Army dispatch and firing    Latter half

　鉱夫らが軍隊に対抗してダイナマイト（福岡県峰地炭鉱）、爆弾（山口県宇部炭鉱）を使用したと陸軍は捏造した。この捏造は今日でも歴史的事実として記述される現状があり、具体的な例からみてみる。

《成田龍一『大正デモクラシー』（岩波新書）８６頁》

「宇部炭鉱では（中略）ダイナマイトが用いられたという記事もみられる。」

管理者から岩波書店新書編集部への問い合わせと経過。（最終更新2019.8.9）

（１）管理者は岩波書店新書編集部に「ダイナマイトが用いられたという記事もみられる」

の記述の典拠（新聞名・日付）を7月14日付郵便で問合せた。

（２）管理者の問い合わせに対し岩波書店新書編集部からメールで回答がある（2019.7.30）。成田氏は、典拠を示すことができず、記載の誤りを認める。

（３）岩波書店編集部はメール（２）で回答した「お知らせ」を以て管理者に理解を求めた。しかし、メールの内容が説明不足のため、管理者は、さらなる説明と公的な訂正を求めてメールで返信をし、再度問合せた（2019.8.2）。

（４）岩波書店新書編集部から、管理者の携帯電話に連絡（2019.8.7.11:23）があり、当該部分は重版の際に成田氏が書き換えを行うと伝えられた。どのように書き換えられるかは不明であるが注視したいと考える。

  The Army forged that miners used dynamite (Minezi coal mine, Fukuoka Prefecture) and bombs (Ube coal mine, Yamaguchi Prefecture) to counter the army. This fabrication still exists today as a historical fact, so let's look at a concrete example.

" Narita Ryuichi"Taisho Democracy" (Iwanami Shinsho) 86 pages"

"There is also an article that dynamite was used at Ube Coal Mine."

Inquiries from the administrator to the Iwanami Shoten Shinsho editorial department and their progress. (Last update 2019.8.9)

(1)The administrator made an inquiry to the Iwanami Shoten Shinsho editorial department for the authority (newspaper name/date) of the description of "the article that dynamite was used" by post on July 14.

(2) Iwanami Shoten's new book editorial department responded by email to the administrator's inquiry (2019.7.30). Mr. Narita cannot show the authority and acknowledges the error in the description.

(3) The new book editorial department of Iwanami Shoten asked the administrator for understanding through the "Notification" that was answered by email (2). However, due to lack of explanation in the email, the administrator replied by email for further explanation and official correction, and inquired again (2019.8.2).

(4) The Iwanami Shoten's new book editorial department contacted the administrator's mobile phone (2019.8.7.11:23), and it was reported that Mr. Narita would rewrite this part in case of reprinting. It is unclear how it will be rewritten, but I would like to pay attention.

《参考》

成田龍一『大正デモクラシー』シリーズ日本近現代史④　岩波新書　２００７年第１刷　８６頁

　「九州・中国地方では、炭鉱の暴動が次々に報じられた。宇部炭鉱では、六月来、賃金増を要求していたが、八月十六日に「暴動起り、工（ママ）夫人夫等約四千名米商其他の商店を襲い、更に宇部署を破壊し、電信電話線を切り、更に炭坑（ママ）事務所、炭坑（ママ）主任宅等に放火し、同町遊郭を襲いて灰燼に帰せしめたり」と市街地での騒動となった（『東京日日新聞』八月一九日）。ダイナマイトが用いられたという記事もみられる。」

 "Reference"

Narita Ryuichi "Taisho Democracy" Series Modern Japanese History ④ Iwanami Shinsho 2007 1st edition, page 86 

  "In the Kyushu and Chugoku regions, riots of coal mines were reported one after another. At the Ube coal mine, demand for wage increases has been requested since June, but on August 16th, “The riot occurred, the miners etc. approximately 4,000 people attacked the rice commerce and other stores, destroyed Ube police station, cut telegraph telephone line, further set fire to coal mine office, coal mine clerk chief's house, etc. They attacked the Yukaku area of the town and set it on fire to ash." In this way, it became the riot in the city ("Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun" August 19th). There is also an article that dynamite was used. " 

　成田のダイナマイトの記述に加え、『東京日日新聞』の記事も正確ではない。前記の記事は「山口電報」をソースにしているが、宇部炭鉱の労働争議が騒動化したのは８月１７日午後７時頃であり、市街地に拡大したのは、午後８時３０分から９時頃のことである。記事の「８月１６日」は誤りである。

　次に、鉱夫等の群集は宇部署に押しかけたが、釈放の要求をするためで、宇部署は破壊していない。また、電信電話線を切った事実も確認できない。電話は通じており、宇部に出動した軍隊、警察は山口町の連隊、県庁と電話で密接に連携していた。

　また、鉱夫等による放火は、全焼が遊郭３軒、富豪納屋１棟、旧炭坑納屋１棟である。その他にも、遊郭や炭鉱の保安係長（大棟梁）宅で放火があったが、消し止められている。炭鉱内の事務所・仕入れ店・食堂等の建物に放火した例はなく、「炭坑事務所」に放火したという記事は誤っている。

当時、宇部村には『宇部時報』、山口町に『防長新聞』（米騒動時に宇部村に特派員派遣）、下関市に『馬關毎日新聞』（米騒動時に宇部村に特派員派遣）、『關門日日新聞』がありました。これらの新聞が事実を正確に伝えている。

   In addition to the description of Narita's dynamite, the article in "Tokyo Nichiichi Shimbun" is not accurate. The above article is based on "Yamaguchi Telegram", but the labor dispute of the Ube coal mine became a turmoil about 7:00 pm on August 17.  when it spread to the urban area about from 8:30 pm to 9 o'clock. The article "August 16" is incorrect. 

  Next, a crowd of miners and others rushed to Ube police station, but it was not destroyed because they requested release of fellow only. Moreover, the fact that the telephone line was cut cannot be confirmed. Telephones were available, and the troops dispatched to Ube and the police were in close contact with the regiment and the prefectural office in Yamaguchi Town by telephone. 

The arson by miners, etc. was completely burned down in 3 houses of Yukaku, 1 rich barn and 1 old coal mine barn.

  In addition, there was an arson in the house in the Yukaku and the house of the coal miner's security officers ("Otoryo"), but it had been extinguished the fire. There is no example of arson in offices, goods sales store, canteens, etc. in coal mines, and the article that arson to "coal mine office" is incorrect. 

At that time, there was  the "Ube ziho" in Ube Village, the "Bocho Shimbun" in Yamaguchi Town (a correspondent was dispatched to Ube Village during the rice riot), the "BaKan Mainichi Shinbun" in Shimonoseki City (a correspondent was dispatched to Ube Village during the rice riot), and the "Kanmon Nichinichi Shimbun" in Shimonoseki City. There are newspapers, and these newspapers convey facts accurately.

《重版による訂正》　

重版がいつ発行されるか不明ですが、発行され次第、訂正版を記載します。2019.8.16

<Correction by reprint>

It is unknown when the reprint will be issued, but as soon as it is issued, the correction edition will be listed on the HP.

2020.6.2

　成田龍一は近現代史の第一人者です。記述は宇部炭鉱の鉱夫がダイナマイトを使用したと推察させるので、読者はダイナマイトの使用を歴史的事実と受け止めてしまう。

　しかし、成田は鉱夫がダイナマイトを使用したことを記載した典拠を示していない。こうして、典拠となった史料の検討をしないまま、ダイナマイトの使用が歴史的事実化されてきました。

　炭坑では坑道の掘進や炭層を崩すために発破（ダイナマイトや火薬を使用）をする。このため、鉱夫がダイナマイトを持ち出して使用することはありそうな話だと思ってしまう。実際には、ダイナマイトは厳重に管理されている。さらに言えば、宇部炭鉱は海底炭鉱で炭層がもろかったため、この当時、発破は採炭に用いず、掘進にのみに使用していた。 

  Narita Ryuichi is a leading figure in modern history.   Since the description is suggested that the miners of the Ube Coal Mine used dynamite, so readers take it as a historical fact.

