Party, supported a constitutional amendment quite different from the one that was eventually ratified in 1865. Watch thursday beginning at 8 pm eastern, American History tv this week and every weekend on cspan3. In the years before 1941, japan built a great war machine and prepared for a mad gamble with the rest of the world. Finally, it played its hand. And lost. This was hiroshima immediately after the atomic bomb. A lifeless, hopeless city. But, time passes. And in the desolation of defeat, people stir and strive for the normal living they once knew. Hiroshima is a symbol of a new beginning of a defeated country is making. Slowly, very slowly, something is coming out of the wreckage. Not merely new buildings, but in the minds of a defeated people, a growing new ideas. The idea of democracy. There is hope in the air. Perhaps the past from defeat will lead to a better way of living than they have ever known before. In the old days, the victor took the spoils, sacked the conquered country, carried off the jewels and kidnapped the women. In his hands is the power to mold the future and the possibility of peace. Between the supreme allied commander and the japanese people, between conqueror and conquered, there is an understanding unmatched in all history. Planning the work of the Occupation Forces began in 1945 out of the meeting of the allied powers. And later, from our own post surrender policy, came two general objectives for our occupation of japan. The firstgeneral objective was the smashing of the jap war machine. The men behind the japanese war machine have been brought to trial for crimes of violence, cruelty and murder. Trials have been carried out thoroughly and methodically. Not in a spirit of punishment, but with the hope that a world court will deal with future International Criminals in the same way National Courts deal with local criminals. The minds that put an operation of japanese war machinery were being reckoned with. The machines themselves had to be destroyed. To the scrap heap went the guns, the ships, the submarines, the tanks, the planes, and other military equipment. For months jap furnaces blazed, melting down instruments of war. A nation was beating its swords into the necessities of life. Items scarce during the years of war appeared suddenly in startling splendor. Here and there a toy signal better days to come. Our second general objective is the establishment of a peaceful, responsible government. Because of its willingness to take the idea of democracy, japan already has a working constitution. By the constitution the emperor is no longer absolute and divine, but as a constitutional monarch, similar to englands king. He is now a figurehead. By his own declaration he is no longer a god, but many still believe he is divine vine and the japanese are the only race on the world directly descendent from the gods. For the first time, the people are exercising their constitutional right to electionares. Electioneering is becoming as lively with Political Parties in the states. They are usually friends or relatives of the candidates for office. By the new constitution, women are voting for the first time. Formally the country was ruled from the top. A few people made the decisions. Now everybody is in on the action. The election returns are followed with interest. Some of these people have never heard the word democracy. Yet gradually they are turning the democratic way of life. As a result of its first preelection japan shows a moderate cost for its future. These are members of the assembly, hi scampering buddy in the land. Previously it was nothing more than a rubberstamp of the rules of the empire. These men face two major jobs overcoming the economic crisis and this was germany, a making american advice is given when needed. Members of the house of representatives were a button they present them emblem of all japans today symbolizes the right of all citizens in the old days with died was a organization without much power, it could be dissolved by temper acting on the advice of his ministers. The building that once housed the old diet and now the Meeting Place and the assembly is freedom in japan. In the years before the occupation a man with socalled dangerous thoughts could be thrown in jail by the police. A citizen today no longer lives by this threat. Is the same freedom of speech that exists in the united states. In the shadows of the imperial palace people take part in celebrations of new civil rights. Today the japanese have the right to bargain collect, at the end of the war there were no labor unions in japan prewar have been silenced and the right to organize had been denied. Now there are 20,000 unions and 5 Million Union members in japan. Although the new constitution provides for trial by jury this system isnt yet practiced and the courts are still conducted in the wake of the past, three justices in that District Court to must concur in the decision. In addition to a jury trial, japanese citizens now guarantee the right to be defended by counsel. The religion sponsored by the government, and that preaching that japan was superior has been disestablished as a state religion. Under the constitution, a religious organization may not receive any privileges from this, nor exercise any political authority. Today each japanese is guaranteed the freedom to worship in any way he pleases. Reforming the japanese educational system has been one of the toughest jobs of the occupation. Deeply rooted in japanese teaching was the idea of blind obedience. We have insisted on one change, that the Teaching Program be free of militarism. We have recommended another. The japanese reorganize their School System on democratic lines. New teachers are being taught and old teachers are being retrained. Textbooks are being rewritten. Patience is needed. We are trying to do and a few here is what has taken other democracies many years to achieve. music japanese newspapers are back in. Back in full stride. Editors are becoming freedom of the press is many centuries old in other countries, the idea only began to be practiced here in 1945. Newspaper sell quickly in a country where daily reforms and changes vitally affect the lives of the people. The new japan has many problems. We are anxious to assist wherever we can. Expert knowledge on such a subject of Public Health is a vital on putting japan on its own feet. Under american supervision, a typical case of typhoid fever is cared for. music the home is disinfected with ddt. The patient is removed to a City Hospital for contagious diseases. Large numbers of people are being introduced to methods of preventing disease. In the past, the government of japan had neglected most standard inoculations. music there is great faith in ddt. Many japanese call it a skin tonic. These thorough