Asian Revolutionary: The Life of Sen Katayama

381 Pages·1964·10.232 MB·English

by  Hyman Kublin

C O N T E N T S
Preface ix
Prologue 3
I. THE ANCESTRAL LINE 7
II. THE YOUTHFUL YEARS 15
III. LIFE IN TOKYO 33
IV. STRUGGLE IN AMERICA 47
V. COLLEGE DAYS IN IOWA 60
VI. ANDOVER AND YALE 75
VII. HOME-COMING 88
VIII. LABOR ORGANIZER 105
IX. SOCIALIST AGITATOR 129
X. PACIFISM AND WAR 157
XI. THE LONELY YEARS 184
XII. ONCE MORE AMERICA 213
XIII. THE END OF SOCIALISM 235
XIV. TOWARD BOLSHEVISM 261
XV. WITH THE COMMUNIST
INTERNATIONAL 288
XVI. NO FURTHER ROADS 316
Epilogue 337
Selected Bibliography 341
Index 363

PREFA CE
Sen Katayama is somewhat distinctive in the history of
modem revolution. A rebel from his adolescent years,
he devoted his entire adult life of almost half a century to
social struggle. His career ultimately mirrored the entire
spectrum of social-political radicalism in modem Japan. First
upholding Christian Socialism, he gradually shifted his loyal­
ties to Marxism and finally to revolutionary Communism.
Many notable achievements have been ascribed to Kata­
yama. In his home land he is known as a pioneer in the social
movement, a founder of professional social work, and a
leader of the early trade-union movement. He is also remem­
bered as the editor of Japan’s first labor newspaper, as an
organizer of his country’s initial Social Democratic Party, as
Japan’s first Bolshevik, and as an active force in the creation
of the Japan Communist Party. In the final years of his life
he was a member of the Executive Committee and Praesidium
of the Communist International.
No really satisfactory biography of Katayama has yet been
written. The Japanese revolutionary was a wanderer. About
two-thirds of his adult years were spent in the United States,
Western Europe, Mexico, and Soviet Russia. To follow his trail
during his periods of prominence and obscurity is a stagger­
ing and frequently frustrating task. And the prospect of a
search for his voluminous writings and personal records,
which are scattered about in the libraries, institutions, and
private collections of three continents, has been enough to
cool die ardor of his most devoted students and admirers.
Probably the most difficult problem in writing a biography
of Katayama is to reconstruct the first thirty-five years of his
life. Though he prepared an Autobiography covering the
period Rom 1860 to about 1900, it is replete with inaccura­
cies and gaps. Most of his Japanese biographers have unfor­
tunately been content not only to accept this lengthy docu-
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P R E FA C E
ment at its face value but also to desist from searching out
necessary supplementary materials. This neglect is epitomized
by die publication in Japan, on the occasion of die centennial
of Katayama’s birth, of a two-volume biography which omits
the first half of his life!
In my own study of the "father of Asian Communism” I
have attempted to give more than usual attention to Kata­
yama’s early years as well as to his later and more easily
documented political career. This approach reflects not only
my own scholarly scruples but my personal "philosophy” of
the nature and purpose of biography. By its very etymology
biography is the writing of the life of a human being. While
due regard must be paid to the historical context in which
the life of one’s subject unfolds, there is always the danger of
forgetting that the tree in the forest is nonetheless a tree.
A second characteristic, which doubtiess distinguishes my
account of Katayama from most, probably all, other biograph­
ical studies, particularly the Japanese and Russian, is that I
have no political axe to grind. If I have exploded ideological
myths and fabrications which are widely current, I have
also sought to accord Katayama his meed of praise. His life,
as I have sought to reconstruct it, was suffidentiy extraordi­
nary. As a subject of biography he holds, I believe, greater
intrinsic interest as he was and not as his political eulogists
would prefer him to have been.
A book which has taken so long to complete calls for ex­
tensive acknowledgements of assistance. If I do not explidtly
express my thanks to all the friends who have helped me,
there are, however, some indications of appreciation which
I would like to record.
To my wife as well as to Michael and Barbara the name
of Katayama has literally become a household word. Three
pillars of patience and forbearance, they have heard every
word of this book read aloud several times. Responding to a
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P R E FA C E
call over and above die requirements of family duty, their
excellent suggestions pervade the entire volume.
Among Japanese friends it is with pleasure that I make
known the long and steadfast help of Mr. Doi Takuji of Oka­
yama City. Teacher, scholar, and editor, he assisted me in my
research for many years. Despite his delicate health, he pains­
takingly searched for records of Katayama and his family. If
much new data about the Japanese revolutionary’s ancestors,
family, and childhood years are embodied in this biography,