  However, Narita does not provide the authority to describe that miners used dynamite.  Thus, the use of dynamite has become a historical fact without any examination of the historical source material.

  In a coal mine, blasting (using dynamite and explosives) to dig a tunnel or break the coal bed.  For this reason, readers assume that miners are likely to bring out and use dynamite.  In reality, dynamite is strictly controlled.  Furthermore, since the Ube coal mine was a submarine mine and had a fragile coal seam, the blast was not used for mining at that time, but was used only for digging of mine tunnel.

　 権威ある岩波新書は宇部の米騒動でダイナマイトが使われたという歴史的事実を作り出しました。読者が権威を信頼することで歴史的事実が生み出されていく典型的な例です。

　こうして誤った歴史的事実が一般に広まり、宇部の鉱夫はダイナマイトを使ったのだから射殺されたのは止むを得ないという歴史認識が作られてきたのです。

　成田は鉱夫が爆弾を投げたという陸軍の談話を信じてしまいました。歴史の真実は、鉱夫の射殺を正当化するために、陸軍は鉱夫が爆弾を投げたとねつ造したのです。

  The prestigious Iwanami Shinsho created the historical fact that dynamite was used in Ube rice riot.  This is a typical example of how historical facts are created when readers trust their authority.

  In this way, false historical facts became widespread, and historical recognition was made that Ube miners used dynamite and that it was unavoidable to be shot dead.

  Narita believed the Army's discourse that the miner threw a bomb.  The truth of history is that in order to justify the shooting of miners, the Army has forged that miners threw bombs.

〇ウィキペディア「1918米騒動」の項目のこれまでの記載内容と管理者による訂正。

「炭坑への飛び火」

　「８月１７日以降には、米騒動は山口県や北九州の炭坑騒動へ飛び火する。山口県沖の山炭坑、福岡県峰地炭坑などにおいて、炭坑夫の賃上げ要求が暴動に転化した。沖の山炭坑の騒動は付近住民を加えた数千人規模の騒動に発展し、米問屋、屋敷の打ち毀しや遊郭への放火などが起こった。出動した軍隊に対してもダイナマイトで対抗するなど、死者１３名を数える惨事となった。」（太字は管理者による。）

　ウィキペディアでは、「軍隊に対してもダイナマイトで対抗する」と歴史的事実として記述されている。状況を説明する記述がないため、読者は考えることができないにもかかわらず、軍隊に危険が迫ったから発砲し、１３名の死者が出た惨事になったと思ってしまう。

　ダイナマイト（福岡県峰地炭鉱）・爆弾（山口県宇部炭鉱）を投げて軍隊に対抗したため陸軍が実包発射したというのは、陸軍が実包発射を正当化するためのねつ造であった。鉱夫が爆弾を投げて危険なので発砲したという歴史が作られれば、それは陸軍の思惑通りの歴史となる。

　前記のウィキペディアの記載部分は2018年8月に管理者が訂正・追記をおこなった。

 〇Wikipedia "1918 rice riot" item description so far and correction by the administrator.

  "The rice riot led to coal mine riot" 

  "After August 17, the rice riot led to the coal mine riots in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Kitakyushu.   At Okinoyama Coal Mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Minechi Coal Mine in Fukuoka Prefecture, demand for wage increases by coal mine miners turned into riots.  The riot in Okinoyama Coal Mine mine developed into a riot of thousands of people, including local residents, causing the destruction of rice wholesalers, mansions, and arson to the amusement park etc.  Throwing a dynamite against the dispatched army to counter it, it became a tragedy that counted 13 dead. (Bold letters are added by the administrator.） 

  In Wikipedia, it is described as a historical fact that "the dynamite is used to counter the army."  The reader cannot not think because there is no description to explain the situation, and the reader think that the army was fired because the army had been in danger, and 13 people were killed. 

  The story that the army fired live ammunitions because a miner threw a dynamite (Minechi coal mine in Fukuoka Prefecture) and a bomb (Ube coal mine in Yamaguchi prefecture) to counter the army was a fabrication for the Army to justify the firing of live ammunitions.  If history is created that the Army fired because a miner threw a bomb and was dangerous, that would be the history the Army intended. 

  The above Wikipedia entry was corrected and added by the administrator in August 2018.

2020.6.3更新

アジア歴史資料センターRef. C03011253500『米価騰貴ニ基ク各地騒擾ノ件』。

〇「山口縣厚狭郡宇部村暴動ニ對シ鎮圧ノ為メ軍隊出動ニ関スル件詳報」山口衛戍司令官報告（大正七年八月二十五日。山口衛戍司令官→陸軍大臣）。PDF１～２２ページ。

〇「暴徒鎮圧ノ為メ兵器使用当時ノ状況ノ件報告」憲兵司令官報告（大正七年八月二十八日。憲兵司令官→陸軍大臣）PDF２３～２７ページ。

 Japan Center for Asian Historical Records Ref. C03011253500 “The description of the uproar incidents in various places caused by rising rice prices”

 〇“"Detailed report on the military mobilization to suppress against the riot of Ube Village, Yamaguchi Asa-gun", the report of Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi (August 25, Taisho7/1918, Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi→ Minister of the Army). PDF pages 1 to 22. 

〇 “Report on the situation at the time of using weapons to suppress mobs” report of military police commander (August 28, Taisho7/1918. Commander of military police → Minister of Army). PDF pages 23-27.

ＰＤＦの画面のポップアウト（画面右上の矢印）をクリックすると拡大して全ページを見ることができます。

Click the pop-out (arrow in the upper right corner of the screen) on the PDF screen to enlarge it and see all pages.

ＰＤＦ27頁。PDF 27 pages.

　前期のＰＤＦファイルは、山口衛戍司令官が、兵士の発砲の１週間後（８月２５日）に陸軍大臣報告した詳報と憲兵司令官が発砲の１０日後（８月２８日）に同大臣に報告した詳報です。この報告には、兵士の発砲時の状況が記載されています。

東見初炭鉱鉱夫らは仲間の引致者の釈放を求めて宇部警察分署に押し出した。その時、日本刀、鶴嘴、短刀などの兇器を所持するなど危険な状況であり、軍はこの状況でやむを得ず発砲したと記載しています。

　しかし「石油全部ヲ略奪シダイナマイトヲ準備シ」（≪山口衛戍司令官報告≫の整理番号０５３０の後ろから２～１行目）と「日本刀」「鶴嘴」（」（≪山口衛戍司令官報告≫の整理番号０５３３の最後の行、０５３５の８行目）の記載は誤報・ねつ造と考えます。また、≪憲兵司令官報告≫の「日本刀、短刀」（０５７６の７行目）の記載もまた同様です。

　鉱夫は、裁判史料や新聞によれば、千本や鶴嘴の柄などの棍棒（兇器）を携帯していました。しかし、鉱夫らが日本刀、鶴嘴、短刀などの殺傷力の強い兇器を所持していたという記載は、裁判史料、取材による新聞記事にはありません。ただし、治安当局が発刊した『山口県警察史』と管理者が怪文書と考える『Ｙ君参加記』は日本刀などを記載しています。また現場の警察官の情報をもとにして作成されたとみられる県知事報告に、「ダイナマイト準備」が記載されています。

　現場の状況は、将校、警察上層は日本刀による指揮を行い、兵士は銃剣を発射し、憲兵は拳銃を発射し、警察官はサーベルの抜刀を行っていました。すなわち、危険が差し迫っていたのは治安当局ではなく鉱夫側でした。実際、死者や重傷者はすべて鉱夫側であり、兵士・警察官に重傷者は一人も出ていません。鉱夫は引致者の釈放を求めて示威行動をしていたのであり、兵士や警察官を殺傷する意図も動機も能力もありませんでした。鉱夫が日本刀や鶴嘴をもっていたという情報は発砲を正当化するために治安当局がねつ造した蓋然性が高いといえます。

