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    "label": "Publication, Foreign Policy Association Headline Series, Eclipse of the Rising Sun by Richard Hart",
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    "title": "Publication, Foreign Policy Association Headline Series, Eclipse of the Rising Sun by Richard Hart",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269703074",
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            "logicalDate": "1946-01-01",
            "year": 1946
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{
    "seq": 21,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "The dreaded \"thought police,\" whose prying censorship and\nscarcely be overemphasized. But putting up the structure pictured\nfrequent brutal handling of suspects penetrated all classes of\nin the blueprint is work for the Japanese people and their lead-\nJapanese society and all departments of the nation's life, have\ners. For some years to come the development of democratic\nbeen abolished. The national police force is being reduced in\npolitical institutions will depend upon two important factors. The\nsize; over 5,000 men have been disarmed and retired. Brigadier\nfirst of these is the leadership and public support of the various\nGeneral Elliot R. Thorpe, Chief of Allied Counter-Intelligence,\nparties now arising to grasp at power. The second is the attitude\nhas issued a sharp warning to the effect that police must act as\nof Allied occupation authorities toward these factions-which\nservants of the people and must be trained \"to keep order by\nwill be encouraged, discouraged, ignored, or suppressed?\nwisdom and example, rather than by force, intimidation, and in-\nhuman prison conditions.\"\nTHE OLD ORDER\nIn reviewing the current contenders for political leadership, it is\nAT THE GRASS ROOTS\nhelpful to consider first who were the rulers of Japan before the\nJapanese government at the community level has been little dis-\nsurrender. The men making up the groups which led the nation\ncussed; but, because it touches all the people directly, its reform\nalong the road of aggression and war have many qualities which\nis as necessary as dramatic changes in Tokyo. In the past, local\nequip them for survival, not the least of which are adaptability\npolitics have presented interesting contrasts. A rude approxima-\nand resourcefulness.\ntion of democracy in village government, with elected mayors\nThe four most important elements in Japan's ruling class were:\nand local councils, was overshadowed by the authority of prefec-\n(1) high ranking officers in the army and navy, (2) financiers\ntural and regional officials appointed by the all-powerful Home\nand industrialists, (3) the court nobility and aristocratic land-\nMinistry of the central government. The town, village, and rural\nowners, and (4) politicians and career bureaucrats. Naturally,\ngendarmerie, like all Japanese police, were under the same Min-\nthese divisions were not clear-cut but overlapped somewhat, as\nistry. When differences occurred between representatives of the\nthey did in Germany. One man could be a Prince of the Imperial\nEmperor and the local functionaries chosen by the people, the\nblood, a Field Marshal and a large investor. The titled nobility\nvillage officials bowed to authority.\nis composed of aristocrats descended from Japan's feudal clan\nA bill which is to be introduced to the new Diet to be elected\nleaders and counts or barons of more recent vintage, who won\nin 1946, would make prefectural and regional offices elective in-\ntheir titles through wealth and political influence.\nstead of appointive. If it becomes law, an important step will have\nThe history of the past twenty years demonstrates that these\nbeen taken toward introducing democracy into Japan.\nfour groups have not consistently presented a united front. After\nthe First World War, the big businessmen gained in power and\nTHE NEED FOR LEADERSHIP\nprestige. With the coming of the depression of 1929 the mili-\nThe importance of replacing Japan's undemocratic constitution\ntarists used popular unrest, especially in the armed forces, as an\nwith a new or drastically revised blueprint for government can\ninstrument for securing increased control over the government.\n38\n39"
}