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日本の偉人よどこにありや

Where are the great men of Japan?

日本は自由の何たるかを理解した人々に依って強大を致したのである。

Japan was made strong by people who understood the meaning of freedom.

「国家の独立はその国民の独立より」と喝破した福澤諭吉氏。

Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of the Japanese national independence movement, said, "The independence of a nation is dependent on the independence of its people.

その著書「思想と人格」において自由の定義を下した深作安文博士、多年議会政治の闘士として令名を馳せた尾崎行雄氏、刺客に襲はれた時「板垣死すとも自由は死せず。」と絶叫した板垣退助氏。

Dr. Yasufumi Fukasaku, who defined freedom in his book "Thought and Character," Yukio Ozaki, a long-time fighter for parliamentary politics, and Taisuke Itagaki, who exclaimed when attacked by assassins, "Itagaki may die, but liberty will never perish!”

この人達によって昔の日本には「自由の国家のみがその強大を致し得る。」という事実がよく理解されていた。

The fact that "only a free nation can be powerful" was well understood by these people in old Japan.

昭和十一年に尾崎行雄氏が「世界の趨勢に逆行し軍国主義の旧弊を固守しあたかもそれは国にもっとも忠なる所以であるが如く考えることは決して国に忠でもなくまた自らを愛する所以でもない。」と叫び得たのが恐らく最後であらう。

In 1936, Yukio Ozaki exclaimed, "To go against the trend of the world, to adhere to the old ways of militarism, and to think as if this is the reason for being most loyal to one's country, is neither loyalty to one's country nor love for oneself. This was probably the last time he was able to shout, "I am not loyal to my country, nor do I love myself.

軍閥がその発言の自由を拘束し荒木の如き人間が日本を軍事的敗北に導いたのである。

The Gunbatsu restrained his freedom of speech, and men like Sadao Araki led Japan to military defeat.

現在の事態は日本を破滅に導いた軍部指導者達の採った理論が誤謬であって尾崎行雄氏の如き人々が正当であった事を立派に証明している。

The current situation proves that the theories adopted by the military leaders who led Japan to ruin were mistaken and that people like Yukio Ozaki were justified.

言論の自由を自由主義政府とを再び確立することが、日本の将来を保証し得る唯一の道である。

Re-establishing freedom of speech with a liberal government is the only way to guarantee Japan's future.