　いわんや、警察分署に押しかけた鉱夫らがダイナマイトや爆弾を携帯、使用したことは、山口衛戍司令官報告書、憲兵司令官報告書、山口県警察史などの治安当局側の資料にさえ記載がありません。分署に押しかけた鉱夫らが爆弾を所持・使用したという陸軍の発表は、実包発射を正当化するためのねつ造と考えます（管理者『山口県史研究第２２号』投稿論文（クリック・内部リンク））。また、陸軍談話を報道した『大阪朝日新聞』などのメディアは陸軍による世論操作に利用されたと考えます。

   The above PDF file is a detailed report to the Army Minister by Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi one week after the soldiers shooting (August 25), and It is a detailed report to Army Minister by the military police commander 10 days after the soldiers shooting (August 28).  This report describes the situation when the soldier fired.  Higashimizome coal mine miners etc. have pushed to the Ube police branch in search of the release of fellow's detainees. At that time, the report describe that they were dangerous because they possessed deadly weapons such as Japanese swords, cranes and daggers, and that the army fired unavoidably under these circumstances. 

  However, the administrator considers that the descriptions of "Stolen all the oil and prepare dynamite" (2nd to 1st lines from the rear of the reference number 0530 of “ The report of Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi”) and the descriptions of "Japanese sword" and "Tsuruhashi" (the last line of the reference number 0533 and the 8th line of the reference number 0535 of “The report of Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi”) are misinformation or fabrication.  In addition, the same applies to “The report of military police commander” 0576, line 7, “Japanese sword, dagger”.

  According to court records and newspapers, the miners had clubs (weapons) such as "Senbon" or the stick part of the pick.  However, there is no mention that miners had strong killing weapons such as Japanese swords, cranes, and short swords in court materials and interviewed newspaper articles. However, the "Yamaguchi Prefectural Police History" published by the security authorities and the "Y-kun Participation Report" which the administrator considers to be a mysterious document include description about Japanese swords etc.

  In addition, the prefectural governor's report, which seems to have been created based on the information of field police officers, states "prepare dynamite." 

  Regarding the situation at the scene, officers and upper police officers pulled the Japanese sword and commanded his men, and soldiers fired bayonets, military police fired pistols, and police officers performed saber swords. In other words, it was the miners who were in danger, not the security authorities. In fact, all the dead and seriously injured were miners, and no soldiers or police officers were seriously injured. The miners were demonstrating in demand for the release of fellow detainees, and had no intention, motive, or ability to injure soldiers or police officers. The information that the miner had a Japanese sword or a crane was highly probable that security officials fabricated it to justify the shooting. 

  The fact that miners who rushed to the police branch carried and used dynamite and bombs is not mentioned even in the documents of security officials such as the report of Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi, military police commander's report, Yamaguchi prefecture police history. I think the Army's announcement that the miners who rushed to the branch of police station had possessed and used the bomb was a fabrication to justify the live ammunition firing. (Paper submitted by the administrator, “Yamaguchi Prefecture History Study No.22”)  In addition, I think that media such as "Osaka Asahi Shimbun," which reported the Army discourse, was used for public opinion manipulation by the Army.

2020.6.5

≪裁判史料・現地取材報道≫

１８日午後の宇部分署前の鉱夫らの引致者釈放要求行動は粘り強く続いた。午後７時ころの空砲発射後も分署前から退去せず釈放を求めて抵抗する鉱夫らがいた。踏みとどまる鉱夫らを鎮圧するため、警察官は抜刀し（県知事許可・・県内では唯一の例とみられる）、午後８時１０分に兵士が実包発射した（４３発。憲兵２発）。

地域の新聞３紙（『宇部時報』・『馬關毎日新聞』・『防長新聞』）は、目撃ないし特派員の取材による記事で、記事の内容に大きな違いはない。しかし、『大阪朝日』や『大阪毎日』などの全国紙の記事は、現地取材ではなく、山口県からの山口電話や山口電報、あるいは陸軍談話により記事化しているため誤報が多い。

地域の新聞は暴徒である鉱夫の行動に厳しい立場を取って記事を書いている。この立場を考えると、鉱夫に爆弾投擲や日本刀所持などの事実があれば、現地取材した３紙すべてが記事にしないということはありえないのではなかろうか。３紙すべてが記載していないという事実は、爆弾投擲や日本刀所持の事実がなかったことを示していると考える。

 ≪陸軍報告≫

陸軍談話は、鉱夫が爆弾を投擲して危険であったことを発砲理由とし、実弾発砲の正当性を主張している。

発砲命令は、渋谷大隊長（→乃美中隊長）→前原小隊長に下したと推察され、兵士が４３発、憲兵が２発を実包発射した。宇部の大隊本部は山口の連隊長、旅団長（衛戍司令官）と電話で密接な連絡を取り合っていた。山口の上官から大隊長に発砲許可ないし命令があった可能性がある。

宇部の出動部隊から、分署前で鉱夫らが爆弾を投じたという報告はない。また、山口衛戍司令官から陸軍大臣への報告にも宇部分署前で鉱夫らが爆弾を投じたという報告はない。

《court records/local coverage》

  The demand for release of the detainees such as miners in front of Ube police station on the afternoon of the 18th persisted tenaciously.  There were miners who resisted in search of release without leaving the area in front of the  branch police office even after firing the empty gun around 7 pm.  In order to suppress the miners who have been stay on front of Ube police station, police officers take out the sword (approved by the prefectural governor...it seems to be the only example in history in the prefecture), and at 8:10 pm, soldiers fire 43 rounds and the military police Fired two live ammunition.

   The three regional newspapers ("Ube ziho", "Bakan Mainichi Shimbun", "Bocho Shimbun") write articles by sightings or by interviews with correspondents, so there is no big difference in the content of the articles.  However, articles in nationwide newspapers such as “Osaka Asahi” and “Osaka Mainichi” are often misreported because they are made by Yamaguchi telephone or Yamaguchi telegram from Yamaguchi prefecture, or Army discourse rather than by local coverage. 

  Local newspapers write articles with a strict position on the actions of miners who are mobs.  Considering this position, if there is a fact that a miner threw bombs or had a Japanese sword, it is impossible that all three newspapers interviewed in the field did not report this fact.  I think that the fact that all three newspapers do not list it indicates that there was no fact of throwing bombs or possessing a Japanese sword.

《Army Report》

The Army discourse asserts the legitimacy of firing live ammunition, citing that the miner threw bombs and was dangerous. It is presumed that the order to fire was given to battalion commander Shibuya (→ flight leader Nomi) → platoon leader Maehara, and the soldiers fired 43 bullets and the military police fired two. Ube's battalion headquarters was in close contact by telephone with Yamaguchi's regimental commander and brigade commander (Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi). There is a possibility that Ube's battalion commander was given permission to fire or ordered from his superior of Yamaguchi Town.

There is no report from Ube's mobilization forces that the miner threw bombs in front of the branch police office. There is also no report from Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi to Army Minister that the miners cast bombs in front of Ube police station.

