Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0033, 1945-11-27.
Date27 November, 1945
translation numbersocial-0111
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 33
ITEM 1 Reorganization of Neighborhood Association - Yomiuri-Hochi - 19 Nov 45. Translators: H. Nishihara.
Summary:
Neighborhood associations will always be necessary social organizations. The present
neighborhood association system was
organized by the authorities as a means of giving information and directives to the
people. Later, however, the system changed
to one in which the people were enabled to voice their own opinions and to solve problems
by means of cooperation and
discussion.
In the beginning, the people were not allowed to express their own thoughts through
neighborhood associations, but now
circumstances have changed. This system should be continued until the new spirit of
democracy is fully attained. The people
are beginning to see their neighborhood associations and neighborhood group associations
as democratic institutions, and this
is surely a very desirable tendency.
ITEM 2 Bad Treatment of Repatriated Soldiers - Yomiuri Hochi - 18 Nov 45. Translator: Y. Akabane.
Extracts:
Two young demobilized soldiers recently returned from overseas called on the Military
Affairs Section of the War Ministry on
16 November and talked with Colonel TAKAYAMA and two other officials. They complained
of the treatment received by
repatriated, demobilized soldiers from the authorities at KAJIKI, where they landed.
The two soldiers were Sergeant INAI, Hisao, of OSAKA and Leading Private KATAOKA,
Takezo of NISHINOMIYA. According to KATAOKA,
they left the PHILIPPINES on a coast defense ship and arrived at KAJIKI on 2 November.
The demobilized soldiers quarters in
KAJIKI is about 30 minutes walk from the wharf. KATAOKA stated, "It was formerly a
sanatorium for consumptive patients, now it
is almost deserted. We couldn't even fix a cup of tea. Our clothes were ragged and
infected with lice, but there was no good
clean warm clothing for us to wear. They gave us no blankets, though the nights were
cold. They gave only 30 yen in cash, and
7 go of rice, not enough to sustain those who faced long journeys home. However, sailors
returning on the same ship were each
supplied with an army winter overcoat and 200 yen in cash.
Sergeant INAI told a similar story of his own experience.
Conditions for soldiers returning to KYUSHU were investigated last
SOCIAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
September and steps are being taken for their improvement, according to a War Ministry
Spokesman. Permission has been obtained
from MacARTHUR's Headquarters to distribute to troops from abroad the same quantity
of supplies as is given to demobilized
home troops. However, distribution is now through the prefectural offices which have
been giving supplies intended for
demobilized soldiers to civilians.
ITEM 3 False Detectives Appear - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 19 Nov 45. - Translator: H. Ono.
Full translation:
A bogus detective, wearing a close-buttoned black jacket and dark gray overcoat,
swindled 1,615 yen from Mr. YAMADA,
Tsugiroku, of Z-1697, HONGI-CHO, ADACHI Ward, near his house, on the 17 November 1945.
A man appearing to be a worker broke-into the house of Dr. IIOKA, Nobuo, 173, JIYUGAOKA,
MEGURO Ward, saying that he was a
member of the Metropolitan Police Office and had come to investigate the quantity
of narcotics[illegible]on
hand. He fled with 0.7 kg. of morphine and 4 kg. of hydrochloric medicine.
ITEM 4 Reform of Universities - Mainichi Shimbun - 19 Nov Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
MINOBE, Torakichi writes an article in today's MAINICHI SHIMBUN on the reform of
universities. MINOBE writes that even under
Supreme Headquarters directives, the present government has carried out a surprising
number of reforms, amendments, and
repeals each of which under ordinary peace time conditions would have caused several
Cabinet changes. Only the reform of
universities has made little progress. Many universities have still ultra-nationalists
as presidents, and others an
inefficient staff. The reason is to be looked for in the question of self-rule of
the universities.
The Japanese universities have always obeyed authority. Only when the authority in
question became inconvenient was self rule
of the universities stressed. All Japanese universities have become reactionary during
the war. All the more surprising is the
fact that up to now only the faculty of one department of a single university, which
was known as the most fascistic of the
whole lot; that is, the economic faculty of the TOKYO Imperial University, was changed.
Professor OUCHI and seven professors
were reinstated. Professor ARAKI and five reactionary professors resigned, Among the
professors reinstated is YAMADA, who was
dismissed as far back as 1931.
