1947-05-24 — Page 7

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1947.

DEMOKURASHI

to

Comes

the Japanese

APAN. Radio's newly-

Jorganised information

session almost cracked up on its opening night. The board of experts included prominent scientists, writers, professors, politi- cians and even a woman. Before the quiz began, the announcer proclaimed with some justification that here was a panel of sages with. the all-seeing Buddha,

eye

of

com-

Conquered and

conquerors are equally bewilder- ed when they try

to define what it is

that we fought for

were

In a statement to the press, the Socialist spokesman said that the Liberals did not under- stand demokurashi and trying to achieve their objective by violence. The Liberal spokes nun countered shrewdly by stating that the Socialista did not understand demokurashi and were trying to achieve their ob- jective by violence.

By PETER V. RUSSO

Far Eastern editor of the Melbourne Argus, who has just returned from a visit to Japan.

At Sant Franciscó, Dr Evatt, Australian Minister of External Affairs, gave an impromptu do- finition of democracy which was universally applauded as a mas- terpiece of political, clarity. I saw a translation of this state- ment at a Japanese middlo school I visited, and all that could be said for it was that any resemblance between Dr Evatt of Australia and Dr. Ebatto of Japan was purely coincidental.

Evatt preanted the ideas and inspirations of democracy, those political and human values

П

which are a matter of feeling

• rather 'than formula. Tho translation, on the other hand, although literal enough, implied that demokurashi was technique which, with a little practice, could be acquired as readily as skill at quoits or obstacle-racing.

trying, and trying hard.

The first few questions were child's play, dealing with

The announcer's words could If outside observers believe monplace topics like synthetic not be clearly heard through that only the Japanese are Maybe He's Right edulcoration, the juxtaposition the noise that followed, but it exercised over the meaning of of ceremonial cyclamens and sounded as if he were

demokurashi, they are wrong. their relationship to heaven that it would not be demokura- ly preas correspondents and There are even some Japanese saying Many foreigners in Japan, main THERE are Japanese who are and earth, and so

on. The answers vibrated with the smug

shi to strike a woman. Miss officials, are discovering that who know. complacency of radio prophets Obata was not abashed. "De- their own definitions are equally who know all.

mokurashi," she said, "means vague, if not so vigorously con-

troversinl, Then came the simple inquiry sacrifice for one's principles, and which, in a few brief minutes, only a woman knows the mean- made listeners feel they had ing of sacrifice.” tuned in to a Mexican hull fight. Only a simpleton or a scoundrel could have sent in the question:

"Indeed," she added as

an

afterthought, "only a woman

But confusion and relapse will undoubtedly super- vene unless this vital question Rarely does a Japanese get democracy becomes a positive of the definition and practice of the same explanation from dif- item on the Allied agenda. The ferent foreigners. His be- wilderment increases if he is ed to renounce their own politi- Japanese can scarcely be expect- told that democracy is a kind of cal philosophy for one which perpetual political evolution, popular struggle and experience, and it cannot be adopted merely by shedding the kimono and pulling on trousers.

POCKET CARTOON

by OSBERT LANCASTER

"Of course I'm not denying that the old stage-coach was far quicker, but I still maintain you young fellows attach too much importance to mere speed,”

ABC Of Indian Affairs

[India is in the news these days. These facts will help you to a better understand- ing of the problems involved.]

By Victor Thompson

"What is Demokurashi?" (Note: knows the meaning of prin- hollow without a background of they are being led to believe we 56 percent of India's total.

Democracy is now a Japanese word, both in meaning and pro- nunciation).

There was a lung-filling pause, and then all the experts got off to a running start. With some difficulty the announcer shouted them down and suggested they Ahould perform one at a time.

the

riples."

This clear-cut definition had a. peculiar effect on the male ex- perts. Mr Ishii, who had been cut off in mid-air, so to speak, exclaimed wildly that it was bad enough to be insulted at all, but to be insulted by a woman was the last grain,

There was more clatter and

Sages Come To Grips PROFESSOR Kato explained then, for a few minutes, painful

that demokurashi was a silence. When the station went- system which paid its educators on the air again, the announcer | superb wages and thus promoted invited listeners to tune in at the enlightenment of

the same time next week and mussex, Scientist. Dr Iwai re marked sneeringly that this was indeed a superficial definition. Without bigger and better scien- tific development, how could de. mokurashi survive? Mention of atoms was, of course, taboo, but one could imagine what the IN Tokyo's stately Diet, demo-1 frustrated scientist hud in mind.

hear the experts coming to grips with further problems of the day.

Diet Session

The Allied authorities have made considerable efforts to ex- plain to the Japanese what is

been done to define what it is. democracy, but little has This negative approach has re- sulted in Japanese definitions which range from the hilarious to the tragic.

are incapable of explaining to them.

An American in Tokyo, after A heated discussion with friends on the meaning of democracy, called over the Japanese bar steward and again posed the perts: "What is democracy?" question which excited the ex-

"Demokurashi," replied the boy san, who was making an excel- lent living out of the occupation, "is General MacArsur."

