J.V. Stalin’s Historical Message to Japanese People

Editorial from For a Lasting Peace, For a People’s Democracy

January 4, 1952, No. (1), 165

All progressive people of the world welcomed with feelings of the greatest satisfaction and joy J.V. Stalin’s New Year’s message to the Japanese people. This is a new, striking document testifying to the Soviet Union’s love of peace, a model of the Stalin peace policy. At a time when the U.S.-British imperialists are waging sanguinary wars against the peoples fighting for their liberation, when they are preparing another world slaughter, engaging in wild threats and delivering misanthropic tirades against all progressive forces, this message sounds like a bell of peace and friendship in the hearts of the Japanese people and other peoples languishing under the occupation yoke of the American imperialists and their satellites.

On the threshold of the New Year, at the time that U.S. butcher generals were congratulating forces that had “distinguished” themselves in exterminating Korean women and children, were doing everything to disrupt the peace talks in Korea; at the time that Lyttelton, British Colonial Secretary, announced a “new plan” for terror against the people of Malaya, and the British commander Robertson declared that “no bloodshed” in Egypt would prevent him from carrying out the will of the City bankers; at the time the French colonizers were extending their “dirty war” in Viet Nam, – at this moment there resounded throughout the world the heartfelt and wise words of Stalin, encouraging the Japanese people and lighting the path to the future for them:

“Please convey to the Japanese people that I wish them freedom and happiness, that I wish them complete success in their courageous struggle for the independence of their homeland.”

Today the Japanese people find themselves in distress such as they have never experienced in all their history. After the war, started by the Japanese militarist-feudal clique, which brought ruin to the Japanese people, they fell into bondage to the U.S. imperialists, and were deprived of freedom, independence and elementary human rights. The occupation of Japan has already cost her people up to 5,000 million dollars, and judging by the 1952 budget, the maintenance of the American troops will swallow even more in the future.

The entire life of Japan, her industry, agriculture, trade and culture, is now determined by the U.S. occupation authorities.

But through the gloom of the black night that has descended on the country, the Japanese working people see a bright ray of hope. On behalf of the peoples of the U.S.S.R., who in the past also experienced the horrors of foreign occupation in which the Japanese imperialists took part, Comrade Stalin has declared that the peoples of the Soviet Union “fully appreciate the sufferings of the Japanese people, deeply sympathise with them and believe that they will achieve the regeneration and independence of their homeland, just as was achieved by the peoples of the Soviet Union in the past.”

To the Japanese workers groaning under the unbearable burden of the slave “labour system” with its prison cells in the enterprises, with compulsory domicile in hostels, with the extortionate system of recruiting manpower, and with wages insufficient to ensure even the minimum standard of life, to the ten million starving unemployed and workers on short time, to the 150,000 workers of the eight big cotton mills, who, like many others, met the New Year on strike, there came the words of the great leader of the working peoples of the world. Comrade Stalin wished them the realisation of their aspirations – “deliverance from unemployment and low wages, abolition of high prices on consumer goods, and success for the struggle on preserving peace.”

Japanese peasants heard in J.V. Stalin’s message the answer to their most urgent needs and demands. Weighed down by the heavy tax burden and rent, the Japanese peasant who is not only deprived of the harvest necessary to feed his family but who is forced to sell even his children in order to pay taxes and other exactions to the Government and rent to the landowner, and who, finally, is deprived even of the plot of land watered with his sweat, – this toiler will hear with joy and hope the wish of “deliverance from landlessness and land shortage, abolition of high taxes, and success in the struggle for preserving peace.”

The U.S. imperialists seek to turn the Japanese intelligentsia into office-boys for American businessmen, depriving them of freedom for scientific activity. Addressing the Japanese intelligentsia and the entire Japanese people, Comrade Stalin indicated to them the pathway to regeneration, and expressed wishes for “complete victory for the democratic forces of Japan, revival and advance in the economic life of the country, flowering of national culture, science, art, and success in the struggle for preserving peace.”

