It affords me great pleasure to have this opportunity today of meeting the heads of the Governments of greater East Asiatic nations and of exchanging views in plain words and with great hopes even though it be in the midst of a fateful war of unmitigated severity. I desire to tender my sincere thanks to the Japanese Government who have sponsored this historic gathering and, at the same time, to pay my respects to His Excellency Premier General Tohjo and other Government leaders of the countries participating in the Assembly. Furthermore, on behalf of Manchoukuo as one of the countries guarding the home front in the war of greater East Asia, I desire to convey the heartfelt gratitude of my nation to the Empire of Japan and other countries who are taking an active part in the war and to their officers and men for their excellent planning and gallant fighting.
Since the commencement of the war of greater East Asia, Japan achieved magnificent results unparalleled in the annals of war and succeeded thereby in defeating and driving out America and Britain, who, for long years, had encroached upon East Asia and victimized it in order to maintain their prosperity. It is within less than two years that Burma and the Philippines have regained their independence, and the other peoples of East Asia, each rediscovering its trueself and occupying its proper place, are facing the future with hope. They are recovering their vitality of which they have been robbed by the insatiable greed of Anglo-Saxon imperialism. The fervent aspiration toward emancipation which had always animated the subject peoples throughout East Asia, despite the oppression and chicanery of their Anglo-Saxon rulers, is being realized at one stroke in the name of
greater East Asia. Thanks to the consistent policy of Japan based upon ethical principles and her immense energy for action, these peoples are now able to bid adieu to the miseries of their past and to win back their honour that have been trampled under foot. Elated as we are on encountering this golden opportunity to be met only once in a thousand years, we cannot but be overcome with a sense of solemn sadness as we recall the martyrdom of those many patriots of the various countries who bled and died for the cause of East Asia's liberation.
At this very moment I am filled with deep emotions on recollecting the fact that Manchoukuo was founded ten years ago as the first newly risen State possessing a truly East Asiatic consciousness. I myself took part with an irrepressible zeal in the task of building up the new empire. What was lacking most in Manchuria of those days was a government based upon ethical principles. Consequently, the people were not being guided or organized toward an ideal of any sort whatsoever. The land was laid to waste. Under the feudalistic rule of militarists, squeeze and extortions ran rampant. Indeed, Manchuria had the appearance of a typically East Asiatic country without freedom and without creative faculties. The military clique headed by Chang Hsueh-liang was then the ruler of Manchuria, which preyed mercilessly upon the people.
However, when under the influence of the Anglo-Saxon policy of disturbing East Asia, Chang Hsueh-liang came to assume an attitude that was brazenly anti-Japanese, Japan rose and destroyed his régime. As the result, the 10,000,000 people of Manchuria were united for a single purpose of establishing an autonomous ethical State which would truly seek the advancement of the people's welfare and the prosperity of the land. That was the most natural development of the situation. It was our aim to convert Manchuria, who had menaced constantly the stability of East Asia owing to foreign interferences and consequent international complications of all kinds, into a stabilizing force of the entire East Asia as a strong and righteous nation founded upon the ethical tenets of the old Orient, and awakened to the consciousness of a new East Asia. We believed that for East Asia to turn back to its glorious moral heritage, to revert to its real self and to contribute thereby to the world's civilization was exactly the same as for European nations to live as European nations and for American countries to maintain their existence by themselves as American nations, which was all too clear in the light of the great principles of humanity. Indeed, such was, we thought, the inevitable course of history which no one
could stop as long as East Asia kept its East Asiatic consciousness.
However, America and Britain, who do not relish East Asia's having an East Asiatic consciousness, beset us with all manner of obstacles by manipulating the League of Nations, their puppet institution, or by instigating the Chiang Kai-shek régime which was then situated at Nanking. What my nation will remember forever with gratitude is the fact that at this juncture Japan, although she had driven out Chang Hsuen-liang at great costs in money and blood, showed not an inkling of territorial ambition, but assisted in a fair and just manner our independence and autonomous development. Moreover, while supporting the independence of Manchoukuo, Japan, on the other hand, proclaimed her policy for the establishment of a new order in East Asia and made known her firm attitude to all the world by withdrawing from the League of Nations. Thus, it may be said that the founding of Manchoukuo was really the very first and significant step in the construction of a greater East Asia which is being carried on today throughout the entire region.
Now, as for Manchoukuo so established, what results has she achieved in the course of the past ten years—and by what policies? It is a point on which the attention of the whole world is specially focussed. I avail myself of this occasion to offer explanations touching upon a few of the fundamental aspects.
