Imperial Japanese penal officials brag about brainwashing Korean 'ideological criminals' (a.k.a. independence activists) in 'Yamato cram schools' and converting them into enthusiastic collaborators willing to die shouting 'Banzai to the Emperor!' (Seoul 1943)

These are very interesting articles describing Korean 'ideological criminals', many of whom had upper class Yangban backgrounds, and how they were dealt with in the Imperial Japanese penal system in Korea during the colonial period. By 'ideological criminals', I suppose they mean Korean independence activists, who had to operate clandestinely and furtively inside Korea while trying to avoid getting caught by the ubiquitous Kenpeitai secret police. Many lived double lives, perhaps teaching Imperialist ideology as teachers during the day, but secretly supporting the resistance movement when no one was looking (see my previous post, which was entitled 'Japanese teacher in Japan-colonized Korea punished her Korean students for speaking Korean and imposed Imperial Way ideology on them during WWII...'). So, many Koreans were actually able to say the right words and do the right things to satisfy the Imperial Japanese colonial officials who monitored them to convince them that they were 'true Imperial Japanese people', when in fact it was all just an act and they were actually actively resisting the regime.

These articles mention the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), which functioned as the one and only political party that you could belong to in totalitarian Japan-colonized Korea, spreading the regime's Imperial Way ideology across Korea and reinforcing Imperial rule over Korea.

The second article describes the Seongam Academy, which was an abusive orphanage that was actually kept open through the Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan periods until 1982. 

 (Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 10, 1943

Talking about Judicial Protection

Roundtable discussion organized by the head office of Keijo Nippo newspaper - Part 1

Training begins with the family

Lots of ideological criminals in the Yangban class

Speakers (in no particular order)

• Mr. Fukuzō Hayata, Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Governor-General's Office
• Mr. Michiyoshi Masuda, President of Seoul Law School
• Major Nishida, Director of Seoul Naval War Office
• Mr. Norimitsu Ohno, Director of the Seoul Court of Inquiry
• Mr. Yūzō Nagasaki, Director of Seoul Probation Office
• Mr. Utarō Sakafuji, Administrative Officer of the Legal Affairs Bureau's Criminal Affairs Division
• Mr. Yasunori Miyazaki, Secretary of the Criminal Affairs Division, Bureau of Justice
• Mr. Shizuo Kojima, Director, Ideology Division, Korean Federation of National Power
• Mr. Shōichi Fujii, Seongam Academy
• Mr. Masataka Ōkubo, Director of Yasaka Youth Dōjō
• Keijo Nippo: Mr. Akio, Director of Editorial Department, Mine, Director of Social Affairs Department

To carry out the great will of Emperor Meiji who has long said, "If I have sin, reprove me, for the divine people of Amatsu are my own flesh and blood", and with determination not to let a single person fail in our 100 million strong force, a 'judicial protection campaign' has been launched in all of Korea on the 2nd of this month, and a "Judicial Protection Day" will be celebrated on the 13th. In anticipation of this day, the head office of this newspaper held a "Judicial Protection Roundtable Discussion" at the former Dutch consulate in Takezoe-chō (present-day Chungjeong-ro), Seoul on the second day of the month.

If society frowns on someone who has committed a crime in the past but makes a vow to be rehabilitated and re-enter society, what will happen to that person's resolve? That is not good. Let us give them a warm hand and encourage them mentally and materially, guiding and assisting them so that they will not commit crimes again, and they will be able to further progress to become useful members of the nation. We will also secure human resources and stabilize the lives of the people while waging decisive battles. The following is the voice of the leadership, who are deeply involved in the judicial protection project. Photo: Roundtable discussion

Mr. Akio, Director of Editorial Department: On September 13th and 14th, a 'judicial protection campaign' will be held in all of Korea under the auspices of the Korean Federation of National Power and the Korean Association for Judicial Protection. Today, we would like to hear your opinions on this campaign for the protection of justice. We would like to contribute to the advancement of the judicial protection services, which play an important role in strengthening human resources in wartime and ensuring public safety on the home front.

