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Transcription of the attached commentary by Yamakawa Hitoshi 山川均 on Itō's sketch titled "The Battle of Ideologies," (思想界の混戰) would be greatly appreciated. The banners being held by the figures on the left read: 過激主義 — Radicalism; 民主主義 — Democracy; 社會主義 — Socialism and on the right read: 忠君愛國 — Loyalty to the Emperor and patriotism; 神社崇敬 — Reverence for the Shinto shrines and 儒教復興 — Revival of Confucianism.

思想界の混戦

西方の栄養不良色
に引かへ、東らはたんと
の珍果　山いも食べたかって
皆血色がよし、おまけ
に皆日本魂を一本で
ぶッこんでいる、なくても
こゝ両々 どちらの優勝
疑ひなし、萬歳〜〜万
〜歳
山川 均

Shisōkai no konsen
Nishikata no eiyōfuryōshoku
ni hikae Higashi-ra wa tanto
no chinka yamaimo tabetakatte
minna kesshoku ga yoshi, omake
ni minna Nihon-damashi wo ippon de
bukkonde iru, nakute mo
koko ryō-ryō dochira no yūshō
utagai nashi, Banzai,Banzai Ban-
banzai
Yamakawa Hitoshi

The Battle of Ideologies
Drawn by the pale complexions of the West,
the Easterners, in turn,
eat the rare fruit —the mountain yam—
all have a healthy complexion, and to top it off,
they’re all imbued with the Japanese spirit
to the core. Even without it,
there’s no doubt which of these two
will take the championship. Banzai Banzai Ban-
Banzai
Yamakawa Hitoshi

It is a rather quirky writing style.

Regards,
I.Nagy

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