Basic Policies
1. Purpose and Aims
The China Affair has now developed into the great task of constructing a New Order in East Asia, while the international situation is threatened with a serious future. As at no other time, the nation has been and will be called upon to be prepared for determined action.
When the present conflict with China broke out, all members of the nation were found ready to render wholehearted and grateful services to the State, establishing thereby the complete organization of national life on a wartime basis. In order to cope with the new
development in the situation, however, the movement for spiritual mobilization should further be strengthened and made into a practical campaign with the two phases of the spiritual and materia llife [sic] coordinated in perfect unity.
The necessity facing the Japanese nation today is to augment the entire national strength by combining all its traditional, spiritual forces for the purpose of achieving the task of constructing a new East Asia in accordance with the spirit and ideal on which the Empire was founded, and for that of overcoming the world-wide crisis in international relations.
2. Major Points
(1) Construction of a new order in East Asia shall be effected by upholding national ideals.
(2) The total strength of the nation shall be augmented and given full scope by exalting the national spirit.
(3) The entire people shall render wholehearted services to the State by working hard in their respective occupations.
3. Precautions in Enforcement
(1) The real conditions under the prevailing situation shall be clarified, in order to enable the people to realize its world significance. Endeavours shall be made to consolidate spiritual unity among them as Japanese subjects and make them prepared to shoulder responsibilities as the builders of a new East Asia. The moral life shall be cultivated and promoted.
(2) Endeavours shall be made to render positive cooperation in line with national economic policies such as augmentation of productive power, mobilization of materials and adjustment of commodity prices. In particular, endeavours shall be devoted to the utilization of materials, economy in consumption, promotion of savings, encouragement of more work and improvement of physical strength. These principles should be applied to the daily life of the people, whatever their occupation may be.
(3) Home-front activities shall be promoted with developments in the situation in China.
4. Special Features in Enforcement
(1) Full cooperation between the Government and the people shall be effected, with a view to making the campaign a free national movement.
(2) Various Government offices should take the lead in effecting such cooperation and should always embody the aims of this movement in their administrations.
(3) Various private organizations should keep in close touch with one another, with the Central League for National Spiritual Mobilization as their centre, so as to be able to function to best advantage. Economic organizations, in particular, should take pains to lead their members to carry out their duties in such a way as to render adequate the progress of the movement.
(4) All official and private leaders should take initiative in practising the aims of the projected campaign.
(5) The youth who are to form the backbone of the nation during the next generation and the women who play an important rôle in the home should rise to the call of the times with full cooperation.
(6) In daily life, practice and training shall be held to be of primary importance. Campaign weeks and other plans under competent control should be sponsored.
(7) In the light of previous experiences, special attention should be paid to urban areas where those connected with prospering industries should be called upon to exercise stricter self-discipline and self-control.
(8) In carrying out this movement, attention should be concentrated on some specific points according to the requirements of each locality and objectives concerned, after making due preliminary investigations. In various circles, concrete objectives for realization during the coming year should be made public so as to concentrate all efforts on them in commemoration of the forthcoming 2600th anniversary of the founding of the Empire.