As the war becomes more serious and severe, the public tends to forget about the humble work of judicial protection services. There is an urgent need to increase production, which has human resources as its basic element. The importance of the judicial protection services, which contribute to the enhancement of human resources, is not yet well understood by the general public.

I have heard that the number of released prisoners on the Korean peninsula is increasing year by year. If these people are not accepted by society because they have served sentences, or if they commit crimes again because society gives them a cold treatment, their productivity will be hampered. If these people are warmly embraced, properly guided, rehabilitated, and allowed to fully demonstrate their abilities, we will not only see an upsurge in righteousness, but we will also be able to help strengthen our productive capacity.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Mr. Akio the Editorial Director just mentioned this, but I would like to ask your opinion on this campaign in terms of so-called human resource development for the judicial protection service, securing public safety, and various other aspects.

Mr. Yūzō Nagasaki, Director of Seoul Probation Office: Human resources are the most fundamental factor in increasing our military strength. It is said that a person must be 18 years old before he can be useful, but most of the people who are eligible for judicial protection are young men who just need to have their crookedness corrected, so I believe that judicial protection is necessary especially in times of war because of its usefulness in terms of human resources.

Secondly, if police officers were to follow each and every ideological criminal during this war to secure public safety, 30,000 police officers would be needed, since there are 30,000 ideologically involved people in all of Korea. I think it would be a great job to judicially protect them and prevent even one of them from being pulled in by the police.

Thirdly, we should use these people for production. Since these ideological criminals (especially Korean ideological criminals) are all talk and no action, we at the probation office, through the Yamato Cram Schools, have been focusing our efforts in the area of supervised work programs, telling them that they should do whatever the state requires, without asking any reasons as to why.

Speaking of the results of putting the ideologically involved people in judicial protection and what the circumstances were like, it was in December 1936 that the probation office was set up. Up to that time, however, 10 to 20 percent of the ideologically involved people were re-offending after being released. But after the probation office was established, not even one out of every 50 people who were taken into custody had re-offended. Whereas previously the released offenders were taking passive stances in agreeing not to engage in ideological movements, now they have taken more active stances in not only agreeing not to engage in ideological movements, but also actively serving the state as Japanese people. I believe this is a victory for judicial protection.

Furthermore, in Korea, they have been promoting the Japanese language through the Yamato Cram Schools as the spearhead of Japanese-Korean unification. I confidently believe that they will surely go on to die shouting "Banzai to the Emperor!"

Keijo Nippo Reporter: So that means the people who are ideologically active are in the young age ranges.

Mr. Nagasaki: Well, from around the third year of junior high school. More than 60% of them are in the 20-years-old to 30-years-old age group.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: The question is how to guide these young people in the right direction, or in other words, how to make them into Imperial people...

Mr. Nagasaki: I think the key is first of all in the training of Korean families. For example, I have researched those who were involved in nationalist movements during their student days in Korea, and found that many of them were children of the old Joseon dynasty's Yangban class coming from substantial family backgrounds. They complain to their families that they could have had happier lives if had lived under the old Joseon dynasty. They hear these complaints and start to engage in these kinds of movements without even realizing it. The reason why the young people are involved in these kinds of movements is that they do not know the past and present of Korea and how they were oppressed by the rulers of the old Joseon dynasty. The other thing is to give hope to these Koreans by showing them what the situation of the world was like back then. Then, in my opinion, those who do well are to be really adored and pulled along. On the other hand, I think that those who do not do well will have to be thoroughly suppressed.

Mr. Satō, Director of Judicial Protection Division: According to the statistics from two to three days ago, the worst offenders in the preventive detention centers in Korea are between 30 and 40 years old, and two-thirds of them are in that age group. I guess that means they are the worst in terms of ideology.

Mr. Hayata, Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau: I recently heard that an offspring of an upper class family in Korea is now in prison for an ideological crime, but that man is actually not so bad. But, according to what he says, he says that he had to become like them because all the people who came in and out of his family home were all ideologically strange. Once you start getting interested in such things, you naturally get led into such a situation. That is why family is so important.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: What kinds of people gather at Yasaka Youth Dōjō?