陸軍は、鉱夫が爆弾を投じて危険なため発砲したと談話している。しかし、兵士の銃剣、警察官のサーベルと鉱夫の持つ棍棒の殺傷力の差があった。また、兵士や警察官（合わせて１００人以上と推定）と分署前に踏みとどまっていた鉱夫ら（３、４０人と推定）の員数にも差があった。兵士・警察側は鉱夫側より優位にあった。「危険な状況」にあったのは、むしろ抗議をしていた鉱夫側であった。しかし、釈放要求行動の正当性を主張していた鉱夫らは、まさか国民を守る軍隊が実包発射するとは思ってもいなかった。

鉱夫は分署前で、説得に応じず粘り強く釈放要求をしていたものの、兵士・警察官に危害を加える意図はなく、実際、兵士・警察官に負傷者はでていない（軽傷で日本赤十字の医療チームの治療を受けた者はいた）。

現地取材による新聞報道、調書、証言に基づく裁判史料に爆弾投擲の記載はなく、東京での陸軍談話は事実ではありません。軍隊は発砲を正当化するために鉱夫の爆弾投擲をねつ造したと考えます。

  An army official said the miners threw bombs and the Army fired because it was dangerous.   However, there was a difference in the killing power between soldier bayonet, police officer saber and miner's club.  There was also a difference in the number of soldiers and police officers (estimated at 100 or more in total) and the miners who stayed on before the branch police office (estimated at 3, 40).   Soldiers and police had an advantage over miners.  The "dangerous situation" was rather with the miners who were protesting.  However, the miners who were arguing for the justification of the release request did not anticipate that the army protecting the national people would fire live ammunition.

   Although the miners was persistently requesting the release of fellow detainees in spite of his persuasion, he had no intention of injuring the soldiers/police officers, and in fact, no one was injured.　 (Some were injured and treated by the Japanese Red Cross medical team).

   There is no mention of bomb throwing in newspaper reports from local interviews, court records based on records and testimony, and the Army discourse in Tokyo is not true.　I think that the Army created the miners' bomb throwing to justify the shooting.

　軍隊の治安出動は鎮圧を目的としているので、武器の使用が禁止されているわけではありません。しかし、国民に対し実包発射することは異例です。

内地の国民に対し発砲したのは、１９０７年（明治４０）の足尾銅山暴動事件の前例があるものの異例である（『門司新報』）。米騒動は、大阪、神戸、呉などの米騒動が激しく、陸海軍の兵士・警察官と群集が衝突して死傷者が多数出ているが、空砲発射にとどまっている。これらの都市の米騒動における群集側の死傷者は、兵士の銃剣、騎馬によるものが多い。 

  Since the military dispatch is aimed at suppressing the people, the use of weapons is not prohibited.  However, firing live ammunition against the people is unusual. 

  It was an unusual case that the live ammunition was fired to the people of the "Naichi", although there was a precedent case of the Ashio Copper Mine riot case in 1907 (Meiji 40) (“The Moji Shimpo”).  The rice riot is intense in Osaka, Kobe, and Kure, and many soldiers of the Army and Navy  and police officers have collided with the crowd, resulting in many casualties. However, there was no firing of live ammunition, and only an empty gun.  Many of the deaths and injuries on the crowd side in the rice riot in these cities are due to bayonets and horses of soldiers.

　８月１７日以降に発生した九州・山口の炭鉱米騒動では、陸軍の実包発射による死者は宇部炭鉱、福岡県峰地（みねじ）炭鉱、佐賀県相知（おうち）炭鉱で出ている。（実包発射は他の炭鉱米騒動でもあった。）この３炭鉱はいずれも門司港からシベリア出兵（ウラジオストックのある沿海州方面へ）がはじまっていた小倉第１２師団（シベリア出兵軍第１梯団・８月８～２１日出兵）の管轄地域にある炭鉱であった。（山口県内で第１２師管の地域は下関市・豊浦郡・厚狭郡で厚狭郡宇部村からも出征が始まっていた。米騒動では暴徒は、出征兵士の家は襲撃しない申し合わせがあったとされている。山口県内のほとんどの地域は、広島第５師団の管轄で、宇部村に出動した山口歩兵第４２連隊も第５師団である。第５師団は翌年（１９１９）に満州里経由でバイカル州方面にシベリア出兵した。） 

   In the rice riot in Kyushu and Yamaguchi that occurred on and after August 17, deaths from the army's live ammunition firing occurred in the Ube Coal Mine, the Minezi Coal Mine in Fukuoka Prefecture, and the Ochi Coal Mine in Saga Prefecture.（The army's live ammunition firing  was also carried out in other coal mine rice riot.）  All three coal mines were located in the area under the jurisdiction of the Kokura No. 12 Division (1st echelon, August 8-21st), which began the Siberian Intervention (bound for Primorskii, where Vladivostok is located) from Moji Port.   (In Yamaguchi Prefecture, the area of the 12th Division's administration is Shimonoseki City, Toyoura County, Asa County, and dispatch to war of soldiers had also begun in Ube-mura, Asa-gun.  During Ube rice riot, it was said that there was an agreement among the mobs that the house of the expeditionary soldier would not attack.  Most areas in Yamaguchi Prefecture are under the jurisdiction of the 5th Division of Hiroshima, and the 42nd regiment of Yamaguchi Infantry, which was dispatched to Ube Village, is also the 5th Division.  The fifth division dispatched to Baikal via Manzhouli in the following year (1919).)

アジ歴 Ref.C03011253500『米価騰貴に基づく各地騒擾の件』番号0465-0475。

“The description of the uproar incidents in various places caused by rising rice prices” the reference number 0465-0475

軍隊が実包発射して死者がでた福岡県峰地炭鉱（添田町）、宇部炭鉱（山口県厚狭郡宇部村）、相知炭鉱（佐賀県東松浦郡相知村）はすべて１２師団管轄地域です。シベリア出兵の開始により、当該地域から兵士が出兵しつつあった。（ただし、宇部と相知の炭鉱米騒動を鎮圧したのは別師団から派遣された兵士だった。）このことは軍隊の実包発射とシベリア出兵が関連していたことを推察させる。

  The Minechi Coal Mine (Soeda-cho, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture), the Ube Coal Mine (Ube-mura, Asa-gun Yamaguchi Prefecture), and the Ochi Coal-mine (Ochi-mura, Higashimatsuura-gun, Saga Prefecture) are all jurisdiction under no.12 divisions. With the start of the Siberian Intervention, the dispatch to war of soldiers had also begun from the area. (However, it was the soldiers sent from another division that put down the Ube and Ochi coal mining rice riots). This suggests that the army's live ammunition firing was associated with the Siberian Intervention.

ＰＤＦの画面のポップアウト（画面右上の矢印）をクリックすると拡大して全ページを見ることができます。

Click the pop-out (arrow in the upper right corner of the screen) on the PDF screen to enlarge it and see all pages.

管理者作成ＰＤＦファイル（史料中の茶色の傍線は管理者が付けた。）PDF file created by the administrator (The brown side line in the historical materials was added by the administrator.)

秘　大正七年乃至十一年　西伯利出兵史　第一巻

第二編 關係諸國軍艦ノ概要、作戰地一般ノ地理及作戰經過ノ概要

第四章　作戦經過ノ概要

第一節　出兵ヨリ大正七年十一月ニ至ル

沿海州方面ヘ浦潮派遣軍司令部及第十二師團ノ派遣

第二章ニ敍述セシ如ク帝國ハ西伯利派兵ニ決シ大正七年八月五日第十二師團長中將大井成元（註①）ノ指揮スル第一梯團ノ沿海州派遣ヲ發令シ又同時ニ「チェック、スロワック」軍救援ノ爲出兵ノ意圖ヲ有スル聯合與國及日支軍事協定ニ因リ特殊關係ヲ有スル支那ニ對シ協同作戰ノ指揮權ヲ日本軍司令官ニ委スルコトヲ提議シテ其應諾ヲ得浦潮派遣軍司令部ヲ編成派遣セリ

第十二師團長隸下部隊第一梯團ハ八月八日ヨリ同二十一日ニ亙り門司又ハ宇品（註②）ヲ出發シ浦潮ニ向フ其任務ハ聯合與國軍ト協同シ「チェック、スロワック」軍ヲ救援シ沿海州ニ於ケル獨、墺州兩國及之ニ加擔スル勢力ヲ排除シ且該地方ノ治安維持ニ任スルニ在リ