Firstly, on the harmony of races. In Manchoukuo there live together many different peoples. But there do not exist such relationships among Japanese, Manchurians, Mongolians as those between ruler and ruled, or between exploiter and exploited, which have generally prevailed hitherto in a community composed of different races. Instead, the various peoples of Manchoukuo are all co-operating toward the attainment of the national purposes, while manifesting respectively their distinctive qualities. This is a point where it differs radically from the rule of Anglo-Saxon imperialism over alien peoples. I venture to say that the harmony of races in Manchoukuo, reflecting as it does the spirit in which the Japanese Empire was founded, is suggestive of the formula for the common prosperity and well-being among the various nations and peoples of greater East Asia.
Secondly, the defence of the northern frontier. For the construction of a greater East Asia it is absolutely necessary not only that we should perfect the national defence of our own Empire, but also that our country herself should serve as a bulwark for greater East Asia so that the work may be carried on without the least apprehension.
This has been considered from the beginning as one of the most important missions of our nation. We have made of Manchoukuo an impregnable bastion of the north by concluding a joint defence pact of alliance with Japan. I desire to assure Your Excellencies that in this regard there is no cause for apprehension now and that we will do in the future, too, all that is expected of us.
Thirdly, the stabilization of the people's livelihood and the training of a strong and upright people.
Immediately after the founding of our nation, the Government speedily unified the monetary system which had been in a state of extreme disorder and had been considered difficult to bring under control. As the result, they succeeded in stabilizing prices and securing the stability of the people's livelihood to an extent such as prevails today. Parallel with this, the establishment of peace and order was carried out. Today, compared with the time of the founding of our nation when some 300,000 bandits overran the country, there is hardly a single trace of them. In addition, with the establishment of the system of national military conscription last year, a strong national army equipped with modern arms has been created. This, coupled with the efficient police system, enables the people in every section of the land to live and work in peace and security.
On the other hand, the Government, through various measures such as the system of labour service and the promotion of education, are devoting their efforts to the training of the people by fostering national consciousness, by promoting respect for work and by bringing up the youth so strong in mind and body that they may become worthy people of East Asia. They are growing rapidly in number. Much is expected of them, this new generation, in connection not only with the co-operation of our country in bringing the war to a successful conclusion, but also with the future development of our national fortunes.
Finally, the development of industry. On the fifth year of the founding of our nation, the Government put into operation a five-year plan for industrial development, and completed it last year with great success after overcoming many difficulties. Continuing, a second five-year plan was instituted and put into effect. The speeding up of production of such raw materials of heavy industry as iron, coal and non-ferrous metals and the acceleration of the light metal indispensable in wartime, have, parallel with the perfection of the facilities for the epochal increase in electric power, made steady progress, and in every aspect are approaching the levels of the world's
great Powers. In the field of agriculture, Manchoukuo is fully demonstrating her capacity as an agricultural country, and is increasing at present her production as planned, achieving great results as one of the foremost granaries of East Asia.
To give a few figures to explain the successes of the construction enterprises to which I have referred, the total revenues and expenditures of Manchoukuo, which were only a little over ¥270,000,000 at the time the nation was founded, have swelled to more than ¥4,450,000,000 today, which means an increase by sixteen times in ten years. The railroad mileage has leaped from 6,000 kilometres to 12,000 kilometres. Primary school children who numbered only 500,000 have increased to 2,500,000. In the field of production, the output of coal has increased by four times, and steel by five times, indicating the high tempo of their development. Improvements in the facilities devoted to public health and sanitation are too numerous to mention. But, to give a noteworthy example, let me say a word about the evil of opium-smoking, of which America and Britain have made a means of aggression in East Asia, while denouncing it with vituperous words in the name of humanity. There were 130,000 users of opium at the time of the founding of our nation; today, there are only a very few, and it is expected that these will, in the near future, disappear altogether.
As one responsible for my Government, I often reflect and feel a sense of shame for my lack of effort, but what I feel most keenly as I watch the growth in our national fortunes is the unchanging fidelity and friendship of Japan. From the very beginning of the founding of our nation the relations between Japan and Manchoukuo have been naturally and inevitably characterized by a oneness in mind and virtue. The friendship between the Imperial Houses of our two countries grows with years, setting a noble example for the peoples. Our decade of unparalleled national development owes much to the assistance extended by Japan out of her great friendship. We are engaged today in successfully carrying out the rear line duties in the war of greater East Asia, but, in doing so, we feel that no matter how much we do as a nation we cannot return enough.
Next, I wish to express some of my views as to the aims of the construction of a greater East Asia.
As I have said before, Manchoukuo was founded with the aim of emancipating East Asia and establishing a new order. It is her desire to contribute to the establishment of a greater East Asia in every way and at every opportunity.
As regards the relations between Manchoukuo and the other countries of East Asia, I have already spoken of the inseparable ties of oneness in mind and virtue that bind our country with Japan.