Mr. Masataka Ōkubo: Recently, we have received about 10 juvenile offenders from the Juvenile Court, and before that, we had about 10 poor children in the Dōjō, but I have decided to give them a thorough patriotic nationalist education. From May, we have especially been encouraging morning visits to the Shinto shrine, and in the evenings, we have them worshiping their ancestors and reading the Heart Sutra, which they are also listening to in translation, and they seem to be getting better. Unfortunately, Korean children are very materialistic compared to Japanese children. There are currently two Japanese children mixed in with the Korean children. The Japanese children simply do their best to do as they are told. On the other hand, the Korean children seem to calculate how much money they can earn if they work outside for how long.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Are there ideological criminals among them as well?

Mr. Ōkubo: At present, there are none, although they all have such tendencies.

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-10

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 11, 1943

Talking about Judicial Protection

Roundtable discussion organized by the head office of Keijo Nippo newspaper - Part 2

Give "light" to the way forward!

The age range when ideologies easily develop

Keijo Nippo Reporter: The children Seongam Island are not so much in the ideological phase, but rather in a pre-ideological phase.

Mr. Shōichi Fujii: Those children do not have such a will. They just want to eat as much as they can.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: I think that the operations on Seongam Island demonstrate that even those in the early stages of ideological development would be in trouble if they were left to their own devices.

Mr. Fujii: That's right. There are currently 250 children on Seongam Island. Of these, only about 60 were enrolled in elementary school, and the rest do not attend school. Therefore, since we have recently been working toward the regular use of the Japanese language, around 100 out of the 250 children can now understand the Japanese language, so now anyone who comes and speaks to them can at least be understood. Since they are all vagrant children, the entire staff was anxious and also curious about the nature of the children, but they were surprised to find that the quality of the children was very good. So out of the 250 children, up to 200 were normal children, and they were definitely not abnormal children. We could see that with proper guidance, they would be able to make a certain amount of progress. Most of them are normal children. Since these normal children have become this way because of their environment, we believe that these children will improve considerably if they are educated.

However, as I mentioned earlier, it is necessary to give them a guiding light. The children are anxious about how long they will be kept on the island and where they will be taken when they are taken away, and this may cause them to run away from the island.

Recently, one company has approached me to negotiate for a continuous supply of students. Recently, I have been thinking of continuously sending children to that company. When I told the children about this, they were very happy and said, "Teacher, we won't run away anymore".

Keijo Nippo Reporter: How much of the Greater East Asia War do these children have in their minds?

Mr. Fujii: We put up maps in each dormitory and explain the war using the newspaper almost every morning and evening.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Mr. Masuda, could you tell us about the issue of teaching young students during their most important period of ideological development?

Mr. Masuda: According to a survey conducted by Mr. Itō, a prosecutor at the Prosecutor's Office, 40% of those with criminal records re-offend in a year. In other words, they are doing it again before six months have passed. Therefore, rather than just putting criminals in judicial protection, it is better to take a closer look at those who have just gotten out of prison. It would be more effective to take a closer look at those who have received probation. Still more effective would be to take a closer look at those who have received suspended indictments. This is what is said in general about those who receive judicial protection, and I think it is true. Speaking of prosecutions and trial sentences, in Korea, I think they should take this one step further and give greater recognition to the importance of judicial protection or public safety.

In the history of our rule over Korea, the Governor-General has always said that public safety comes first, even at meetings of the police chiefs. Recently, it seems to me that the government has gone so far as to put industry first. I think that while public safety and industry are important, I would like to see a little more serious consideration given to education, and they should cooperate with us more in this regard. Society's intellectuals criticize education and disparage educators. However, I would like them to think about the importance of education and be kind to educators.