General MacArthur, Supreme Arbiter

I the

By

"Candidus "

man who has

kurushi had its first lusty TF I were asked to point out be entrusted with a major part workout a few weeks ago Writer and sociologist Ishii

the of their administration and laughed scornfully before Dr during the debate on electoral greatest responsibility in the

politics. Is it possible for a Iwai had even finished. How, boundaries. Socialist MP Kanai world today, I think MacArthur

boasting thousands of asked Mr Ishil in turn, could tried to drive home a point by would be my selection. He is race,

voated with the power of a years of primitive isolation, to either of these hemmed-in striking Liberal MP Ono smart-supreme arbiter, and it will be able to discard its inherent academics understand true de ly on the lead. Representative apparently be his decisions characteristics? Is it not more mokurashi? He, Ishii, a son of Kawasaki went to Ono's aid, and which will shape the Far East toilers and a toiler himself, a

likely that the Japanese will The reactiona self-educated man, he would tell very soon the various parties of the future. them what demokurashi-is: -were-deploying-for-battle-while from his policy will not only prove apt pupils in assuming a affect China very deeply, but civilised veneer, which some of "Demokurashi," shouted Ishii, individual members were stalk will in no small measure affect them so successfully adopted "is rice." Then, as if he had ing each other behind the desks the future generations of the previous to the war? not eaten for some time, he and benches.

world. went into reverse. "Rice." he Demo- yelled. "is demokurashi. kurashi is a full stomach for the people....

This time the interruption came in the form of a piercing female voice. Miss Obata, suf- fragette and high school teacher, began with the unpleasant ob- bitten off by mistake. The blue: MacArthur's policy seems to servation that men thought carpet of the Chamber was he intended to rehabilitate the were not employed in the areas only of their pockets and stained and spattered with Japanese on democratic lines occupied by their countrymen stomachs. Men, she said nasti- Liberal blood, but the Socialists within the short space of a year ly. had no spiritual values to came through the debate un- or two. Presumably, the lime

scathed. speak of.

is not distant when they will

"

to those who

Crying, oddly enough "Cense It is natural fire! Cease fire!". Diet guards have resided in the Far East for To many of us, it occasioned rushed into the Chamber and many years to wonder whether attempted to sort out the melee, such A grave responsibility Among the numerous casualties should rest on the word of one was Conservative MP Ozawa, man, even if he is the mouth- part of whose left ear had been piece of his country.

INDIAN TEST

considerable surprise that those charming, polished little gentlemen who at one time resided in the world's major cities (Hongkong included)

during Japanese occupation.

●RITISH INDIA consists of

area. which is '1,576,000 square miles. Three-quarters of the population live in its 11 Provinces, ench of which already has # considerable measure of self-government. The rest of the land is known.) as the

INDIAN STATES. of which there

are 502, all ruled by princes with varying degrees of feudalism. THE PEOPLE, 90 percent of whom are poor agriculturists, number nearly 400 millions. They belong to many racial types, ranging from aboriginal spearmen to high- ly intellectual, profoundly learn-

ed classes. There are a score of religions and two thousand castes; the chief grouping being the HINDUS, who comprise 71 percen! of the population, with the most -rigid spokesmen; the

MAHASABHA, a powerful body in- lent on preserving the social structure of their religion. The outstanding feature of this is the

CASTE SYSTEM which "stratiâca" mankind into unalterable layers. The bottom layer is a depressed and degraded proletariat slove- class which used to be called the UNTOUCHABLES, but arc now euphemistically known as the Scheduled Classes.

DI

AMBEDKAR. their leader, claims to speak for 60,000,000 Un- touchables. Nevertheless, mony of them still regard with venera- tton the great Hindu spiritual and political leader.

MAHATMA GANDHI, (Mahatma means virtually Saint). This ¢x- gnome-like septuagenarian pounds the faith of BATYATGRAHA,

which may be loosely Interpreted as the Power of the Spirit but which has come to be applied particularly to the non-violence Gandhi advises.

SWARAJ, which is the Indian word for Home Rule, is the ultimate Hoal of Gandhi and his followers. Although the Mahatma holds no office, he is the chief leader of CONGRESS, an organisation which, because of its name, is often taken to be a legislature of some kind, but which is in fact a political Party, the largest and most power- ful in India. It stands, above all, for freedom from the British "yoke."

We realise now that they were probably carefully packed away until their incomparable sunvity would again be useful in leading those whom they wished to destroy, gently and PANDIT NEHRU (Pandit means a

smilingly, up the proverbial garden path.

For the purposes of invasion, they relied upon their natural

learned man, an authority). Socialist of world renown, who has spent 10 years of his life in British prisons, is another Con- gress leader. So Is

45

make-up. Domineering, ruth-MAULANA AZAD (Maulana means, less, soulless, inhuman. Had they have won, their western- ised, Americanised little puppets would no longer have been required—and you and I know the answer.

IT is true that the splitting up of Germany into zones is not proving

very successful,

roughly, Professor), who, President of the Party, de- monstrates its claim to represent of Indians (though if is, in fact, predominantly Hindu), amce. hc belongs to the other great reil- gion of India,

THE MOSLEMS, or Musilms or Mohammedans. Their differences with the Hindus have given rise to one of the country's major problems.

but it would have been equally MOHAMED ALI JINNAH is Presi- dangerous to place Germany under one man, as it is, in my opinion, to do so with Japan.

dent and chiet spokesman of the insists Moslem League, which that, in any reform of Indian government, there must be

General MacArthur is doubtless PAKISTAN, which means a sever

ance from the rest of India of those provinces (chiefly in tho North-West and North-East), with a Moslem majority. Among

demanding other minorities volce In the future aro

a

an administrator of outstanding merit, but is it not possible. that by assumed humility and repentance, the people whose destiny he controls may well delude him into believing in THE SIKHS, of whom there are their pseudo-sincerity? China nearly four million, and the doos not appear to have very ANGLO-INDIANS, who are people much say in the future of

of mixed blood numbering about a million, strongly Joynt to Japan, and yot her very | THE BRITISH, RAJ, "which" means existence depends upon a very strong and unwavering control of a people who may be de- pended upon to live for the day of revenge.

the Government of India, as re- presented by THE VICEROY; Admiral Viscount Mountbatten, and his Executive Counell, o body of chosen Indians and Britons. :

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