浦潮派遣軍司令官大將大谷喜久藏（註③）ハ八月十日大命ニ依リ第十二師團長隸下部隊及聯合與國軍ヲ指揮シ成ル可ク速ニハバロフスク附近ニ進出シテ鳥蘇里鐵道（註④）沿線ノ諸要地ヲ守備シ且情況ニ應シ更ニ其一部ヲ黒龍鐵道及黒龍江ニ沿ヒ西進セシムルノ準備ニ在ルヘキ任務ヲ受ケ十二日東京出發十八日浦潮ニ上陸シテ聯合軍ノ指揮ヲ執レリ然ルニ當時「チェック、スロワック」軍ノ主力ハ西方ニ轉進シ其沿海州戰線ニ殘リシ一部ハ英、佛軍及露國「カルムイコフ」支隊ト共ニ敵ノ壓迫ヲ受クルノ情況ニ在リテ爾後聯合軍カ後顧ノ虞ナク急速ニハバロフスクニ前進センカ爲ニハ一般ノ情況上兵力ノ不足ヲ感スルコト大ナルヲ以テ浦潮派遣軍司令官ハ列國代表者ノ一致セル希望ニ基キ具申シ十二師團長隷下部隊第二梯團ノ派遣□請求シ同部隊ハ八月二十六日ヨリ九月九日ニ亙リ浦潮ニ上陸セリ

十二師團長隷下部隊第一梯團ハ八月十一日以降逐次浦潮ニ上陸ス（下略）

（下線は管理者が付けた。）

『西伯利出兵史』第1巻111-113（新時代社『西伯利出兵史』上巻39-40頁）

註:①第１２師団は、１９１８年８月、最初にシベリアに出兵した師団で司令部は小倉にありました。米騒動時、福岡県の大部分を含む北部九州や山口県の一部（下関市・豊浦郡・厚狭郡）が第１２師管に属していました。師団長は大井成元（しげもと）陸軍中将でした。大井は１９１９年８月に浦潮（ウラジオ）派遣軍司令官となり、１１月に陸軍大将となりました。②宇品は広島市にある軍港で軍の大陸への兵站基地でした。③最初の浦潮派遣軍司令官は大谷喜久蔵（おおたにきくぞう）陸軍大将でした。１９１８年８月１５日、香港丸で宇品を出発し、門司で歓迎送会に出席した後、ウラジオに向け出港しました（『門司新報』８月１６日）。④ウスリー鉄道。  

Secret Taisho 7th to 11th years History of the Siberian Intervention Volume 1

Part 2 Overview of related countries warships, overview about geography and battle strategy progress at general the war area

Chapter 4  Overview about battle strategy progress

Section 1 From troops dispatch to November of Taisho 7

Headquarters of Vladivostok dispatched army and the 12th division were dispatched to "Enkaisyu".

  As described in Chapter 2, the Empire decided on Siberian troops dispatch. The Empire ordered the dispatch of the 1st echelon to Primorskii Province under the command of the 12th Division Commander Oi Shigemoto (Note 1),  on August 5 of Taisho 7. Also, at the same time, the Japanese army proposed that the Allied Powers United States Commander, who intends to send troops to rescue the “Check, Slowak” army, delegate the command of the joint operation to the commander of the Japanese army. With that approval, Japan organized and dispatched the headquarters of the Vladivostok Dispatch Army.

   1st echelon commanded by the 12th Division Commander, departed Moji or Ujina (Note 2) from August 8th to 21st and headed for Vladivostok.

   Its mission is to work with the Allied forces to rescue the "Check, Slowak" army, and in Primorye it is the elimination of both Germany and Austria and the forces that support them. And its task is to maintain the security of the region.

  On August 10, in response to the Emperor's orders, the commander of the Vladivostok Dispatched Army, General of the Army Otani Kikuzo (Note 3), commanded the troops which was commanded by the 12th Division Commander, and commanded Allied forces too. The dispatched troops should advance to the vicinity of Khabarovsk as soon as possible to defend various points along the Usuri Railway (Note ④). Also, depending on the circumstances, Commander Otani was further tasked with preparing some of the Dispatched Army to proceed west along the Black Dragon Railway and the Black Dragon River. Under these duties, Commander Otani departed Tokyo on the 12th and landed in Vladivostok on the 18th to take command of the Allied Forces. However, at that time, the main force of the "Check, Slowak" army had transfered to the west. Some of the "Check, Slowak" troops remaining on the Primorsky Front were under pressure from the enemy, along with British, French and Russian "Karmykov" troops. In order to move forward rapidly to Khabarovsk without worry after the Allied forces left, Commander Otani felt a lack of troop strength in the general situation. For this reason, the commander of the Vladivostok Dispatched Army requested the dispatch of the second echelon, which is the unit commanded by the 12th Division Commander, based on the consensus of the representatives of the Allies. The second echelon landed in Vladivostok from August 26 to September 9.

(The underline has been added by the administrator.)

Note: 1) The 12th Division was the first division to dispatch to Siberia in August 1918, and its headquarters was in Kokura. At the time of the rice riot, northern Kyushu, including most of Fukuoka Prefecture, and parts of Yamaguchi Prefecture (Shimonoseki City, Toyoura County, Asa County) belonged to the 12th "Shikan". The Division Commander was Oi Shigemoto, the Army Lieutenant General. Oi became Commander of Vladivostok Dispatched Army in August 1919, and became General of the Army in November.  2) Ujina was a military port in Hiroshima City and was a military logistics base for the continent.  3) The first Commander of Vladivostok Dispatched Army was Kikuzo Otani, an army general. On August 15, 1918, boarded the Hong Kong Maru and departed from Ujina. After attending the welcome and farewell party at Moji, departed for Vladivostok. ("The Moji Shimpo" August 16, 1918).  4) Ussuri Railway.

2020.6.7 

　前記で説明したように、兵士・警察官に生命の危険は及んでいなかった。

　発砲により分署前にいた鉱夫等に死者１３名、重傷者１７名を出した。重傷者の中で、一審判決が判明している者は、全員騒擾罪・率先助勢の懲役７月～６月の判決を受けており、懲役１年以上の重刑を科せられた者はいない。すなわち、射殺された鉱夫らも重傷者と同じ行動をしていたので、存命であれば同程度の刑罰を科されていたことになる。

　懲役７月～６月の刑罰は重いとまではいえず、兵士・警察官に殺傷を意図したり危害を加えようとした刑罰とは考えられない。８月１８日、東見初炭鉱鉱夫らは、仲間の釈放を求めて炭鉱を出発し、まず老松町遊郭裏広場に集合した。警戒線を突破せず、そのまま広場に留まっていた鉱夫等には騒擾罪・附和随行者の共通基準で罰金刑を科せられた。罰金は、全員が、刑法犯で最も軽い２０円であった。治安当局の説得に応じず、老松町遊郭裏広場から軍隊の警戒線を突破して分署前に進出した鉱夫らは、共通基準で騒擾罪・率先助勢罪の刑罰が認定された。これらの鉱夫らは共通基準で懲役７月～６月が科せられた。

　鉱夫らは、射殺された１８日は、前夜のように商店を襲撃していません。裁判官は鉱夫らの引致者釈放要求の示威行動に対し騒擾罪を適用しました。このことは司法当局の厳罰主義、社会運動・社会主義思想の抑圧の方針によるものと考えます。

　それでは、兵士に生命の危険が及んでいなかっとしたら、なぜ発砲して鎮圧を急いだのであろうか。

　発砲命令は現場を指揮する大隊長澁谷壽一少佐が出したが、大隊長が電話で連絡を密にしていた山口町上宇野令の上官の指示、許可があった可能性がある。山口衛戍司令官（陸軍第２１旅団長）は細野辰雄少将、陸軍山口歩兵第４２連隊長は石川忠治大佐だった。さららに推測すれば広島の陸軍第５師団長（福田雅太郎中将）に事前に連絡があったのかもしれない。また、警察官の抜剣は中川望山口県知事の許可だった。