Recently, all of us principals of specialized schools from Korea attended a meeting of principals of specialized schools in mainland Japan, and it was reported that only about 2% of the students in mainland Japan are Korean. However, the percentage of the total number of ideological criminal incidents in mainland Japan in which Korean students are involved is said to be over 50 percent, even though the number of Korean students in mainland Japan is very small. And when we look at who uses the Korean language, we find that those who have gone to school in mainland Japan tend to use the Korean language more. What we need to consider is that young people are innocent, perceptive, and have a strong sense of justice, and that we might be able to help them with our guidance. Up until now, we have been policing with a public safety first policy, but I think that society in general needs to ensure that education is truly thorough. I also think about the following:

When we were young, the concept of the rise and fall of a nation did not resonate in our minds as strongly as it does today. In this respect, today's youth are blessed. Therefore, I think that it is not good for educators to think in the old-fashioned way, but rather, they must work together with their students, taking one step or even a thousand steps forward, with the intention of leading their students. Training is fine, but I think the most important part of training is education. The more the young people put in the effort when they are young, the more they will become great.

Those who commit ideological crimes among the youth due to ideological problems are rounded up, tried, put in jail, and placed on probation when they get out. The bad ones who are not agreeable are placed in preventive detention centers. This is fine, but why don't we put more effort into educating young people?

Keijo Nippo Reporter: We have just talked about the spirit of determination in battle or enthusiasm of the students and the youth. Mr. Kojima, what are your thoughts about ideological problems in general?

Mr. Kojima, Director, Ideology Division, Korean Federation of National Power: First of all, we believe that the purpose of judicial protection is to prevent the creation of ideological criminals in the first place. Therefore, the national movement focuses on the purification of society or the establishment of a direct and positive national faith. In dealing with ideologies, we have not been able to extend our reach into the realm of morality. Therefore, we must establish a faith that penetrates more deeply into our daily lives, and of course, we must establish a national faith centering on Shinto shrines that is thoroughly grounded in the true meaning of the national identity. The most important way for the national movement to respond to the demands of the times is to direct the so-called joyous power that gushes out from the soul of the individual to the most efficient means of increasing the war potential and, in particular, production.

In this regard, while there is a need to improve the labor system, the fundamental emphasis is on the establishment of a view of Imperial labor. In other words, the current situation is that we are trying to establish our ideology from two aspects: the establishment of national consciousness and the establishment of this view of Imperial labor. We hope to create a better social environment from these two aspects, just as the pure flow of water has the power to purify.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-11

(End of Translation)

Korean-language article about the abuses at Seongam Academy, which apparently continued operating until 1982:

https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/area/capital/973160.html

Japanese-language article about the abuses at Seongam Academy:

https://japan.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/38522.html

This center memorializes the victims of Seongam Academy:

http://www.santiagomorilla.com/index.php?/mural-works/watermarks/

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年9月10日

司法保護を語る

本社主催座談会1

先ず家庭から錬成

両班層に多い思想犯

語る人　（順序不同）

• 総督府法務局長　早田福蔵氏
• 京城法学専門校長　増田道義氏
• 京城海軍武官府　西田少佐
• 京城覆審法院部長　大野憲光氏
• 京城保護観察所長　長崎祐三氏
• 法務局行刑課事務官　坂藤宇太郎氏
• 同刑事課事務官　宮崎保典氏
• 朝鮮聯盟思想課長　小島倭夫氏
• 仙甘学園　藤井祥一氏
• 弥栄青少年道場長　大久保真敬氏
• 本社側：　秋尾編輯局長　嶺社会部長

長くも『罪あらば我をとがめよ。天津神民はわが身の生みし子なれば』と仰せられた明治天皇の大御心を奉体して、一億総力に一人の落伍者を出すまいと、去る二日から全鮮的に司法保護運動が開かれ、来る十三日”司法保護記念日”を迎えるが、本社ではこの日を控えて二日京城竹添町旧オランダ領事官に”司法保護座談会”を開いた。

