGAWA, [illegible]GO, [illegible]IGATA, SAITA[illegible]A, CHIEA, AICHI, SHIZUOKA, [illegible] [illegible]MA, and [illegible]CHI and FUKUOKA, the [illegible]ation the Civil Administration Section (K[illegible]KJ MIHSEIBU) will be established, and will bake charge of the administration of education, science, religion, historic places and national memorials hygiene, social works and other matters which concern the public welfare. (3) The former First and Second Sections of the Economic Section (KEIZAYBU, will be made into one Economic Sections (4) The OSAKA Police Board ([illegible]) will be called hereafter the OSAKA Police Section ([illegible]). (5) The Planning Bureau (KEIKAKUMYOKU) f TOKYO will be reformed as the Construction Bureau (KENSETSUKYOKU). The Harbor and Bay Bureau ([illegible]KYOKU) will be abolished.

As a result, of the above mentioned reforms, all officials of CHO[illegible]rang 2,658 of SOHIN rank 13,271 of HONNIN rank and 11,589 who are created as HANNIN officials will be dismissed, as well as 36 per cent, of the Government personnel, 24 per cent of the assisting personnel, and 8 per cent of the prefectural government personnel.

ITEM 7 Street Walkers Arrested - Asahi Shimbun - 1 Feb 46. Translator: T. Ogawa.

Full Translation:

In a round-up of street girls which took place on Wednesday evening ore one TA[illegible]-Cho, YOKOHATA-Shi, 23 prostitutes were handed over to the KAGA-Cho Police Station 21 girls were found to be infected with venereal diseases. It was also revealed that the majority of them are not professionals like the TOKYO girls, and most of them were formerly factory girls.

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