From: ltran@dsp.lsil.com (Tran Thai Linh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Subject: [HIS] Japan in Vietnam from 1941 to 1945
Date: 15 Apr 92 17:15:39 GMT
Reply-To: ltran@dsp.lsil.com
Followup-To: soc.culture.vietnamese
Organization: LSI Logic Microprocessor Group


	Many Northern Vietnamese still have memories about the famine of 1943-
45, claiming the life of millions of Vietnamese.

	The following is drawn from "Vie^.t Nam Pha'p Thuo^.c Su"?", Phan Khoang.
I use this book because I have it at hand right now. The book is fairly cridible,
and this is not at all a controversal topic. We may have to double verify
though.

	Regretfully, the accounts on the life condition under the Japanese
rule was not very quantitative. Nevertheless, we could deduce the magnitude
of Japanese economical policy's effects to Vietnamese economy.


Linh
------------------------------------------
(page 490ss).

	From 1-1941, French envoy visited Japan to negotiate with Japan.
On May 6th, 1941, a treatise was signed. The treatise was adverse to Indochina's
economy.

	Not only Japan had advantages about navigation (use of Indochina's ports),
taxation, Japan also had right to own real-estates. Furthermore, each year, 
depending on the needs of Japan, Indochina had to provide rice, rubber, 
coal and metals, in exchange of their industrial goods. Indochina had to provide
Japan the following:
	1941:   700 000 metric tons;
	1942: 1 050 000 metric tons;
	1943:   950 000 metric tons;
	1944:   900 000 metric tons. (*1)

	Japan also had the right of troops movement around the country.

	The treatise Tokyo of May 6th 1941,  between France and Japan costed
Indochina 730 millions Indochina's DDo^`ng from 1941 to 1945. (*2). 
Vietnam became a second Manchuria since Japanese troops could go freely in 
the country.

	Inflation was high. At the end of 1937, there was 151 300 000 DDo^`ng
in circulation. At the end of 1942, there was 494 300 000 ddo^`ng in circulation.
In July 1945, there was 1 955 300 000 DDo^`ng in circulation. (*3)

	(how to compute the money in circulation was not said, neither who or
from what source).

------------------------------------------
(*1) in 1928, Nam Ky` alone produce 2 750 000 tons, and export 1 900 000. Granted
that the 1 000 000 tons demanded by Japan was within the export capacity of
Vietnam, we do have to account for:
- in war time, the cultivated area is less;
- Japan did force us to produce other crops than rice to supply its wartime 
	industry. Abandoned rice fields were seen, or rice field converted into
	peanut or cotton fields were also seen;
- Rice to provide for Japanese troops stationed in Indochina.

(*2) as comparison, the import-export amounts are 270 millions and 280 millions
respectively in 1929. Of course, rate of inflation must be compounded, since
inflation was high in 1941-1945. However, the proportion still hold.

(*3) compounds to 75% per year. (1.75^2.5 ~ 4), from 1942 to 1945.
The period of 1937-1942, the inflation was 25% per year (1.25^5 ~ 3.5).
The amount demanded by Japan fit somewhat into the inflation figure.
At 25% annual inflation as since 1937 to 1942, there would be 875 millions
ddo^`ng in circulation in 1945. The difference would be 1100 millions, while
Japan demanded 730 millions. Of course, the year-to-year amount was not known,
so it is hard to have the exact value. But still within the ball park estiamtion.

____________________________________________________
Linh T. Tran
ltran@dsp.lsil.com
____________________________________________________