過って罪を犯した者が更生を誓って再び社会に出ようとするとき、世がこれを白眼視したら、せっかくの決意はどうなるだろう。それではいけない。温かい手をさしのべ精神的に物質的に激励して、再び罪を犯すことなく更に進んで国家有用の材として活動し得るように輔導し援助しよう。そして決戦下、人的資源の確保と国民生活の安定をはかろう。以下は司法保護事業に縁故ふかき指導層が叫ぶその声である。【写真＝座談会】

秋尾編輯局長：九月十三日及び十四日の両日、国民総力朝鮮聯盟及び朝鮮司法保護協会の主催で、全鮮に亘り司法保護運動が展開されることとなって居ります。本日はこの運動に魁けまして各位の司法保護に関する御意見を拝聴！戦時下人的資源の増強と銃後治安確保の重宝を担う司法保護事業の躍進に資したいと思うのであります。

戦争が深刻苛烈になって参りますと、司法保護事業のような地味な仕事は兎に角世間から忘れられがちであります。又生産の増強が刻下の急務でありますが、その基本的要素となる人的資源の増強に寄与する司法保護事業の重要さも未だ一般に理解されていないのであります。

半島における釈放者の数は年々多数に上っていると聞いております。これ等の人達が刑余の身なるが故に世間に容れられず無為に過ごしたり世間の冷遇によって再び罪を犯すことになれば、それだけ生産力は阻害されることとなるのであります。これらの者を温かく抱擁し正しく導いて更生させ、その能力を十分に発揮せしむるならば、啻に道義の昂揚を見るに止まらず、それだけ生産力の増強に役立つことになると信じます。

本社側：今秋尾編輯局長よりの話もありましたが、司法保護事業の所謂人的資源の開発という面、治安の確保という面及びそれ以外の色々な角度からこの運動について御意見を伺いたく思います。

長崎京城保護観察所長：その人的資源が一番戦力増強の根本であります。これは人間が役立つのには十八にならぬと駄目だと言いますが、保護の対象者は大概青年連中の曲がったのを直すだけで人的資源に役立つ故に戦争中なればこそ司法保護が要ると思います。

その次は治安の確保という問題で戦争中若しも思想犯の一人一人に警察官が尾行したならば、全鮮で思想関係者だけでも三万おりますから三万の警察官が必要である。これを保護し、そうして一人でも警察に引っ張られないようにすることは大した仕事じゃないかと思います。

第三としては、これらの連中を生産方面に使って行く。之等思想犯というものは、殊に朝鮮の思想犯というのは口ばかりですから、我々保護観察所では大和塾を通じて理屈は抜きにして国家の要求する仕事は何でもやれということで授産の方面に力を注いで居ります。

思想関係者を保護した結果、どんな風な状況かと申せば保護観察所が出来ましたのは昭和十一年の十二月でしたが、その頃までは思想関係者が刑務所を出たならば一割乃至二割まで逆転して再び刑務所にはいるという状態であったのが、保護観察所が出来て保護すると五十人に一人も逆転向する者がないようになった。併し今までは思想運動をやらぬというだけの消極的なものであったのが、単に思想運動をやらぬのみならず進んで日本人として国家のために尽くすというようになって居ります。これは司法保護の勝利ではないかと思います。

しかも朝鮮では彼等は内鮮一体の急先鋒として大和塾を通じて国語普及をやっております。彼等も必ずや天皇陛下万歳を叫んで死んで行くだろう確信しております。

本社側：大体思想的な動きを見る年齢は若いわけですね。

長崎氏：まあ中学の三年頃からですね。二十から三十まで、これが六割以上でしょう。

本社側：その若い時代を如何にして堅実に導くか言い換えればどうして皇民化するかという問題について．．．

長崎氏：私は先ず朝鮮の家庭の錬成にあると思う。例えば朝鮮で学生時代に民族主義運動をやったような連中を調べたところが割合に相当の家柄の旧韓国時代の両班階層の子弟に多いらしい。それは家庭の中で旧韓国時代であったならば自分達はもっと幸福な生活が出来たというような不平をいう。それを知らず識らずの間に聞いておって、こんな運動をやるようになる。それから青年がそういう運動に走るのは、朝鮮の昔と現在のことを知らん、旧韓国時代に如何に彼等が統治者から圧迫されたかということをよく知らん。もう一つは世界の大勢がどんなだったか、これら半島人に希望を与えることです。それから私の考えでは、よくやる者は本当に可愛がって引っ張って行ってやる。その代わり、やらん者は徹底的に弾圧するというようにして行かなければならぬと思う。

