The Ashida Hitoshi Cabinet - Ashida Hitoshi Cabinet

(March 10, 1948 - October 15, 1948, Showa 23)
A three-party coalition government of the Democratic Party, Japan Socialist Party, and National Cooperative Party, headed by Democratic Party Chairman Ashida Kinuki, was a centrist government. After the resignation of the Katayama Tetsu cabinet, the opposition Japan Liberal Party demanded a new leader, and conflicts within the Democratic Party, Socialist Party, and National Cooperative Party were also involved. After a complex maneuver to gain a majority, the House of Representatives nominated Ashida and the House of Councilors nominated Yoshida Shigeru (Japan Liberal Party). The conference of both houses failed to reach an agreement, and Ashida was selected under Article 67, paragraph 2 of the Constitution. The financial world and the Government Bureau of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ) supported the move, but public opinion polls showed low support. The Ashida cabinet made economic reconstruction through the introduction of foreign capital the basis of its policies. This was a response to the shift in the American occupation policy towards Japan, which aimed to make Japan the factory of Asia. For this reason, the GHQ used its power to suppress the March struggle centered on the Japan Post Post Office, and in response to the MacArthur letter, promulgated Cabinet Order No. 201, which took away civil servants' right to strike, and other policies were implemented to quell the labor offensive. During this time, members of both the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party continued to leave the party, and when cabinet ministers including Nishio Suehiro were arrested in the Showa Denko Scandal, they all resigned.

[Akira Miyazaki]

"Tomita Nobuo, 'Ashida Administration: 223 Days' (1992, Gyoken)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

（1948.3.10～1948.10.15　昭和23）
民主党総裁芦田均を首班とする民主党、日本社会党、国民協同党の三党連立中道内閣。片山哲(かたやまてつ)内閣総辞職後、野党の日本自由党は首班を要求、民主・社会・国協各党内の対立も絡み、複雑な多数派工作のすえ、衆議院が芦田を、参議院が吉田茂（日本自由党）を指名、両院協議会でもまとまらず、憲法第67条2項により芦田が選ばれた。財界やGHQ（連合国最高司令部）民政局はそれを支持したが、世論調査での支持率は低かった。芦田内閣は外資導入による経済再建を政策の基本とした。それは、日本をアジアの工場にしようとするアメリカの対日占領政策の転換に即応していた。そのため全逓を中心とする三月闘争をGHQの力で抑え、マッカーサー書簡を受けて公務員の争議権を奪う政令二〇一号を公布するなど、労働攻勢を鎮める政策をとった。この間、民主、社会両党とも離党者が続出し、昭電疑獄事件で西尾末広ら閣僚が逮捕されるに及び総辞職した。

［宮﨑　章］

『富田信男著『芦田政権・二二三日』（1992・行研）』

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