JAPANESE STATE RELIGION

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23320, 2 October 1945, Page 5

JAPANESE STATE RELIGION

Basis Of Patriotic Frenzy Allies To Make Thorough Investigation By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn —Copyright (Received 7.30 p.m.) TOKIO, October 1. THE American occupation army intends to explore * thoroughly the Japanese state religion, Shintoism, to ensure it is never again used to whip the people into a patriotic frenzy to die in battle. Colonel C. R. Dyke, chief of General MacArthur’s civil information education, said: “We are not trying to interfere with anyone’s religion, but we are going to be certain it is not used as a tool for a militarist Government which poured Out money into Shinto during the war. It looks as though Shinto was used for morale building and as a channel for militarism.” American troops entered 21 banks simultaneously in Tokio, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Shimonoseki and Fukuoka and impounded all the funds, securities and records. Finance Ministry representatives were summoned to General MacArthur’s headquarters and given orders freezing operations and removing officials.

General MacArthur also ordered the closing of all other financial institutions whose foremost purpose had been to finance colonisation development activities in areas outside Japan, or to finance war production the Government directly or indirectly controlled. All the seized banks’ shareholders are mainly members of the Imperial household and captains of industry. The Japanese were ordered to hand over all book records and papers, and to impound all gold, silver, notes, securities, mortgage* pledges and other assets. The American authorities notified the public that there is no intention to confiscate the people’s savings, and instructed the Finance Ministry to present a plan for the liquidation of the seized institutions, and to pay face value on all individual deposits of the “ordinary man.’’ However, most institutions are not banks of deposit. Government Finances Colonel Kramer, head of the Economic Control Board, said the principal object of the move was to untangle the Government's financial operations in Japanese-occupied areas. It would also help Korea's economy. The banks seized included the big three of Japan's banking imperialism: <ll The Manchurian heavy industry development comnanv, which was even greater than Mitsui's. It exploited Manchuria and made fortunes for bankers, industrialists and generals. (2) The branches of the Bank of Chosen, which was the financial centre in the late 1920'5, and which fed smugglers from Korea to China to spread economic chaos. i3> Branches of the Bank of Taiwan, whereby industrialists exploited the Philippines. Borneo and New Guinea, and in which Mitsui Mitsubishi is believed to be deeply involved. All the institutions were marked for liquidation. The Americans also occupied the Bank of Janan to secure the assets, but General MacArthur’s headquarters said it was not permanently affected as a financial institution and may re-open to-morrow. However. its ramifications extend to the seized banks. The Americans also closed the German Bank for East Asia and the Franco-Japanese Bank. The War Crimes Commission will decide whether the individuals involved will be tried. Twenty-three Japanese war criminals. including General Hideki Tojo, will be moved in a few davs from Yokohama to Omori, one of the pesthole camns in which Allied prisoners suffered atrocities, savs the Yokohama correspondent of the “New York i Times." Eleven non-Japanese. including Jose Laurel (President of the Puppet Government in the Philippines) and his son, Jose, are remaining in Yokohama. The Americans are now cleaning up the Omori area. When mats on which Allied prisoners were forced to sleep were removed, the boards were found alive with vermin. The holes in the buildings through which bitter winter winds whistled, have been patched, but there will be no new construction. Brigadier-General R. Eichelberger < Commander of the Occupation Forces) considers that what was good enough for Allied prisoners is good enough for the Japanese who. nevertheless. will be mere comfortable than tfior nr n decessors. "Malnlehl Shimbun’’ reported that 1 the Japanese political prisoners gaoled I six months ago without explanation have still not been released or listed for trial. A new news association, the Kvodo which means “co-operative,” will replace the Domel News Agency, which the president <Furuno) stated, was winding up in about a month because it cannot carry on without a GovernI. ent subsidy. General MacArthur has closed the Tank of Janan because of the failure to quickly turn over the assets of seized institutions which it held. There is no Indication when it will open again. American officers assured crowds J of depositors, manv of whom were f obbing women, that their funds were , safe.