At a time when the American imperialists want to plunge the Japanese people into a new aggressive war in order to achieve with the hands and blood of the Japanese people domination in Asia, the great Stalin, the standard-bearer of the camp of peace, shows to the Japanese people the path to wellbeing and national independence, the pathway of struggle for ending the foreign occupation, the pathway of peace and friendship with all peoples.

In all countries throughout the world democratic opinion widely and warmly hails J.V. Stalin’s New Year’s message to the Japanese people.

Radio stations and newspapers in the Chinese People’s Republic, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic, Rumania, the democratic press in the U.S., Great Britain, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark, India, Pakistan, and other countries, prominently featured J.V. Stalin’s message.

The Japanese radio relayed Comrade Stalin’s message together with a statement by its commentator. Comrade Stalin’s message was the subject of comment in the most varied circles in the country where its exceptional importance is noted.

“Unita”, organ of the Italian Communist Party, published Comrade Stalin’s message under the headline “For the Triumph of Peace and Democracy”. “Avanti”, Italian Socialist Party organ, underlines that Stalin’s message is of the greatest significance at a time when the U.S. is striving to arm Japan and include it in the system of aggressive plans in the Far East.

In an editorial article “Bright Stalin Greetings in Struggle for Peace”, “Scanteia”, central organ of the Rumanian Workers’ Party, points out:

“Whenever the great Stalin, leader and teacher of the working people of the world, refers, in his works or statements, to questions dealing with the liberation struggle of this or that nation, his words always throw clear light on the most vital problems of that nation.

“The Rumanian people who experienced to the full the bitterness and hardships of capitalist exploitation and imperialist occupation, wholeheartedly welcome the telegram by Comrade Stalin and share the wishes contained in the message to the Japanese people.”

“Sabad Nep”, organ of the Hungarian Working People’s Party, stresses that Comrade Stalin’s message will serve as a might weapon in the hands of the Japanese people, battling for peace; it strengthens our conviction that the evil war designs of the imperialists in one of its vital centres, Japan, will also meet with resolute resistance on the part of the people. Comrade Stalin’s message strengthens still more the conviction of the peoples of the world that the peace camp is invincible.

“Tribuna Ludu”, organ of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party, in a leading article entitled “Words of Peace and Freedom”, commented as follows: “Comrade Stalin’s words are of unusually vital significance for the Japanese people, and equally for all other peoples. They are vital because they were pronounced by the leader of the peoples of the Soviet Union – the State which from the first day of its existence inscribed on its banners the slogan of sympathy and support for all peoples fighting for freedom and independence. They are important because they were pronounced by the world’s leading peace champion who expressed the thoughts of hundreds of millions people on all continents.”

The Bulgarian press featured numerous comments by working people, and men of science and culture, saying that J.V. Stalin’s message will certainly warm the hearts of millions of Japanese with hope and faith in their own strength and the strength of the world peace front, headed by the great Soviet Union.

As in known, the Kyodo agency asked the Prime Ministers of 18 countries to send New Year’s greetings to the Japanese people. The heads of the governments of the capitalist countries – stranglers of the freedom of their own and foreign peoples – ignored the request. And in any case what could they have said to the Japanese on behalf of the imperialists?… All the louder, therefore, resounded the wise words of the head of the Soviet Government, who, in his message, conveyed to the Japanese people the wishes of the peoples of the U.S.S.R.

This message once more demonstrates to the world the grand peace policy of the Soviet Union, the ideology of fraternity and friendship among peoples, the ideology that creates indestructible bonds between the countries of the camp of peace, democracy and Socialism, the ideology that is the basis for the international consolidation of the working people.

Comrade Stalin’s message inspires peace supporters in all countries for still more resolute struggle against the machinations of the U.S.-British imperialists, for preserving and consolidating world peace.