PEN-SKETCH OF INFORMATION CHIEF OGATA
By BUNSHIRO SUZUKI
NEVER did I think for a moment that one day I would have to make a pen-sketch of Mr. Takétora Ogata, our new President of the Board of Information and concurrently Minister of State. Since he is a typical newspaperman, I have all along entertained the impression that he would remain so; but the circumstances have altered the case, and so he has exchanged his newspaper desk for a ministerial escritoire. His elevation to the Cabinet rank may strike as something strange to certain quarters; but when one considers that we are living in a strange world one will find that his changeover fits into the progression of the times.
Mr. Ogata, prior to his ministerial appointment, had served the Asahi Shimbun for more than thirty-two years, while I have now reached the twenty-seventh year of my service with the same paper. When I joined the Asahi Shimbun, he was one of those engaged in effecting co-ordination between the Tokyo and the Osaka editions of the Asahi. At that time, the entire structure of the paper was in scale less than one-tenth of the present organization; and it greatly surprised me to find that everything was like in a village office. In those days, the political department and the social section were the centre of the newspaper structure. The co-ordination work undertaken by Mr. Ogata mainly consisted of supervising the transmission by telegraph or telephone of the news obtained by the Tokyo Asahi to the Osaka Asahi. Hence, his work was regarded as something secondary.
It was soon after my joining the Asahi concern that I
sent a note to Mr. Sosén Torii, managing editor of the Osaka Asahi, intimating that I have come to know of Mr. Ogata. Bringing back the note to me in no time, Mr. Ogata said: "Isn't the ideograph for Torii in the note wrong? There is no such person." It was summer, and he had his hair cropped short and wore a white suit. When he said this, his facial expression was somewhat stern with both eyebrows rising a little. Mr. Inahara, at present editor of Contemporary Japan, was then at London as the correspondent of the Asahi. Later, after he left the paper, he used to ask me "How is Kiyomasa Kato?" in inquiring after Mr. Ogata. At first I could not understand what he meant by that expression. "Kiyomasa Kato?"—I asked for an explanation. In his usual humorous manner, Mr. Inahara replied: "Well, it is the man with a face looking like Kiyomasa Kato painted on boys' flying kites. It is Ogata." Since then, whenever Mr. Inahara asked me about Kiyomasa Kato, I promptly told him about the health of Mr. Ogata.
The picture of Kiyomasa Kato painted on flying kites is of almost the same type throughout our country. The face is not round, but of a longish type; the eyes large; the two eyebrows broad and rising at the end; and bristly side whiskers on both cheeks. Of course, Mr. Ogata has no such whiskers, and yet there is something in him which makes one think of Kiyomasa Kato of the flying kite. In other words, Mr. Ogata's face is not of the type of Bénkei, Watohnai and Kintoki, each of whom is a brave hero in dramas or picture books. His face is of a longish type, well balanced and with prevailing mellowed refinement that has a certain dignity. Then he has a well balanced physique. In such sense, even now I agree to the name of "Kiyomasa Kato" given him by Mr. Inahara. Even aside from the flying kite picture, in the disposition of Mr. Ogata there seems to be something of Kiyomasa as narrated in traditional tales.
II
During the latter part of the last World War, Mr. Ogata
was relieved of his co-ordination work mentioned before and was transferred to the Osaka Asahi. Then when the war ended and the Versailles Peace Conference was over, he came to London for a prolonged stay abroad. I was at that time acting as the Asahi staff correspondent at London. On his arrival, he called on me and took his lodging in a house near mine. Thus I had ample opportunities of becoming intimate with him. Once or twice a week, I bought tickets and went to listen to lectures on the modern diplomatic history or the economic history at the London University, and Mr. Ogata was my companion on those occasions. He might have listened to the lectures more seriously than I did. However, such lectures did not become topics of our talks. Mr. Ogata seemed to be buying and reading many books, particularly those on British politics. I remember that, in reading the editorial articles he wrote for the Asahi in latter years, I often thought that in them was revealed the knowledge he had gained during his studious days at London.
I returned home from London ahead of Mr. Ogata. When the Arms Limitation Conference was opened at Washington in the autumn of 1921, I was sent there together with Mr. Shighéru Kamio. But at Washington we were joined by Mr. Ogata who came from London as another Asahi correspondent to cover the conference. As there also came the late Mr. Seigo Watanabé, the four of us started covering the Washington Conference for the Asahi. Then Mr. Misao Takahara, managing editor of the Osaka Asahi, wrote us a letter saying: "The four of you are like the so-called federated autonomous provinces of China, but I intend to make Mr. Ogata the chief correspondent." At that time, the term "federated autonomous provinces" was daily used in newspapers to describe the political conditions in the provinces of China. Mr. Takahara delicately hinted in his letter that, as the four of us seemed to be so self-conceited as to be our own masters and none of us was designated chief correspondent, he wished to regard Mr. Ogata as such. But the three of us were not at at all scrupulous about such a matter. Among us there was no thought whatever beyond
co-operating to dispatch good accounts. So we just read his letter and said: "That's that."