Two years ago, the seat of the National Government of the Chinese Republic was restored to Nanking under the leadership of His Excellency President Wang Ching-wei. Shortly afterwards, Manchoukuo, together with Japan and China, issued a three-Power joint declaration, setting down mutual good neighbour relations among Japan, Manchoukuo and China. Manchoukuo also established friendly relations with Thailand. More recently, when Burma and the Philippines proclaimed independence, Manchoukuo was among the first to extend formal recognition to the new States. It is the intention of Manchoukuo to draw still closer her bonds of friendship with those nations. It is unprecedented in the history of East Asia that within sos hort [sic] a space of time six independent Sates [sic] have come into existence, not including the Provisional Government of Free India, which has already been set up. At this juncture, I believe it is essential for the construction of a greater East Asia that all the nations of East Asia should act on a conviction of common destiny of all East Asiatic nations as a single entity. All our sympathy goes to the four hundred millions of India, who still groan under the brutal oppression of Britain and America; while it is our sincere hope that the Chungking régime, the orphan of East Asia, which still labours under an illusion may reflect and come to embrace the great cause of greater East Asia.
Henceforth, all the nations of East Asia should be inspired with lofty intentions to take part in the righteous development and evolution of the world, by obliterating all traces of Anglo-American imperialistic crimes and shaking off every vestige of colonial bondage, removing thereby once for all the blot on the history of East Asia. They should then co-operate under their proper status in harmonious relationship with the other nations of the world who are willing to follow the dictates of humanity and justice. In this sense, it is my ardent desire that Germany and her Axis partners, who are bravely fighting in Europe for similar purposes, may win ultimate victory, thereby accelerating the construction of a new order of Europe, and further that a new order such as our own may prevail throughout the world. And it is my firm belief that the future relations among the East Asiatic nations should be eternally regulated under the idea of East Asia being one family and upon the
basis of family-and-blood relationship, which constitutes the traditional feature of Oriental morality. This is fundamentally different from the old international relations, under which nations joined or parted company by interests, as may be witnessed in the relations among the anti-Axis nations in the current world war. It requires no reiteration that the nations of East Asia should live according to their respective traditions and natural endowments and by respecting those of another; but at the same time they should complement each other and minister to one another's needs politically, economically, culturally and otherwise, thereby contributing to the development and progress of East Asia as a whole. With regard to the concept of boundaries, I am of the opinion that those between the States of East Asia should not be conceived as those separating nations opposed to each other in an un-Oriental way, but as those linking nations who are eager to participate in a common enterprise through mutual co-operation. Therefore, all barriers which have hampered free interchange and communion between nations should be removed without further loss of time.
The construction of a greater East Asia, as envisaged by us, means at once the renascence of the old, glorious East Asia and the creation of a new East Asia. Accordingly, all the nations of East Asia must be possessed of the consciousness and the ability to meet the requirements of the new era. This is why I have referred to the new, gigantic construction now going on in Manchoukuo in both the material and speritual [sic] fields, as never seen before. I take this opportunity to recall with sympathy and emotion the address delivered by Premier General Hidéki Tohjo before the eighty-first session of the Diet in January last, in which he stated that the development achieved by Manchoukuo of today indicates what may be the tomorrow of the entire greater East Asia.
A survey of the war situation shows that our enemies, America and Britain, are worried over the big stride made by the construction of a greater East Asia and the awakening of the peoples everywhere in East Asia which have followed their general retreat from East Asia in the initial stages of the war. They are now launching counter-offensives by mustering all their power. The current war is the last of the aggressive wars to be waged by them with East Asia, and that on the largest scale. We must fully realize that this is not only the only chance given us by providence for the fulfilment of our ardent desire for the construction of a greater East Asia sphere, but the supreme moment that is to decide forever the rise, or fall, of all the peoples of
East Asia. What we must do may be summed up in one sentence: Convert all the material and moral strength of all the countries of greater East Asia into fighting power and crush the Anglo-American enemies with the total strength of East Asia.
There is no shadow of a doubt that glorious final victory will be on our side, if only we, the billion peoples of Asia, construct as we fight, fight as we construct, and push the war with vigour, by fully mobilizing the natural resources of greater East Asia, unexampled in the world, as well as our superior spiritual power, which is the proud heritage of our nations.
In pursuance of the Imperial Rescript, which was granted on the outbreak of the war of greater East Asia and which says that Manchoukuo and Japan stand or fall together through life or death, our Government and people have mobilized all their manpower and material resources in order to co-operate in the prosecution of the greater East Asia war, while discharging our important responsibilities for the defence of our northern frontier.
In conclusion, I desire to assure you that our determination is firmer than ever and to pledge on behalf of my nation that together with the other nations of East Asia and with an abiding faith in our victory, we will devote ourselves to the sacred task of constructing a greater East Asia.