die credit is largely his.
I remember also the many courtesies of other friends in
Okayama City. Mr. Yoshii Sumi of die Japan-America Cul­
tural Center generously shared with me his wonderfully rich
knowledge of die history and lore of the Okayama area. No
less memorable was the time passed with Mr. Tsunoda Hisa-
tsune, "die youngest old man in Okayama,” who guided me
about on die trail of Katayama. And no scholar, and a
stranger to boot, could not be touched by the warm hospital­
ity of Katayama’s descendants in Hadeki and thereabouts.
They kindly permitted me to examine materials on Katayama
from their own extensive but unpublished collections.
Of friends elsewhere in Japan I must single out for grateful
mention Professor Irimajiri Yoshinaga of Waseda University,
my “host associate” during a Fulbright year. At Waseda, too,
Professor Toba Kin’ichiro and Professor Kobayashi Masayuki
were ceaselessly on the alert for ways and means to advance
my research. And Waseda will always enjoy a warm spot in
my heart because of its unrivaled policy of international
scholarly liaison fostered by President Ohama Nobuo, Dean
Nakashima Shoshin, and Dr. Kitazawa Shinjirö, former Dean
of the Graduate School of Commerce and currently President
of Tokyo Keizai Daigaku.
Still other colleagues in Japan whose aid I valued are Pro­
fessors Ököchi Kazuo and öuchi Tsutomu of Tokyo Univer­
sity; Professor Nakamura Kikuo and Mr. Nakamura Katsu-
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P R E FA C E
non of Keio University; and Mr. Kanö Masamichi. Mr. Nishi­
mura Iwao of the Fulbright Commission in Japan and Mr.
Kajita Ichiro of the Exchange of Persons Brandi of the Amer­
ican Embassy in Tokyo were also unfailingly solicitous of my
many needs.
In the United States I am under heavy obligation to Pro­
fessor G. L. Thornton, Registrar of Grinnell College. The
search which he conducted at my request for records of Kata-
yama not only brought to light much invaluable information
but also spared me considerable labor and time. His constant
concern to provide me with a full and accurate record I deem
an act of rare professional courtesy.
At Brooklyn College I have over the years been strongly
encouraged by many of my colleagues. I owe a double
measure of thanks to Professor William R. Gaede, Dean of
Faculty Emeritus, who was always ready to help a young
scholar over the rough spots and to protect him against his
own follies. Dr. Harry D. Gideonse, President of the College,
Professor Walter S. Mais, Dean of Faculty, and Professor Rex
Hopper, Chairman of the College Area Studies Committee,
were invariably generous in their allocation of time and re­
sources for my research.
Among scholars at various American universities it is a
pleasure to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Hugh Borton,
now President of Haverford College; Professor Ardath Burks
of Rutgers; Professor John K. Fairbank of Harvard; Professor
Roger Hackett of Michigan; Professor John Hall of Yale;
Professor Paul Langer of Southern California; Professor Ed­
win O. Reischauer of Harvard; and Professor Robert E.
Ward of Michigan. Few scholars engaged in research on the
Far East in this country have ever been able to escape obli­
gation to Dr. Howard Linton, Director of the East Asian
Library at Columbia. Though I troubled him too often, I
presumed correctly that our friendship would stand the
strain.
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P R E F A C E
For several years my research assistant, Mr. Kil-young Zo,
was a source of strength to me. My son Michael was of im­
mense help in the checking of a bibliography that ever
threatened to get out of hand. I am deeply appreciative of the
assistance of Miss R. Miriam Brokaw and, especially, of Mrs.
Polly Hanford of Princeton University Press who did wonders
in transforming a bulky manuscript into a book.
The study of Katayama’s life has necessitated considerable
travel in the United States and Japan. For financial backing
and other assistance I must express my heartfelt appreciation
to the United States Fulbright Commission which enabled
me to spend the academic year 1955-1956 in Japan; to the
Carnegie Corporation of New York whose support of Area
Studies at Brooklyn College benefited me in countless ways
in the pursuit of my research; and to the Social Science Re­
search Council and the American Council of Learned Socie­
ties for a grant-in-aid of Asian studies which permitted me
to bring this biography to its conclusion.
My final but by no means least hearty profession of grati­
tude is for Mrs. Gilda Koeppel. From the beginning she not
only “adopted” this book and typed the entire manuscript
but also gave it the impress of her intelligence and
precision. This published volume is my note of thanks to her.
My acknowledgement of the assistance of many institu­
tions, organizations, and individuals should not be construed
as involvement of them in responsibility for the facts and
opinions presented in this book. If need be, no one but me
should be called to account.
July 5 ,1963 Hyman Kublin
Brooklyn, New York
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