Gareth Jones

[bas relief by Oleh Lesiuk]

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Army v. Industrialists

Conflict in Japan

The Western Mail 31st July 1935

By
Gareth Jones  

“The Japanese Industrialists are selfish; they are motivated by lust for profit and by sheer greed.  We who love the Army hate the spirit which the Industrialists are putting in the nation.  We believe in character, in honour, and in poverty.” 

In a small room in Tokyo a Japanese with great influence in the Army was explaining to me the ideals that actuate the soldiers of the Son of Heaven, and in the words which I have quoted he summed up the struggle which will take place and is now taking place between two sections of Japanese life - the industrialists and the Army. 

Army Anti-Capitalistic 

“The Army hates Osaka - the Manchester of Japan - for Osaka symbolizes capitalism, and the Army is anti-capitalistic. 

“The Osaka merchants want to beat England and bring Lancashire to her knees.  But the Army recognises the value of clear understanding with Great Britain in order to counteract the influence of Bolshevism.”  So spoke another expert on Japan to me. 

Industrialists versus the Army - that is the conflict, and the Army is having the upper hand. 

It seemed strange to me, when I arrived in Japan that the Army should play such a vital part in politics; that Army officers should openly proclaim to the nation their views on economics, and that the Army, which in most countries is conservative, should have Socialistic views, while suppressing “international Socialism.” 

The young officers have a hatred for the big capitalists such as the Mitsuis and the Mitsubishis who dominate Japanese industrial life. 

These soldiers realise that commerce in Japan is in the hands of a few large family groups whose word is law in finance and manufacture. 

No Sympathy for Rich 

They fear that too large profits are going into the hands of a few, and they fight, for a more equal distribution of wealth.  They have a profound disdain for luxury, and revering a Spartanlike existence, they have no sympathy for the rich. 

They believe that concentration of wealth in a few hands leads to the deterioration of the wealthy class and to the impoverishment of those classes from which the soldiers are drawn.  They look towards Europe, and there they consider that the West is facing a catastrophe due to excessive capitalism, to mechanisation, and to an exaggerated stress upon individualism and egoism.  

“Let us save our nation from the evil results of Western capitalism,” the young officers cry.  “Let us return to the true worship of the Emperor.  Let the State be all powerful and curb the rapacity of the rich.  Let the State produce goods and be, responsible for the masses.” 

Passionate Idealism 

These young Japanese officers - very honest, deeply sincere, vague in their thoughts, but imbued with a passionate idealism - are working out their plans for a State Socialistic Japan. 

They must, however, have an experimentation ground where they can test their ideas.  They have decided that their field for research will be none other than the Manchukuo taken from the Chinese. 

Manchukuo is to be the next Socialistic State.  It will be a Soviet Union run on Japanese lines.  Already, there are three industries under the control of the State, firstly the railway (the famous South Manchurian Railway, which runs coalmines, steelworks, and many factories), secondly salt, and thirdly opium. 

Converting Manchukuo 

One man of no little importance prophesied to me: “We will in Manchukuo develop a State Industry in cement, in the building of locomotives, and in coal, which we hope to nationalise.  In fact, we will socialise almost everything.  Manchukuo will be an example of State Socialism.” 

This type of nationalistic State Socialism is opposed by the industrialists, who wish private enterprise to dominate.  But what can the industrialists do against the Army? 

Watch Manchukuo, therefore, in the future.  It may be annexed completely by Japan, and it may be, after Soviet Russia, the world’s most interesting field for experiments in State Socialisation and in the battle against private enterprise. 

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