Despite his elevation as chief correspondent, Mr. Ogata during the Washington Conference never behaved as if he was the chief among us, though I believe that he had naturally lived up to that position. I recollect even now that the four of us had worked most pleasantly united as one. It is a characteristic of Mr. Ogata not to think—"I am the chief." I believe that there has been no person who has felt any unpleasantness while working together, or travelling or associating with Mr. Ogata. His comradery chracteristic [sic] is not the product of any exercise of harmonizing capacity; in fact, it is his inborn virtue. A person who is a good comrade in work, a pleasant companion on journey, and a "jolly good fellow" in social functions is more likely to become a statesman. Mr. Ogata has mounted the ministerial ladder, because he is gifted with all these humane qualities.
III
Newspapermen who had risen in prominence early in life and had attained successive promotions as Mr. Ogata did in the Asahi are quite rare. It was when he was about thirty-eight years of age that he became the managing editor and a director of the Tokyo Asahi. If it is asked whether he had up to that time done any specially conspicuos work, I must say that so far as I remember that was practically not the case. Before going abroad, he was a diplomatic reporter of the political department and also he might have written editorials while at Osaka, besides carrying on the task of co-ordination as already mentioned. Then at about the time of the great Kanto earthquake, he held the posts of chiefs of the make-up and political departments. In these two capacities he might have contributed to making the paper attractive, though I cannot specifically recollect any such contributions. Yet why had he risen to such prominent positions while still young? I have never thought of that until now. I think that he possesses those talents and abilities that go to make an efficient newspaper
executive rather than the special gifts of a repoter [sic], and so his rapid promotions were due to the recognition of his executive talents and abilities. His executive efficiency may be regarded as his political capability.
The merits of Mr. Ogata were particularly notable after he became the managing editor of the Tokyo Asahi. It was also from that time that he began to write many editorial articles on political topics. As I was then the chief of the make-up department, I used to receive directly from him the manuscripts and used to read them before they were set in type. His copies were written in pencil, in a mature style of caligraphy, without sluggishness. His sentences were clear, concise and to the point, and they were free from faltering. Later, Mr. Sho-ichi Mitoro succeeded him as managing editor, and Mr. Ogata was made the editor-in-chief of the Tokyo, Osaka and Kyushu offices of the Asahi. That is to say, he became the editor-in-chief to unify the editorials of all the three editions of the Asahi, in addition to undertaking his executive duties.
The earlier period of his career as the editor-in-chief was most colourful, in my opinion. For that was the time when one was still able to speak out what one wished, being the so-called age of freedom of speech, although that time was gradually disappearing with the Manchurian indicent [sic] as the turning point. Among the outstanding leader-writers of the Asahi at that time were Tamon Mayéda, Itsuki Ohnishi, Shiro Machida, Yasushi Sékiguchi, Shighéru Kamio and Zénmaro Toki. Then occurred the May 15 incident, followed by the February 26 incident and a gradual change in the thought of the nation became visible. Those who hesitated to change their thought were called "old structure" men. And the Asahi came to be criticized because of its rather moderate views. However, Mr. Ogata was the only one to change his thought ahead of all others. At conferences held during this period, he often used to say "that's the old structure" in referring to the opinions of his comrades, I distinctly remember. "A virtuous man is he who changes his views," he would say, and thus not only did
he switch over from the "old structure" thought to the "new structure" belief, but took pains to guide the Asahi to the path of changed times.
Though he favoured "new structure," Mr. Ogata was not of the strong oppositionist type like the late Mr. Seigo Nakano, who was his close friend and who hailed from the same locality. To speak truly, he belonged to the impartial and moderate type. Yet he was not a man who desired only the so-called tranquillity and security. When it was necessary, he could exert his strength and stamina to make a strong decision and execute it in full. His attitude at the time of the February 26 incident, when the Tokyo Asahi office was besieged by a group of military officers and soldiers, fully revealed his personality. I was then at Nagoya, but according to what I heard later, Mr. Ogata was in the editorial room when a number of young officers demanded to see one in the responsible position. In front of the office there were placed several machine-guns with their muzzles facing the Asahi building. Mr. Ogata said that he would see the officers, but before doing so, he took up the receiver of the direct telephone to the Osake [sic] office and, calling the man in charge of the Osaka editorial room, reported the situation at Tokyo and calmly added: "This may be my last talk with the Osaka Asahi." Then he faced the young officers and the interview went off smoothly.
