HOW JAPAN IS GOVERNED. AHMED FORCES.

Dozerdust, Volume 2, Issue 21, 12 June 1944, Page 6

HOW JAPAN IS GOVERNED. AHMED FORCES.

THE Emperor has supreme command’ of the Ajmy and Navy, determines their organisation and peace standing, can declare a state- of war, make peace and conclude treaties

BY Imperial decree the Army and Navy are exempt from any interference by the- Diet or the Government in all matters of internal organisation, composition and regulation.

The Army Budget is. prepared by the Minister of War and the Navy Budget by the Minister of Marine; each is then submitted to the- Minister of the Treasury. The Budget for the entire Government is sub -

mitted to the Diet by the Treasury The War and Navy Ministers

explain, and when necessary defend their estimates', in the Dic.t.

If their estimates arc not accepted cither Minister, can cause a cabinet crisis by resigning.

A Prime Minister^ endeavouring to form a cabinet muslgchoose his Minister of War from the General or Lieut .-Generals on the activdlist” of the Army, and his Minister of Marine from the Admirals or Vice- • Admirals on the active list of the Navy. Army and Navy officers can - and do - combine to prevent a prospective Prime Minister whom thay distrust from forming a cabinet.

EACH cabinet Minister is directly responsible to the Emperor for for the conduct and efficiency of his Department, The privileged position of the Army and Navy is that they can * and do - take . an

independent course from that of the . Foreign Office on the theory that military action in any military situation is the prerogative of the Imperial Command, and no civilian can. interfere with military decisions. As an illustration of of independent action, there was the example during the last. London Conference on the Limitations of Armaments Conference, when the Japanese Minister of Marine was not pleased with the attitude of the American newspapers to Japanese claim to ngval parity with the' USA. He ordered a captain of the

Navy to Washington as spokesman for the Navy Dept. On* the arrival of the Captain in Washington, he oaten-

tatiously ignored the Japanese Ambassador, summoned correspondents to the Embassy, and explained the

the position the Japanese Government would take cat the Conference.

BIG BUSINESS

1 THERE are no anti-trust laws in Japan. It is estimated that 15 interests control 75f of Japanese trade and commerce. Five very powerful groups are : The Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Yasudas and Min-

sei to. The Yasudas are the agricultural group whose ramifications extend from Todio to the peasant in the mud huts in the hills. Between them these firms control shipping, mining, insurance,fac - tories, wireless, newspapers and finance.

IN 1936 the average wage per day for a factory worker was 3/- for men and one shilling for women. In the large factories food and sleep©ing accomodation is provided - the cost being deducted f rom the wages.

A well known Japanese economist estimated that in 193& 65% of Japanese exports came from s&ia 11 factories and workshops employing less that a hundred employees - and that on the average a sixty hour, week .was the. rule. What factory Laws there, are in Japan 'do not apply to thcse'-smali factories and . shops.

SOCIAL LIFE.

IN old fashioned Japanese homes the father eats alon®, or with his eldest son. The wife serves him and cats , along with other members of the family, after the father has finished.' The wife , as.a general rule, /takes no part in the social life of he husband. When friends visit the house shr bows to them, serves them with at the table, but takes no part in the conversation.

THE Japanese family is guided by the Confucian precept that the wornanowes throe duties of obedience: first to her father, then to her husband, and, finally , after the deatho of. her husband, to her eldest son.

THE husband is absolute master of the house. His wife must rise before him in the morning, help him dress, and, with the servants, bow him out at the entrance to the house as he

leaves and receive him with bows

when he returns. JAPANESE y unlike the- Chinese, .a»c very clean in their pcrsonl habits.