　治安出動の性格として早期の鎮圧を目的として実包発射をすることは可能なのであろうか。大阪、神戸などでは兵士・警察官と群集が激しく衝突し、治安当局側が危険な状態にあった。しかし、ここでは空砲発射に留まっている。治安出動に於いて、理由のある発砲が違法ではないにしても、国民に実包発射することは極力避けるべきことであり、異例のことである。この異例の実包発射が宇部と九州各地の炭鉱で命令され、３炭鉱（宇部・峰地（福岡県）・相知（佐賀県））で発砲による死者が出ている。

　実包発射はシベリア出兵・ロシア革命との関連が推察される。すでに８月８日から第１２師団（小倉）のシベリア出兵が始まっており、１２師団管轄地域（山口県は下関市・豊浦郡・厚狭郡）である厚狭郡宇部村からも出兵していた。米騒動の影響で出兵時期が遅れるなどの支障がでることを防ぐために米騒動の早期の解決が必要であったと考えられる。また、出兵中の１２師団管轄地域は準戦時体制下にあり、重要な製鉄所、工場、炭鉱が多かった。戦争遂行のため、労働争議や米騒動を早期に鎮圧し、予防出兵をして経済、社会を安定させる必要があったと考える。前記の出動記録（PDF史料）によれば、多数の兵士が官営八幡製鉄所のあった八幡や海軍炭坑のあった宇美に長期間派遣されている。

　また、発砲時には、政府などによる米廉売が本格化し、大都市の米騒動は８月１６日までにほぼ収束していた。このことから米騒動の性格の変化が発砲理由となったことが考えられる。８月１６日までの米騒動は大都市の民衆による米価引き下げ要求が中心だった。米騒動は社会問題となり、政府などの米の廉売が始まると終息した。８月１７日からから始まる炭鉱労働者の騒動は、ロシア革命、社会主義革命などの「危険思想」の影響を受けた行動として軍当局、司法当局が認識したため、厳しい弾圧をおこなった可能性もある。

　なお、鉱夫らに対する優越感や差別観があったことを発砲の理由として指摘する場合があるが首肯できない。

　なぜ軍隊は発砲したのか？シベリア出兵との関連などの考察は今後の研究課題である。 

As explained above, soldiers and police officers were not at risk of life. 

Due to the shooting, 13 people were killed and 17 were seriously injured in front of the branch of police station. Among seriously injured persons, all of whom have been sentenced to first trial have been sentenced to imprisonment for a period of July to June due to for the active helping crime of rioting, and none have been sentenced to more than one year in prison. In other words, the miners who were shot dead were doing the same as seriously injured people, so if they were alive, they would have been punished to the same degree. 

The punishment for imprisonment from July to June cannot be said to be heavy, and it cannot be considered as a punishment for the purpose of killing or harming soldiers and police officers. On August 18, Higashimizome coal mine miners left the coal mine in search of the release of their fellows, and first gathered at Oimatsucho "Yukaku" backside Square. Miners etc. who stayed in the square without breaking the warning line were fined under the common standard for punishment for going along with the others crime of rioting.　 The fine was 20 yen, the lightest of all criminal offenses. Miners etc. who broke through the military caution line and advanced to the front of the branch of police station from the Oomatsucho Yukaku back plaza without following the persuasion of the security authorities, were punished under the common standard for punishment for the actively helping of rioting. These miners etc. were sentenced to imprisonment from July to June on a common basis. 

The miners did not attack the shops as they did the night before. Judges have applied crime of rioting to the miners' demonstration action for demand of detainee release. Adoministrater thik that this is due to the strict punishment of the judicial authorities, the social movement, and the suppression of socialist ideas. 

  Then, if the soldiers were not at risk of life, why did army quickly shoot and suppress miners etc?

  The firing order was issued by Major Battalion Commander Shibuya Juichi, who commanded the scene, but it is possible that the battalion captain had instructions and permission from the superior of Yamaguchi-cho Kami-unorei, who had been in close contact by telephone.  Commander of garrison at Yamaguchi (the 21st Brigadier general) was Major General Hosono Tatsuo, and Commander of Yamaguchi infantry 42nd regiment was Captain IshikawaTadaharu. Further speculating, it may have been approved by the 5th divisional commander of Hiroshima's Army (Lt. Gen. Fukuda Masataro).  Also, the sword removal of the police officer was the permission of Nakagawa Nozomu, Governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture. 

Is it possible to fire live ammunitions for the purpose of early suppression as the nature of public security operations?　In Osaka and Kobe, soldiers and police officers clashed with crowds, and security officials were in a dangerous state.　 However, it was only empty gun here. It was not illegal to fire in the unavoidable case of army security operations. However, firing live ammunitions to the nation people is something that should be avoided as much as possible and it is unusual. This unusual firing live ammunitions order was issued at coal mines in Ube and various parts of Kyushu, and there were deaths due to gunfire at three coal mines, the Ube Coal Mine, Mineji Coal Mine (Fukuoka Prefecture), and the Ochi Coal Mine (Saga Prefecture). 

  It is assumed that firing live ammunitions is related to the Siberian troop dispatch and the Russian Revolution. Siberian troops of the 12th Division (Ogura) had already departed on August 8, and they were also dispatched from Ube Village, Asa-gun, which is the area under the 12-division division (Yamaguchi Prefecture is Shimonoseki City, Toyoura County, Asa County). It is thought that the rice riot needed to be resolved early in order to prevent problems such as delays in the period of military dispatch due to the rice riot. In addition, the area under jurisdiction during the 12 divisions was under a semi-wartime regime, and there were many important steelworks, factories, and coal mines. I think it was necessary to suppress labor disputes and the rice riot at an early stage and carry out army's preventive dispatch to stabilize the economy and society in order to carry out the war.　 According to the mobilization record (PDF archive), many soldiers had been dispatched to Yawata, where the government-owned Yawata Works was located, and Umi, where the Navy coal mine was, for a long time.

  At the time of the shooting, the bargaining on rice by the government and others began in earnest, and the rice riot in the big cities had almost settled by August 16. From this, it is considered that the change in the character of the rice riotr was the reason for the  firing of live ammunitions. Until the 16th of August, the rice riot was centered around the demand for rice price cuts by the people of big cities. The rice riot became a social problem, and it ended when the government and others started selling rice low. The rioting of coal miners starting from August 17th may have been severely suppressed because the military and judicial authorities recognized that the behavior was influenced by the "dangerous thoughts" of the Russian Revolution and the Socialist Revolution. 

It should be noted that it may be pointed out that there was a sense of superiority and a sense of discrimination against the miners as the reason for the shooting, but I cannot agree.

  Why did the army fire? Consideration of the relationship with Siberian troop dispatch and others is a future research topic.

Former Shinkawabashi and Historia Ube (former Yamaguchi Bank Ube Branch, former Ube Bank). Image from the direction in which the Army launched the cartridge. The right is the former Ube Bank. There was Funaki Police Station Ube Branch Station across Tokiwa Street (Tokiwa Street was narrow before the air raid). After the war, Tokiwa-dori was expanded to the left and became a 50m road. The building on the left is the former Ube City Hall. Taken by the administrator from the direction of the old Shinkawabashi.

Historia Ube (designed by Togo Murano, former Yamaguchi Bank Ube Branch, former Ube Bank Head Office). Completed as the head office of Ube Bank in 1939. It was rebuilt in almost the same position as the building at the time of the rice riots (1918). Taken by the administrator.

