general. elections.
"The United States," he said, "is now provoking a war with China, using Japan as its bastion.
"But if Japan shakes hands with China with courage, then the United States will not be able to make war with China."
While it is seeking to consolidate its position as the main opposition party by appealing to the widespread antiwar sentiment and general recognition of the need to establish normal relations with revolutionary Chine, the Japan Socialist party is not advancing a revolutionary-socialist program.
In fact, Chairman Kozo Sasaki stated publicly December 29 that in his opinion the election would return a balance of forces giving the Liberal-Democratic party such a Slender majority that it would have to again dissolve the Diet within a year or a year and a half. The situation would become so unstable politically that the Liberal- Democrats would have to seek other means of rule than maintaining a monopoly of power. Sasaki then said significantly:
"The JSP will continue its political activities with a view to forming a coalition government before 1970 and establishing a JSP government in 1970."
Sasaki's major aim is thus clearly to put the JSP in position to scrve as a salvage team, coming in at the critical moment to save the capitalist system when the Liberal-Democrats are no longer able to do it by monopolizing government posts.
If the JSP should succeed in carrying out such a betrayal, Japan would then become ripe. for the swift rise of a fascist movement. The pattern would be much like that in Germany following the default of the Social Democratic and Communist parties during: the twenties and thirties. —
The JSP expects to run 210 candidates, of which 175 to 180 can count on being elected, according to Sasaki. In the previous election the JSP won 146 seats.
Five parties are vying for the 486 seats at stake in 123 constituencies. Besides the Liberal-Democratic party, which hopes to return to power although with a reduced majority; and the Japan Socialist party, which is counting on strengthening its position as the main opposition party; the election is being contested by the Democratic Socialist party, which is running 60 candidates; the Japan Communist party, which hopes to increase the number of seats it holds from four to eight, and the Komeito (Clean Government party), which is running 32 candidates.
The showing of the Komeito. organization will be watched with special concern. This is a new formation, constituting the political wing of the Soka Gakkai, a reactionary Buddhist society. Komeito is reported to have a membership of about 200,000, but the Soka Gakkai is supported by nearly six million families of whom about four million per- — sons are considered to be eligible to vote. The Soka Gakkai, appealing to fdnatically reactionary sentiments, has been expanding dangerously.
The rise in political dissatisfaction in Japan is indicated by a poll taken by the Kyodo News Service on December 10-11. Support of the Liberal-Democratic party had slumped to 41.5% of those polled. Only 25.1% expressed support for the recently shuffled Sato cabinet. Last August 34.1% supported the cabinet. Opposition to the cabinet was expressed by 40.8% as compared with 26.7% last August. Even 24.1% of the backers of the Liberal-Democratic party were opposed to the cabinet.
‘Asked what should be done to remove distrust of the government, 48.9% said a general election should be called. More than one-half, or 55.3%, expressed dissatisfaction with the present situation in the government while only 24.5% said they were generally satisfied. The poll covered 3,000 people picked at random, of whom 81% responded.