David Conde was born in Ontario. He moved to the United States in the early 1920s and became an American citizen in 1932. In 1945, Conde worked for the U.S. State Department during the occupation of Japan as the head of the Motion Picture Department of Civil Information and Education Section. In late 1946 to early 1947, he covered the Tokyo War Crimes Trials.
He was ultimately expelled from Japan by . In 1964, he returned to Tokyo as a regular for various periodicals, including the and . Several of his full-length books on Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Asian-American political policies have been published in Japanese. Most of his articles have appeared in English-language publications.
Shehu Ladan
Alhaji Shehu Ladan (21/09/1952 - 04/10/2011) was a Nigerian lawyer and was the Group Managing Director of NNPC.
Ladan had his early education at N.A Primary School Tudun Wada, Zaria before proceeding to Sheikh Sabah College (now Sardauna Memorial College) in Kaduna where he obtained his WASC.
He earned his bachelor (LLB) and masters (LLM) Law degrees at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. He is also attended professional courses at Harvard Business School, Oxford University and University of Dundee.
Ladan served his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) primary assignment in the State Ministry of Justice, Kano. He began his career as Staff Solicitor of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. He later rose to Company Secretary/Legal Adviser Kaduna State Rural Electrification Board (REB) and Assistant Director Federal Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Jos.
Ladan was appointed as Commissioner of Education in Kaduna state. He was also appointed as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna state. During his tenure as education commissioner, he founded and established the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Zaria (formerly Kaduna State Polytechnic).
Ladan moved to the oil and gas industry in 1990. He held various positions in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), rising to the position, Group General Manager of Human Resources in 2004. In 2006, he was appointed as the Deputy Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Shell, Total and Agip as shareholders. In October 2007, he was appointed Group Executive Director (GED) Commercial and Investment of NNPC. And in April 2010 he was appointed the Group Managing Director after a brief recess from the industry. However, barely forty days later he was relieved of office by president GEJ
Armstrong and Miller
Armstrong and Miller are two English comedy double act consisting the actor-comedians Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller. They have performed in two "Armstrong and Miller" comedy shows on television, on the "Timeaghost" podcast, and in many individual television shows.
Toho Labor Dispute
The Toho Labor Dispute (東宝争議, "Tōhō sōgi") is a major worker strike at the Toho Movie Studio in Tokyo that lasted from 1946 to 1948. In particular, the third dispute in 1948 was a large-scale one when the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Army, which were part in the occupation of Japan as a member of the Allied Forces, were dispatched to requisition the studio staffs. It is said to be the biggest labor dispute after the Pacific War.
In early 1946, American journalist for the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, David W. Conde, visits Japan and was concerned about radical groups who are planning to sabotage Japan's reconstruction policy. He was hastened about the formation of a labor union at the studio and also set up a union party on how to negotiate with the company. Back in December 1945, the Toho Employees' Union (subordinate union) was formed in Toho due to the postwar turmoil and the rise of the socialist movement. The subordinates also joined the All Japan Trade Union Conference and frequently went on strike.
The labor movement was booming at once, partly because the Japanese Communist Party members such as Tadashi Imai and Satsuo Yamamoto were enrolled during the war. And with a huge force of 90% of employees and 5,600 members, they began to confront the company. The first dispute began in March 1946, and the second in October of that same year. The first strike was relatively mild. But the second one allowed the company to approve various new agreements, such as restrictions on working hours, by the workers. Due to the strike and the turmoil of the new agreement, movie shooting were not easily, and Toho produced 18 films, which was half than other companies.
In November, Kazuo Hasegawa, Ranko Hanai and others agreed with Denjirō Ōkōchi, who said that he would not be able to use the strike, although he was against the strike. A big star formed the "Flag of Ten People" and left the union. Director Kunio Watanabe also withdrew from the union, and employees in the distribution department who were in conflict over the policy formed a second union and withdrew. In March 1947, they formed Shintoho, mainly by the members of the "Ten no Hana no Kai" and more than a hundred volunteers who left the union at the same time. Although it was difficult for Toho to operate soundly, the management team at that time dared to leave the group as the "first production department" and the group leaving the group as the "second production department" in order to avoid a direct confrontation with the huge subordinate group.
In addition, new young actors such as Toshiro Mifune and Hajime Izu refused to joined the studio and left to do some cast audition. They were called the "Toho New Face".
In December 1947, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers issued an expulsion order to Toho, and the management team was replaced. President Katamaru Tanabe, was appointed as chairman, and the new president was invited from outside by Tetsuzō Watanabe, a former managing director of the Japan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the House of Representatives.
Watanabe, who known as an "anti-communist" for some time, set up a hardliner as a director in charge of labor and a director of the studio, and on April 8, 1948, 270 employees of the Tokyo Dadeumi studio. Suddenly, the company fired him and his name was removed from the list. In addition, it announced a plan to dismiss 1,200 people to reduce personnel.
On April 15, the followers entered the production control struggle, occupied the Tokyo Hibiki studio, placed materials and equipment under control, and made a barricade at the front entrance to prevent the police from enter the building. This marks the beginning of the Third Strike. On the other hand, the management side declared that the company will be closed on May 1 (which would latter celebrate as May Day). The subordinate group applied to the Tokyo District Court for a provisional disposition requesting the resumption of business of the company, but the company also applied for a provisional disposition requesting the release of possession and countered it. The following day, on the 14th, a court executive headed to the Shikkōkan Studio, but at this time, 800 members of the union members were denied admission.
The provisional disposition will be decided again on August 19, but before that, 2,500 workers stayed at the Hibiki Studio. Film directors such as Heinosuke Gosho, producers such as Akira Iwasaki and Takerô Itô, screenwriters like Yūsaku Yamagata, cinematographers like Yoshio Miyajima, and actresses like Setsuko Wakayama, Yoshiko Kuga, and Chieko Nakakita also participated. In front of the studio of each set, multiple large barrels filled with non-combustible paint were lined up, and a large fan for special effects equipped with a Zero fighter plane engine was brought out and installed on each barrel. When the police rushed in, the wind pressure used to blow gravel, glass fragments, and paint, which was actually used it. There was also a mechanism to drop a bag filled with pieces of wood and glass balls from the roof and windows.