佐藤保護課長：二、三日前の統計ですが、朝鮮の予防拘禁所にはいっている最も悪い連中を調べたところが、三十歳から四十歳迄が三分の二です。その辺が一番思想的に悪いということになるんでしょう。

早田法務局長：今の家庭が悪いということについて最近聞いた話ですが、朝鮮でも上流の家庭の子供が今思想犯で刑務所にはいっていますが、その男はそう悪くはないのです。ところが本人の云うところによれば、自分の家庭に出入りする者がみんな思想的に変なことをいう連中ばかりだったから、自分もそうならざるを得なかったというようなことを云っている。そういうように興味を持って自然そうなって来るのですね。だから家庭というものが大事ですね。

本社側：弥栄青少年道場にどんな風な人が集まっておりますか。

大久保真敏氏：最近少年審判所から犯罪少年を十名ばかり頂いておりまして、その前に貧困児を十名ばかり収容して居りますが、私の方は報国教育をみっちりやらすことにして、五月からは特に朝の神祠参拝などを奨励しまして、晩に祖先の崇拝並びに般若心経のようなものを読ませまして、特にそれを翻訳して聞かせておりますが、最近非常によくなったようです。ただ遺憾なことには半島の子供は内地の子供と較べて非常に物質的に長じて居りまして、現在二名の内地人の子供が混ざっておりますが、内地の子供はただ言われたままに一生懸命にやっております。ところが半島の子供は、すぐこれだけ外で働けばこれだけの収入があると打算するらしいのです。

本社側：思想犯罪者もおりますか。

大久保氏：現在のところ、おりませんが、多少皆そうした傾向はもって居ります。

京城日報　1943年9月11日

司法保護を語る

本社主催座談会2

前途に”光”を与えよ

感じ易い思想発生期の年頃

本社側：仙甘島は思想というより、その前期あたりでしょうね。

藤井祥一氏：あの子供達はそういう意志はありませんね。みんな腹一杯食えばいいという連中ばかりです。

本社側：やはり思想前期の者でも、その儘放って置いたら大変なことになるというところに仙甘島の事業もあると思うのですが。

藤井氏：そうです。仙甘島には現在二百五十名。その中で国民学校に通学しておった者が約六十名で、あとは全部不就学の子供ばかりです。したがって国語を解する者も二百五十名中百人内外で最近国語常用を目指して起っておりますので、今は誰方が来られても聞くことは誰でも出来ます。それから浮浪児ばかりですから、一体どういう性質を持っているということが職員全体の不安であり、半面興味でもあったのですが、質が非常にいいのにびっくりしました。ですから二百五十名の中で、先ず二百名位までは普通の子供であって、決して異常児ではない。適当な指導さえ与えれば、ある程度の進展は十分に遂げられるものだという見透しがついております。殆どが普通児であります。普通児が環境からそういう風になったのでありますから、この種の子供は教育すれば相当よくなるものと思われます。

ただ先程もお話が出ましたように、光明を与えるという点が必要です。子供は俺達は一体何時までここに置かれるのだろう、出されるときは何処に出されるのだろう、かという不安の念を持っているために島を逃げ出すような気持ちも起って来るのであります。

最近非常に都合のいいことに、某会社から連続的に生徒を呉れないかという交渉を持ちかけて来ましたのです。最近その会社にあたって続々出そうと思っております。この話を薄々子供に話しましたところが、非常に喜びまして『先生もう逃げません』というようなことを言っております。

本社側：そんな子供達は大東亜戦争というものをどれ位心に持っているのですか。

藤井氏：各寮に地図を掲げて殆ど朝晩新聞によって説明してやりますし、また朝会などで戦争認識をうんと注ぎこんでおりますが、勝たなければならないということはみんな考えているようです。