"The terrible sight in front of the Ube Branch police station" (sketched by Okazaki Tadasuke)

The scene where 13 miners and others were shot dead by the shooting of the Army (8:10 pm on August 18, 1918 (Taisho 7)). A sketch from almost the same position as the above image "Historia Ube". The building with the fence is Ube Bank, and next to it is the Kawaguchi store (see the figure below). (Sketch published in "Yamaguchi Police History Vol. 1". Photographed by the administrator)

管理者は、宇部市真締川200周年記念まつり・地図作成委員会「宇部市旧市街地図-昭和初期1930年代」（1997年。宇部市図書館コレクション）の一部にカラーラインを追加しました。 茶色の線は、空襲前の新川橋、常盤通りの一部です。 水色の線は、空襲後の現在の新川橋、宇部市役所、常盤通りの一部です。赤い下線は、宇部支部警察署、宇部地宝社、旧宇部銀行（地図上の「山口銀行」、現在は宇部ヒストリア）、川口シール店（文房具）、小松屋雑貨店（貴金属）です。 宇部支部警察署と宇部地宝社は、戦後50メートルの幅に拡張された現在の常盤通りの中央部にありました。

The administrator added color lines a part of the Ube City Majime River 200th Anniversary Festival / Map Making Committee "Ube City Old Town Map-Early Showa 1930s" (1997. Ube City Library Collection). The brown line is part of Tokiwa-dori, Shinkawabashi before the air raid. The light blue line is part of the current Shinkawabashi, Ube City Hall, and Tokiwa Street after the air raid. The red underline is Ube Branch Police Station, Ube Jihosha, former Ube Bank ("Yamaguchi Bank" on the map, now Historia Ube), Kawaguchi Seal store (stationery), Komatsuya general store (precious metal). Ube Branch Police Station and Ube Jihosha were located in the central part of the current Tokiwa Street where was expanded to a width of 50 meters after the war.

　青ペンの線が、空襲の後、戦後に再開発された現在の道路と区画である。「現新川橋」は新川の東西の道路を結んでいるので、地図の橋の幅より広い。

　茶色ペンの線が、空襲前の、米騒動当時の道路と区画である。旧山口銀行（現ヒストリア宇部）の角だけが空襲前と一致していることがわかる。旧山口銀行は、奇跡的に空襲の被災を受けず、戦前の建築である。

  The blue lines are the current roads and sections that were redeveloped after the war after the air raid. The "current Shinkawa Bridge" connects the east and west roads of Shinkawa, so it is wider than the width of the bridge on the map.

  The lines of the brown pen are the roads and sections during the rice riot before the air raid. It can be seen that only the corner of the former Yamaguchi Bank (now Historia Ube) is the same as before the raid. The former Yamaguchi Bank is a prewar building that was not miraculously not damaged by air raids.

Ube City Majime River 200th Anniversary Festival / Map Making Committee "Ube City Old Town Map-Early Showa 1930s" 1997 (Ube City Library Collection). This is an enlarged image of a map copied at the library by the administrator. You can see that the wide road is the current Tokiwa Street that was expanded after the air raid, and the prewar Tokiwa Street and Shinkawa Bridge are narrow. On the lower left side of the map, there was the Okinoyama coal mine main pit barn (company housing) adjacent to the city area. (Can be expanded)

「宇部分署前の惨状」（１９１８年）という発砲現場スケッチと１９３０年代の地図を比較する。

スケッチは兵士の発砲場所である新川橋付近から宇部警察署（当時は分署）、常盤（ときわ）通り方向が描かれている。

スケッチの右上に二人の兵士が描かれており、その横の柵のある建物が宇部銀行である。（地図では「山口銀行」となっている。１９３０年代は宇部銀行でしたが、１９４４年（昭和１９）に県内５銀行が合併（山口銀行）して山口銀行宇部支店となった）。

スケッチでは宇部銀行の隣に「川口店」がある。これが地図の「川口印判」店で、その隣が「小松屋」である。雑貨貴金属店の小松屋は１７日夜に襲撃を受け破壊された。

宇部銀行と常盤通りを挟んだ向かい側に、鉱夫らが引致者釈放を要求して押しかけた宇部分署（米騒動後に宇部警察署に昇格）があり、分署の隣に宇部時報社の社屋があった。宇部時報社は米騒動時、週１回『宇部時報』を発行し、軍隊が発砲した時の記事を掲載した。発砲現場は宇部時報社の前であり、『宇部時報』は「記事は當地に於ける暴動の狀況を最も公平に而して極めて冷静に筆を執りたる」と書き、記載内容に自信を持っている。

陸軍の兵士は分署前から新川橋にかけて哨兵線をつくって展開し、新川橋側から引致者釈放を求めて常盤通り・分署前に進出した鉱夫らに実包発射した。

スケッチでは射殺された鉱夫が宇部銀行前から小松屋の前にかけて倒れているのがわかる。鉱夫らが倒れたのは宇部銀行前から約半丁（５０ｍ）の間という記事がある。

スケッチには刀の形をしたものやビンや魚形のものなどが描かれている。刀の形をしたものは、木や竹で作られた可能性がある。また、スケッチした警察官が加筆した可能性もある。

死者１３名の中の大多数を占める東見初炭鉱の鉱夫は、炭鉱から向鉢巻をしるしにして押し出した。 左手前に鉢巻きをしてうつぶせに倒れているのは東見初炭鉱の鉱夫であろうか。

  A comparison of the 1930s map with a sketch of place of the firing called ""Terrible situation before Ube Plice Station" (1918). 

The sketch is drawn from the vicinity of Shinkawabashi, where soldiers fired, in the direction of Ube Police Station (a branch office at that time) and Tokiwa Street. 

Two soldiers are drawn on the upper right of the sketch, and the building with a fence next to it is the Ube Bank. (The map shows "Yamaguchi Bank". It was Ube Bank in the 1930s, but became a Yamaguchi Bank Ube branch after the merger of five prefecture banks in 1944.) 

In the sketch, there is a Kawaguchi store next to the Ube Bank. This is the "Kawaguchi seal stamp" store on the map, and next to it is "Komatsuya." Komatsuya, a miscellaneous goods precious metal store, was destroyed in the attack on the night of the 17th.  On the opposite side of Ube Bank and Tokiwa-dori, there was Ube branch office of Funaki police station (promoted to Ube police station after the rice riot) where miners requested and rushed for the release of detainees. Next to the branch police office, there was a building of Ubejihosha. At that time, Ubejihosha published the "Ubejiho" once a week and posted articles covering the time when the army fired. The firing place was in front of Ubejihosha, Ubejiho wrote "The article is the most impartial and extremely calm writing about the riot situation in Ube",and the content is reliable. 

Army soldiers deployed a sentry line from the front of the branch police office to Shinkawabashi, and fired live ammunition to the miners who advanced to the front of the branch police office in Tokiwa street in search of release of detainees. 

In the sketch, you can see that the miners shot dead is lying down in front of Ube Bank and in front of Komatsuya. There is an article that the miners were lying down within a range of about 50m from the front of the Ube Bank. 

The sketches include sword-shaped objects, bottles, and fish-shaped objects. The sword-shaped thing may have been made of wood or bamboo. Also, it may have been added by the sketched police officer. 

The miners of the Higashimizome Coal Mine, who make up the majority of the 13 dead, pushed out with the mark's white towels tied at the front of their heads from the mine to Tokiwa-dori. Is it the miner of Higashimizome Coal Mine  who wore a headband in front left of the sketch and is lying down?

