Evening star., 1953-10-04
japan Moves Forward

SAH6H SNtSVSS ~ 49,
The Joint commitment entered into between
Prime Minister Yoshida and Progressive Party
Leader Shigemitsu on a straight forward de-
fensive rearmament program for Japan is
broadly encouraging development, politically
as we'll as mitarily.
Mr. YoShida'S Liberal Party has been the
dominant political force in postwar Japan but
it has consistently been narrowly short of an
outright majority in the Diet Although the
Prime Minister lost confidence vote last
March, general elections month later resulted
in the several parties maintaining pretty much
the same relative strengths in the paria-
mentary body and Mr.. YoShida continued as
the political head of the government. Often
critic but at crucial times often an ally has
been Mr.. ShigemitSu, whose Progressive dele
CATION of 76 members of the House constitutes
the second largest single party bloc. Both the
Liberal and Progressive parties are fundamen-
tally conservative in their political philosophy
and relatively pro-Western in their attitude
toward the world political division
The issue of Japanese rearmament has
been an explosive politically. To marked
degree the japanese people of the postwar era
have registered fear and adherence of re-
turning to a militaristic rule The present
Japanese constitution contains a remuneration
of war as an instrument of national policy and
a prohibition against the establishment of
conventional military establishment. In place
of the latter, the country has created a Ma
tional Safety Force of about 10000 men with
the responsibility for maintaining internal
order The combined effects of public sentiment
and constitutional restrictions plus bellig-
erent anti-rearmament and often anti-WeStern
attitude by some of the minority parties, have
made Mr.. YoShida exceedingly wary about
forcing or even permitting any development OF
JapanS capacity to defend itself against eX-
ternal aggression.
Various factors have worked to bring about
the shift represented in the recent coalition
commitment. The very course of world events,
and the increasing intensity of the East-WeSt
conflict in the Pacific-Far Eastern area, have
served to make it increasingly clear that Japan
must some day again play a key role in the
history of that part of the world. 1t is equally
clear that a nation possessing its production
and economic potential can not indefinitely
depend for its security upon foreign (Ameri-
CAM military garrison.
The foundation for greater Japanese partic-
ipation in their own security structure was
laid in the peace treaty, effective in April,
1852 Among the provisions of that pact was
recognition by the signatorieS of JapanS rights
to individual or collective defense arrangements
and its participation in a collective security
system. A bllateraI security pact WIN tne
United States became effective simultaneously
with the peace treaty. Since the change in ad-
ministratonS in Washington, the American
Government has directed increasing persuasion
at Tokyo to implement this pact through the
development of Japanese security force hav-
ing the capacity to contribute in major degree
to resistance to any outside aggression Nego-
tiationS for American military assistance under
the Mutual Security program began in July
and the decision of Prime Minister Yoshida to
send personal envoy to Washington for fur
ther conversations this matter indicates
that genuine progress is being made.
Mr.. ShigemitSu and his Progressive Party
have consistently favored a stronger course in
building up Japans defense capacity. 1t is
fair speculation that the conference between
the two party leaders which resulted in their
announced agreement on this matter also COW
cred other problems and that the informal
alliance between their parliamentary groups
has been solidihed in a manner that will be
helpful in dealing with other legislative ques
tions. The fact that Mr.. YoShida has named
former finance minister as his special envoy
to Washington indicates strongly that economic
problems-vitally important to highly indus
tralzed country that needs world trade and
access to raw materials-will figure in the next
round of talks here.