IV
"Genial outside, stern inside" may be an expression that aptly describes Mr. Ogata. Yet I think that he possesses more than usual tactics and devices. His tactical shrewdness and genius for contrivance may be attributed to the experiences he had gathered when he was a junior political reporter at Osaka or when he used to see frequently Mr. Mokudo Inukai or General Kanju Miura. By these two veteran statesmen he was particularly trusted and befriended, it seems. His caligraphy has the reputation of being very excellent, and his interest in caligraphy may also be due to the influence of Mr. Mokudo Inukai. Those
who have journalistic experiences from the latter part of the Meiji period to the present day of the Showa era, passing through the intervening Taisho era, are gradually becoming very few. Lately, young newspapermen born in the Taisho era are becoming numerous. Those like Mr. Ogata, who are still in the prime of life after having experienced the Meiji and Taisho eras, I believe, are a valuable existence in any field of activity in our country, for such persons have actually seen the rise and changes in the three eras and naturally possess wide views and fields of observation.
From the standpoint of wideness of thought and observation, Mr. Ogata is in the first rank, if not the first, among the members of the new Koiso-Yonai Cabinet. The knowledge and experiences gained in more than thirty years' activity as a newspaperman are his assets as a statesman. All other State Ministers have valuable experiences as statesmen, as they have served long either as Government officials and Ministers or as parliamentarians. To observe all affairs unprejudicially and with keen sense of discernment, to watch always equally international situations and domestic conditions, to make judgment that does not fall into any self-determined type, to examine carefully the trend and thought of foreign countries and foreigners, and, above all, not to err in executive action—these are the major tasks entrusted to our statesmen who now occupy responsible positions. Mr. Ogata because of his long newspaper training—a training which invariably broadens the outlook and eliminates narrow prejudice—is well fitted to undertake all these tasks, even though he has not the background of a Government official or a parliamentarian. Considered thus, it must be said that he occupies a distinguished place among the present State Ministers.
Mr. Ogata's inclusion in the present Cabinet appears to have been almost predestined. For with Premier Koiso he has been acquainted since the days of his father, and he is also a close friend of Navy Minister Admiral Yonai. Then he has been more than ordinarily intimate with War Minister Sughiyama.
There is no disguising that, when General Koiso received the Imperial command to form a new Cabinet and left Korea for Tokyo, he picked up Mr. Ogata for the post of President of the Board of Information. I have been given to understand that Mr. Ogata called at the Cabinet formation headquarters for giving a few a dvices [sic], being urged by his friendly feelings toward the two seniors—General Koiso and Admiral Yonai. He refused to join the Cabinet to the very last moment, but finally the surrounding circumstances made it impossible for him to remain aloof; and hence he was obliged to give up his cherished desire of holding fast to the principle of "one man, one work." When his acceptance of the ministerial post became known, I went to his house to congratulate him but could not meet him as he had not yet returned. His wife lamented his appointment, and everybody in the house seemed to be sorry and not happy! So, instead of offering congratulations, I returned home after consoling Mrs. Ogata!
V
In his first utterance as President of the Board of Information, Mr. Ogata emphatically averred: "If I do not carry out what I said while I was with the newspaper office, it becomes a lie. Public opinion must become active." On another occasion he remarked: "Let us eat, let us speak out." To make public opinion active is the first mission given to the present Cabinet and, therefore, Mr. Ogata's averment should not be thought of lightly. He did not speak specially to the whole public concerning the uplifting of public opinion. He expressed his views only at a private or semi-official gathering of newspapermen. If he had any craftiness, he would not have purposely uttered the afore-quoted words. But in saying them quite simply, he disclosed his sincerity and earnestness to do the right thing.
The position he holds as a Minister of State, concurrently being the President of the Board of Information and the vice-president of the National Service Association, clearly
proves that he is no backbencher. At the congratulatory function given in his honour at the Asahi Shimbun, I said: "When Mr. Ogata makes his decision at this critical emergency confronting the nation I wish he would firmly proceed to carry out his conviction. No man can live for a hundred years." I firmly hold the opinion that, upon reaching a decision on each vital matter after careful consideration, he should advance bravely toward his conviction, giving no thought to private sentiments or friendship and remembering what he did when a group of young Army officers met him at the time of the February 26 incident.
Inasmuch as Mr. Ogata is progressive and has commenced his political voyage smoothly without any faltering or display, just like the editorials he wrote during his newspaper life, he is expected to fare well as President of the Board of Information. Finally, such a case as his, of a pure newspaperman (not a newspaperman desiring to become a statesman) of more than thirty years' experience, who has never identified himself with any other activity, becoming suddenly a State Minister is, I believe, unprecedented. In this sense, he has shouldered one part of the State administration at this super-emergency time, representing truly Japan's public opinion organs. Consequently, all the newspapers in the country cannot but rejoice at his inclusion in the Cabinet. Mr. Ogata himself seems to be greatly impressed by the joy felt by all the leading figures of Japanese newspaperdom.