Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0075, 1945-12-11.
Date11 December, 1945
translation numbereditorial-0275
call numberDS801 .S82
Persistent Identifier
EDITORIAL SERIES: 75
ITEM 1 A Cunning Word "Guidance" to Obsure Responsibility - Tokushima Shimbun - 3 Dec 45. Translator: Y. Ebiike.
Summary:
At the Tokushima Prefecture Assembly now in session, the representatives interpellated
as follows: "How do the prefectural
authorities bear their responsibility to dislocated people and to the air raid sufferers
who lost everything? How will the
authorities relieve them? The war sufferers extent of losses differs. What countermeasures
will the authorities take to meet
the proportion of their losses?"
The main point of the authorities' replies is that they are putting officials in
charge of rations to supply relief goods to
war sufferers in proportion to their losses. But this is a very vague reply and hardly
more than an excuse.
There are many kinds of war sufferers. Some of them lost everything, while others
lost only a few things. Some had subscribed
to war insurance, while the others did not. If the Government treats all those sufferers
equally the consequence may be this -
that those who are most faithful to the state will be the losers. The prefectural
authorities reveal their irresponsibilities
in many cases. For instance, all members of a certain CHONAI-KAI (Neighbors' Association)
received relief supply goods several
times, while the others received nothing.
Let the authorities recognize that they are the servants of the people; let them
not obscure their responsibilities under
cunning excuses; let them do their best for the public. This is not only the case
in getting relief supply goods to the war
sufferers, but in all the present problems of reconstruction.
ITEM 2 Don't Disappoint the Nation; Keep Social Order - Tokyo Shimbun - 7 Dec 1945.Translator: I. Kuniko.
Full translation:
Although the acute food shortage has not been indicated numerically, the people are
experiencing it. The Government may say,
"Out of nothing, nothing comes", but it has been the Government policy to do plenty
of shouting but make very little progress
in work.
As seen in the articles on "Maladministration in the Home Economy", being published
serially in our newspaper, people are
needy circumstances, supply themselves with food bought at illicit prices and narrowly
escape malnutrition. Those who cannot
do so are destined to become charity patients and die of malnutrition. What a miserable
scene it is!
EDITORIAL SERIES: 75 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
Now the Diet is open. The nation has expected much from this parliament, but what
is the real situation? The discussions in
the Diet are too far separated from us. The Government, commenting to suit the occasion,
seems to be unable to decide on what
counter-measures it should take. We cannot be out greatly disillusioned. Since the
end of the war, being anxious about our
future, we are at a loss to know what to do. Only to live, and to think of eating,
is our poor reality.
In the present circumstances, we shall fall to the animal kingdom. If eighty million
persons in this narrow country are
degraded to an animal state, it would be impossible for us to build a new JAPAN.
If the Government remains inactive, and the Diet, which should urge or look after
the authorities, remains likewise, there
will be no other way for us to protect our lives than by taking the matter into our
own hands.
It cannot be denied that we have hitherto relied too much upon Government policies,
and it is also true that this has impeded
the Nation's active and independent action. But if the people, having been dis-appointed
by the Government, had their own way,
what would become of them? Disregarding the power of the authorities, the wealthy
people would get food through the power of
money and protect their lives. This can be seen in the prevalent illicit food transactions.
As for the poor, it is needless to
say what attitudes they will assume. The burglaries and thefts now prevalent are not
merely confusion in public tranquility.
The majority of the nation, forced to abandon the human state, will become animals.
Are these the people who had fought with
the powers of the world? Making the defeat a turning-point, it is important for them
to severely criticize their past or be
anxious until they discover their true selves. But if they can't discover their true
selves and became animal, what a
misfortune it would be!
We eagerly wish for the Government to take measures not to disappoint the nation
before it's too late. Academic theories,
however numerous, will not gratify us. We likewise expect much of the representatives.
We do not ask in what constituencies
they were elected, but only that they thoroughly understand reality, find out what
the people want, and exert themselves. We
are now starving and becoming animals. It is clear, in maintaining the status quo,
what will become of the public peace and
social order.
ITEM 3 The List of War Criminal Suspects and the Emperor's War Responsibility - Mainichi Shimbun - 7 Dec 45. Translator: K. Nagatani.
Full translation:
The Japanese people were shocked to find the name of Prince NASHIMOTO included in
the list of war criminal suspects. It also
was a greater shock to the people that Foreign Minister YOSHIDA's petition to exclude
Prince NASHIMOTO from the list was
rejected by the Supreme Commander. There is no longer any doubt that the case of Prince
NASHIMOTO will be handled on exactly
the same basis and in the same manner as the others accused of war crimes.
We are gravely concerned with public opinion appearing in the American press concerning
the war responsibility of His Majesty.
The 4 December issue of the WASHINGTON Star declared, "The present arrest
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EDITORIAL SERIES: 75 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
of the Japanese war criminal suspects naturally brings forth the matter of the Emperor's
position. It is very significant that
the present list includes Prince NASHIMOTO, figure-head advisor to the Throne."
The situation today has developed so that no conscientious Japanese can any longer
keep apart from this most momentous problem
to our nation, It is hoped that through declarations by the war criminal suspects
concerning "the war responsibility of the
Emperor", the truth about the councils in the presence of the Emperor will be brought
to light for the first time. The
military clique and high-policy makers, who dragged the nation into the war, are now
very busy in screening their crimes and
in excusing themselves by shifting the war responsibility to the Throne. Such a mean
and cowardly attitude is incurring the
nation's resentment. It is quite natural that the Allied Powers should take up the
matter of the Emperor's war responsibility
so long as they stick to a formal or superficial interpretation of the Japanese constitution
and other national organs.
However, a great deal depends upon our grasp of the real power in Japanese politics.
We may come to one conclusion when we consider the face value of the Imperial Prerogative
according to the written
constitution. When we consider actual politics or the historical traditional and conventional
facts in east politics, we may
come to another conclusion. During the war, certain groups within the military clique
and among the Government officials
insisted on "direct Imperial rule". What was implied by "direct Imperial rule"? Some
of them wished for "direct Imperial rule"
in an attempt to increase their tyranny, while other groups in adverse circumstances
wished for "direct Imperial rule" in view
of the growth of power of their opponents.
In Japanese political circles there has always been the expression of a "vicious
faction close to the Throne". This means that
key figures in politics have encroached upon "Imperial authority". Japanese democrats,
therefore, are striving to eliminate
these irresponsible political powers else to the Throne by diminishing the "Imperial
Prerogative". In other words, they are
aiming at democratizing the so-called "sacredness of the Emperor". In the face of
the question of the Emperor's war
responsibility and popular attacks upon the military clique, high-policy makers and
bureaucrats are arising with the fury of a
storm.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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