This change is indeed a most sweeping democratic reform of the deepest significance
for all other Japanese universities. But
MINOBE is of the opinion that all the professors in the economic faculty should have
resigned. In support of this contention,
he writes that Professors OUCHI, ARISAWA, and WAKIMURA were arrested in 1938 on a
charge of having had relations with the
Labor-Farmer Party. After six years of hardship, this charge was proved groundless.
Inspite of this fact the professors of the
Economic faculty of the TOKYO Imperial University unanimously voiced their opposition
to the reinstatement of these three
professors and President UCHIDA supported this opposition, although the whole Japanese
scientific world sup-
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SOCIAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
ported their reinstatement. In view of this fact, MINOBE is of the opinion that the
remaining reactionary professors in the
Economic faculty should be dismissed.
Professor MINOBE then continues that the reason such an unjust decision could he
reached, lies in the absolute secrecy of such
professors' meetings. The public is not admitted to such meetings, the records of
such meetings are kept in absolute secrecy.
Decisions are by majority vote. By this measure, many unjust decisions are reached,
and very often professors and assistant
professors are appointed, not on account of their ability or knowledge, but due to
favoritism. A reform of the universities
must, therefore, change this undemocratic character of the teachers' meetings.
ITEM 5 Yomiuri Internal Struggle - Yomiuri Hochi - 19 Nov 45. Translator: M. Ono.
Extracts:
The YOMIURI employees, who started, a movement against the president and other directors,
have been encouraged by many people
and groups seeking democratization. The JAPAN Social Party and the JAPAN Communist
Party are among these.
Now, the preparatory commission of the JAPAN People's Party and the Federation of
JAPAN Co-operation Society have decided to
support the employees' strike.
ITEM 6 Hirosaki High School Students Strike - Asahi Shimbun - 19 Nov 45. Translator: T. Ogawa.
Full translation:
The students of the HIROSAKI High School struck on Friday. It seems that the school
authorities refused the students' request
for: (l) prompt retirement of professors of opportunistic trend, including Professor
UNO, the Principal; (2) withdrawal of the
militaristic dormitory system; (3) prompt restoration of three year system in the
High School course.
The representatives of students visited and petitioned the Education Ministry on
Saturday. The Ministry answered that it would
summon the Principal for an inquiry into this matter.
ITEM 7 Vice Chairman of Tokyo City Assembly on the Democratization of the Tokyo Administration - Asahi Shimbun - 19 Nov 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
ASAIUMA, Inajiro, vice-chairman of the TOKYO city assembly yesterday gave the following
statement to the ASA[illegible]I SHI[illegible]on the democratization of the TOKYO administration: "Before 1942,
TOKYO was administered on fairly democratic principles, but since then the city mayor,
who used to be selected by public
election, was selected by the government. The terms of the city assembly meetings
were so short that the assemblymen often
were unable to investigate bills presented to them; and budgets over 100,000 yen which
formerly needed the approval of the
city assembly were passed by the city
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SOCIAL SERIES: 33 (Continued)
ITEM 7 (Continued)
advisory committee.
"When the status of TOKYO was changed from a city to a metropolitan area, the first
mayor of greater TOKYO, OTATSU, actually
shut out the city assemblymen from the administration of TOKYO, the second mayor,
NISHIO, robbed the city assembly of the
right to amend supplementary city budgets and the advisory committee of the right
to examine the accounts of TOKYO. Public
officials nominated by the city were theoretically placed on an equal footing with
the state officials, but actually state
officials dominated the TOKYO city administration. So the public officials endeavored
to become state officials and in some
wards all the city officials donned uniforms.
"The result of this state administration was that within two years the TOKYO city
mayor changed three times and each time a
personnel change occurred by directive of the Ministry of Interior. This was especially
bad in the case of such posts as that
of the Finance Department Manager."
ASANUMA then proposes the following administrative reform measures, TOKYO city mayor
is to be publicly elected for a fixed
term of office. TOKYO transportation and city employees unions are to be formed in
order to increase the sense of
responsibility of the union members. The recurrence of boss politics in TOKYO wards
as in prewar times must be avoided, but
the ward assembly members must be given the right to investigate the ward budgets,
and the self-rule of the individual wards
must be strengthened. TOKYO citizens must be given a chance to submit constructive
criticism of their city
administration.
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