<論説>東方会の展開

Abstract

本稿は先に発表した「東方会の成立」 (『史林』第六一巻四号) をうけて、東方会のその後の展開を追ったものである。東方会は、「満州事変」を機に既成政党を離れた少数の代議士によってつくられた国家主義政党であるが、日中戦争下において徐々に大衆運動に力点を置く運動体へと変容していった。その契機となったのは、人民戦線事件後の二・三年間にみられた無産運動家の流入という現象であった。彼らの流入によって東方会の組織は複雑な構成をもつようになったが、一面ではその大衆政党化を促進したのである。解体状況にある無産勢力の吸収によって組織の拡大強化をはかるという戦術は社大党との合同工作においてその頂点に達する。本稿は右の過程を明らかにするとともに、東方会が実際に展開した唯一の大衆運動である、排英－親枢軸外交政策の確立や「南進断行」を政府に要求した一連の排外運動 (一九三九－四一年) の推移と役割を考察しようとするものである。

The Toho-Kai was one of the Japanese nationalist parties in the 30's. The principal aim of this article is to examine the movement of the party from 1937 to 1941. It was founded in 1936 by several members of the Diet who had belonged to the progressive group of the Minsei-To (民政党) in the 20's. In the period of the 'Manchurian cricis' they broke away from it and came to advocate social-natoinalism instead of their former parliamentalism. Stimulated by the military revolt in Feb. 1936, they formed a small party. They were also much influencd by European fascism, especially by the Nazis. Under the Sino-Japanese War Toho-kai asserted that it was the 'sacred mission' of Japan to 'liberate' China from European imperialism and set up 'New Order' in the West Asia. It inspired anti-British feeling into the people and called enthusiastically for the military alliance with Germany and Italy. After the outbreak of the War in Europe, it came to demand occupying Indo-China and Indonesia and sought to mobilize public opinion to put pressure upon the government. Through a series of the chauvinistic movements Toho-Kai grew into the one of the largest parties in the Right wing. There was another factor in this development. It was the inflow of many 'converts' into the party from proletarian movements after the 'Jinmin-Sensen Incident'(人民戦線事件), the suppression to Japanese anti-fascism movements. It was characteristic of Toho-Kai holding many former leftists in its members. In Feb. 1939 it attempted to unite with 'Shakai-Taishu To' (社会大衆党) , the only remaining socialist party under the Sino-Japanese war. Though this attempt ended in failure, it indicated that Toho-Kai made it its tactics to absorb socialists who were in confusion and disorder in the war time.