本社側：そこで一番重要時期である思想発生期に於ける青年学生の教学という問題について増田先生一つ。

増田法専校長：検事局におられた伊藤検事さんの調査に依ると一年に犯罪前科者の四十％が再犯を犯している。つまり半年経たぬ中にまたやっているということになる。それでただ犯罪人を保護するよりも刑務所から出たての者をよく見た方がよい。それよりもまだ効き目のよいのは執行猶予を受けた者。それよりも有効なのは起訴猶予を受けた者。こういうように一般保護の方で言われているのですが、成程そうだと思います。更にこれは検事と裁判行刑、保護になるわけですが、もう一歩進めて保護が大事である、或いは治安が大事であるということを朝鮮でもう少し認識してもらいたいのです。

従来の朝鮮の統治の歴史を見ると治安第一ということを警察署長会議でも総督から言われる。或いは最近では産業第一であるというところまで進んで来ているように思う。私は治安も産業も大事であるが、もう少し教育というものを真面目に考えて我々と協力してもらいたいと思う。世の中の識者は教育を批判したり教育者を軽蔑したりする。けれども、教育の大事なことを考えて教育者に対し親身になってもらいたい。

先般内地の専門学校長会議に我々朝鮮の専門学校長が全部参りましたが、その時の話では内地に居る朝鮮人学生はその二パーセント位しかない。ところが、その少ない朝鮮の学生が内地の思想事件において、どの位の数を占めているかというと五十パーセントを超えているそうです。朝鮮の方はどういう状態かというと非常に少ない。それから朝鮮語を使う状態を調べて見ると、これも内地の学校に行っておった連中に多い。我々が考えなければならないことは若い者は純真で鋭敏で正義感が強いから我々の導きようでどうにでもなるものではないかということで、今まで治安第一主義で取り締まりに主眼を置いていたが、教育の真の徹底を社会全般がはからねばならぬと思うのです。それと共に思うことは、

我々の若い時には国家の興亡というものが今日の青年ほど頭にピンと響かなかった。其の点今の青年は恵まれている。したがって教育者も昔流儀の考えでおったのでは駄目なんで、生徒と一緒に一歩でも千歩でも飛び出して生徒を引っ張ってやるというような気持ちでやって行かなければならんのじゃないかと思う。錬成ということも結構ですが、錬成の中で最も本筋なものは教育ではないかと思う。青年は柔らかい時に気合を入れれば入れただけ立派になる。

青年の中で思想問題で思想犯を冒した連中は検挙して裁判をして刑務所に入れて出たら保護観察に附す。そうして工合の悪い奴は予防拘禁所に入れる。これも結構ですが、何故もっと若い青少年の教育に力を入れて呉れないのか。

本社側：今学生層とか青少年に対する決戦気魄というか、熱意というようなことについてお話しがありましたが、一般の思想問題については小島さんどうぞ。

小島朝鮮聯盟思想課長：先ず思想犯人を造らないことが司法保護だと考えます。そこで国民運動は社会の浄化運動或いは直接積極的な国民信仰確立というような点に重点を置きます。どうも思想などを取り扱いますのに、その限界を道徳的なところまで拡げ得られないというような處がありますので、もう少し生活に食い入った信仰、勿論国体の本義に透徹して神社を中心とするところの国民信仰の確立にすべての基準を置いて、これが確立には個人の魂を錬成し、その魂から迸り出ずるところの所謂歓喜の力を最も効率あらしむるように、これを戦力増強就中生産の増強に向けることが国民運動として最も大切な時局の要請に応ずる途ではないかと思います。

その点に関しましては勤労制度の改善ということもありますが、根本として皇国勤労観の確立ということに、その重点を置いております。即ち国民意識の確立とこの皇国勤労観の確立の二つの面から思想の確立をはかっているのが現状です。その清らかな流れが浄化力を持っているように、この二つの方面からよりよき社会環境を造り出したいと念願しております。