2020.6.8

　国民を守る軍隊が国民に発砲することは在郷軍人もいた鉱夫らには考えられないことであり、あってはならないことでした。

　明治維新以来、大日本帝国は、日露戦争までは「坂の上の雲」（司馬遼太郎）をめざして発展していました。ところが日露戦争における国民の負担は重く、日露戦争後の社会は疲弊し、閉塞感が強まっていました。軍に対する信頼感は失われ、シベリア出兵に対しても世論・新聞の反対意見が強まっていました。

　もし、正当な理由なく国民に対して発砲が行われたら世論の反発は必至です。軍による発砲の理由は、だれしもが納得できることでなければなりません。すなわち、鉱夫らが爆弾を投げつけてきたとか、日本刀を振りかざして突進してきたとか、兵士の生命に危険が迫ったとか、自衛のために発砲がやむを得なかったという理由です。軍は前記したような発砲理由を捏造する必要があったと推察します。

　棍棒を持っていた鉱夫等１３名は、自分自身がなぜ撃たれたのか理解できないまま絶命したと思われます。さらに遺体も翌朝まで路上に放置されるなど、犯罪者として扱われ人間らしい扱いを受けませんでした。

　宇部分署前で死亡した１３名（１８歳の青年鉱夫が含まれる）、また、その後、関連して死亡した方、並びに家族の方に哀悼の意を表します。

   Some miners also had local ex-soldiers. It was unthinkable, and unfortunate, that an army protecting the national people should target and shoot at them.

  Since the Meiji Restoration, until the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese Empire was developing with the aim of becoming "Sakanoue no Kumo" (Shiba Ryotaro). However, the burden on the people during the Russo-Japanese War was heavy, the society after the Russo-Japanese War was exhausted, and the sense of closure was growing. Confidence in the military was lost, and public opinion and from the newspapers were growing dissent against Siberian troop dispatch.

  If guns are fired against the national people without good reason, public opinion backlash is inevitable. Everyone must be convinced of the reason for the military firing. That is to say, the military needed to good reason that miners were throwing bombs, charging while swinging up a Japanese sword, and the soldiers were in danger. I suspect the military needed to fake the reasons for firing as described above.

  I suspect that 13 miners etc., handing a club in their hand, died without understanding why they were shot. Furthermore, the body was left on the street until the next morning, and was treated as a criminal and was not treated as human.

  I condolences to 13 people (including a 18-year-old youth miner) who died in front of the Ube police station, as well as those who subsequently died in connection with the case, and their families.

　『宇部時報』（９月１日付）に「右（註:表の１３名を指す）の外（ほか）引受人なき姓名不詳の者一名あり合計十四名なるが内一人は負傷後二日にして死亡したる者多數は東見初の坑夫にして大畠の坑夫一名大工職二名あり」とある。

　「姓名不詳の者一名」があり、１名の重傷者が２日後に死亡している。２日後の死亡者は重傷者として数えた。姓名不詳者を加えて死者は１３名とする。重傷後の死亡者が表の中に含まれているか否かは不明である。内務省の記録では死者はすべて１３名と記載されている。

　井本三夫の著書が日野綏彦の論文を引用して宇部の死亡者を１４名と記している。これは重傷後の死亡者が含まれているためです。

　以上のことから、東見初炭鉱の鉱夫が１０名または１１名死亡し、ほかに大畠（おおはた）炭鉱の鉱夫１名と大工職２名が死亡しました。 

　『宇部時報』（８月２１付）は、死者１３人名の死者について次のように述べている。「この死者の中に一名の朝鮮人の加はりゐたるは注目すべきこと柄にして口（上がひとかしら、下がエ）人（どうにん）を初め若干の朝鮮人は前夜の暴動にも加はり居於りと」。しかし、９月１日付の記事では朝鮮人の死者について言及していない。

　上の表の死亡者１３名は、出身地（本籍地）から日本人なので、死者を１４名とすれば、朝鮮人の死亡者がいた可能性があるものの明確にできない。 

　この記事の最後に重傷者１１名の名前も記載されている。この１１名は宇部分署で治療に当った日本赤十字山口支部救護班の手当を受けた鉱夫らであろう（アジ歴海軍省公文備考大正８年巻120騒乱２止（9）ref.c08021485000 ８ページ整理番号1224　防衛研究所）。

 　この重傷者の中で裁判において有罪となった鉱夫は懲役７月～６月が科せられた。射殺された鉱夫は、生きていれば懲役７月～６月であり、射殺するほどの犯罪的行動はしていなかったと考える。射殺時の治安当局の武器や員数は、鉱夫等の兇器や人数と比較して優位にあり、射殺するのではなく、逮捕することが可能だったと考える。

In "Ubejiho" (September 1), "In addition to the right (note: 13 people in the table), there is one person who does not have an underwriter and whose first and last name is unknown. Many of them are the Higashimizome coal mine miners and one is Ohata coal mine miner and two is carpenters."

  There is "one person whose surname is unknown" and one seriously injured person died two days later. I counted the dead two days later as seriously injured. There were 13 deaths including those whose name is unknown.　 It is unknown whether the name of death person after severe injury is included in the table. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs records, the death toll is all 13 people.

  Imoto Mitsuo's book cites the paper by Hino Yasuhiko and describes the death toll of Ube rice riot as 14 people. This is because it includes fatalities after serious injuries.

  Due to the above, 10 or 11 miners of the Higashimizome coal mine were killed, and one other miner of Ohata Coal Mine and two carpenters were killed. 

"Ubejiho" (August 21st) describes the 13 dead persons as follows. "It is noteworthy that one Korean person is included in this dead person. Several Koreans, including this one, have also joined the riots the night before".However, the article dated September 1 does not mention the death of Korean.

  The 13 dead people in the above table are Japanese, judging from their place of birth (hometown). If there are 14 dead people, it is possible that there were Korean deaths, but it cannot be clarified. 

The names of 11 seriously injured persons are also listed at the end of this article. The 11 people may be miners who were treated by the Japanese Red Cross Yamaguchi Branch Rescue Team at the Ube branch police station.  Japan Center for Asian Historical Records Department of Navy "Kobunbiko" Taisho 8 volume 120 Mayhem 2 (9) Ref. C0802148500 p.8 the reference number 1224 (The National Institute for Defense Studies).

   Among the seriously injured, miners found guilty in subsequent trials were sentenced to imprisonment from July to June. The miners who were shot dead were imprisoned from July to June if they were alive, and it is considered that they were not acting criminally enough to kill them by firing.The weapons and the number of personnel of the security authorities at the time of shooting were superior to the weapons and the number of miners, and I think that it was possible to arrest instead of shooting.

《日本赤十字社山口支部の負傷者救護に関する記載》

　丸本新造「山口県宇部の米騒動の思ひ出」（「糧友」昭和１１年８月号）。『米騒動の研究』第五巻432頁。

　「日本赤十字社山口支部の沿革記録に兵事救護に関する事項としてつぎのようなことが記されている。

　 [宇部村内暴動　大正七年八月一七日

　救護所を宇部分署構内に設置、取扱患者重傷一三名（暴動組）、外に軍人四名、警察官二九名、一般人七名、同月二三日閉所]

　これが、この時の暴動の決算報告である。ただこれに匿れていることがある。それは多数の死者、無数の軽傷者並びに逃げた暴徒組の重傷者の数である。これらを加えたら決算報告は更に重大なものになるであろう。」

<<Remarks on the relief of the injured at the Japanese Red Cross Yamaguchi Branch>>

  Marumoto Shinzo, "The memory of the rice riot in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture" ("Ryoyu", August howa11/1936). "Study of the rice riot" Vol.5, p.432. 

  "History records of the Yamaguchi Branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society include the following as matters relating to military relief.

   "the riot in Ube Village August 17, Taisho7/1918

  A first-aid station is set up in Ube branch of the police station, 13 seriously injured patients (riot group), Outside there are four military personnel, twenty-nine police officers, Seven ordinary people, Closed station on the 23rd of the same month"

  This is the finanl report of the riots at this time. However, there is something hidden in this. It is the number of many dead, innumerable minor injuries, and the number of severely injured mobs who fled. If these are added, the final report will become more serious."

2020.6.9