methods of control are setting a pattern for the future of health and welfare of japans average citizen. What is most noticeable is the simple necessities of life shortages. The housewife must wait. Food is scarce, a basic ration is rarely enough to provide the working members of the family with enough food to keep going. A considerable supply of food has come from america. The government is trying to find methods of distribution to prevent food from being hoarded, and to prevent its flow into the black markets. Since the rationing system was put in operation there has been improvement. music but high prices still prevail. There is an even greater shortage of clothing and food. Prices for what is available are sky high. The cost of living for a family of five is 20 times above prewar level. Although hats and childrens apparel are plentiful, adultswear and particularly Mens Clothing is scarce. Almost where everyone goes in japan there are signs of destruction. Although rebuilding is going on, it will take many years before japans battered factories will turn out enough products for normal meets. Production goes on wall while walls and roofs are made solid. Repairs to homes are considered secondary. And as a result, Housing Conditions are often inadequate and makeshift. In the rebuilding, a church is not forgotten. music a major change has taken place in the status of the japanese farmer. By the reform act of december 1946, farmers are able to purchase the land they were. Large farms have been divided and the great landlords no longer dominate the many farmers who used to work there land. music while the landlords controled farming and imperial japan, the control of industry and government was in the hands of a group of families. In the oil and other large industries, all stock owned by them is being sold in small shares. And the average worker is being given a chance to participate in the industry in which hes employed. Japan needs Raw Materials to rebuild. And using the most primitive machinery to increase production. Even the forests of japan show the effects of war. Mostly thin trees now. Japans military machine to the best lumber and the heaviest trees. This time is one of the factor in the rebuilding of the nation. To assist in its reconstruction, depend much trade with the rest of the world. It would need ships. In the shipyards, formally controlled by the group, shipbuilding goes on slowly. Since steel is scarcer than lumber, wood ships continued to be vital to japans economic progress. Many of the wooden ships are used for fishing, which is one of japans major industries. Whaling, although not one of japans major industries, has been an Emergency Industry during the postwar period of extreme shortage. Japan was given permission to send two fleets of 21 ships into the antarctica. The expedition brought back almost 1000 whales, providing japan with such whale products as protein foods, fats and oils. Certain industries in which japan excels are slowly returning to normal. From the large oyster beds on this pearl farm, divers obtain a product very much desired by the rest of the world. The pearls and these oysters are carefully cultivated. music it has taken many years to develop techniques of sorting, grading and polishing. music japan needs Raw Materials. She hopes to get them from other countries by exporting such products as pearls and silk. Silk was japans great prewar export. Supplying the leaves on which silk worms feed have been conferred it during the war converted into rice paddies. It were converted during the increase in demand of silk. There is a shortage of good cocoons. And the quality of the cocoon is not up to prewar standards. Silk worms our bred to pedigree. During the war, silk warms group or an quality because of inbreeding. Today, the average warm produces about 650 yards of usable silk thread against the 1000 yards his ancestors produced in 1940. Japan is trying very hard to attract attention to the products it is manufacturing for exports. Trade is improving. Foreign businessman have been allowed to come to japan for direct trade negotiation. music this american businessman signed the first contract. A 62,000 purchase of chinaware. The occupation is continuing in a friendly atmosphere. The japanese are becoming less strange to us and we are being better understood by them. Americans are taking an interest in japanese life. The customs of this country seem very different from our own and worth investigating. During their free time, gis are visiting centuryold religious shrines, and finding out about the religions of the east. In spite of many differences, we have much in common. music american entertainment, for example, is very much favored in japan. The average japanese shares this interest with us enthusiastically. He wants to get away from it all just as much as the average american. In previous years he was allowed to purchase seats only in certain sections of the theater. Now, no seats are reserved. The japanese have been interested in baseball. This is not bigleague stuff yet, but someday it may be. For many years the american pastime has been the japanese pastime. Baseball parks are jammed and the fans root for their favorites with plenty of spirit. But this american influence may be one of the most remarkable in the history books of tomorrow. Japans first steps on the road to democracy. A short time ago, japan was declaring a war on democracy of the world. Today, the japanese people are sincerely anxious to learn the idea they fought against. They look forward to the day when they will become a peaceful member of the united nations. music music youre watching American History tv, every weekend on cspan three explore our nations past. Cspan 3, credit by americans Cable Network channels as a Public Service and provided but to buy a provider. Thursday morning acting secretary and Christopher Wray testify at a House Committee hearing on threats to national security. Watch live coverage beginning at nine eastern on cspan 3 online at cspan. Org or listen online on the free cspan radio app. Every saturday at 8 pm eastern on cspan 3 go inside a different classroom and hear about topics redo from the revolutions of rights and u. S. President s to 9 11. Thanks for your patience and logging into class. Weeknights this month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan 3. Thursday night a look at reconstruction amendments. Daniel croft discusses his book lincoln and the politics of slavery, the other 13th amendment and the struggle to save the union. He describes how in 1861, lincoln and the Republican Party supported a constitutional amendment quite differently from the one that was eventually ratified in 1965, what thursday beginning at 8 pm eastern american astray tv this weekend every weekend on cspan 3