JAPAN'S PREMIER MURDERED.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17296, 7 November 1921, Page 7

JAPAN'S PREMIER MURDERED.

MR HARA STABBED TO DEATH. I NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD YOUTH'S CRIME. NEW YORK, Novuiiu-.t -»• \. v.-irelesK message from Tnkvo uate* thai Mr Hara. Premier of Japan, was assassinated by a Korean youth, who snran- upon the Premier and repeatc«i> •Rubbed him in the breast. rL« uicci fifteen minutes later. The ijs>-.ii.ati„ was arrested WASHINGTON. November -I. Tiio American Einhr.ssy at Tokyo has advised the State Department that -lr Takashi Hara was attacked by ai; as>us- | sin an Friday evening on the railway j , -,-uatiofa, an<l w«s stabbed, and that lie ■ i is cither dead or dying. j The Japanese, delegates to the Wash- j ington Confcreiue have been thrown I into confusion by the death of -Mr Kara. So details have been received. It is considered that the event may seriously affect the delegates' plans. At a late hour to-night, the .Japanese Embassy and Conference delegates were without notification of -Mr Hara's deuth. The only news was the State Department's announcements. President Harding nfld Mr Hughes, Secretary ol State, conveyed their regrets tc Tokyo, j The latest despatches from Tokyo state tlhat Mr Hara's assassin was a Japanese, not a Korean- The authorities suspect a political plot. < ;Received November 6th, C.5 p.m.) j LONDON, November 5. Tho newspapers deplore the murder of Mr Hara, and express the hope that it will not affect tho Washington Conference. Apparently owing to tho strict censorship in Japan, only meagre details of the murder liavo been received, mostly via New York. The motive for the crime is not yet known. (Received November 6th, 5.5 p.m.) TOKYO, November 5. , The Japanese Cabinet has offered its resignation to tho Emperor, following ' the usual custom on tho death or resignation of a Premier. Nakoaka, a Jnpaneso youth barely I ninotsen years of age, was the slayer 1 of Mr Hara. He declared he did this I for the welfare of Japan, and kilied Mr Hara because of criticism of him ! which ho had read in the newspapers. Nakoaka maintained a bold, proud de- , meanour, and showed no sign of reIpßntance. He is of the poor student typo, and was forced to leave school and earn his living. He was an omnivorous reader, especially of newspapers which were strongly opposed to ,e Hara Ministry Mr Hara's will has been published. It directs that a 6mall slab, only bearing his name, and not mentioning his titles and honours, should be erected over liiß grave. The body will leave Tokyo on Monday by special train. The burial will taka place on November 11th at Morioka, the birthplace of Mr Hara. I A LAST INTERVIEW. PREMIER'S SURVEY OP PROBLEMS. (Received November 6th, 11.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 5. Two. hours before his assassination, the Philadelphia "Public Ledger's" Tokyo correspondent had an interview /with Mr Hara, who said:—"l not only hope for the success of the Washington Conference but am optimtetic regarding 'the outcome. It is my desire that Japan's wishes shall be made clear. Her delegates will be frank and open, and I hope any misunderstanding will be •wept away. 1 should have liked to . have gone to the Conference as a delebut political conditions at home prevent it. There ia an opening of the • f " Diet at the end of next month, when 'many questions will be brought up, such as Shantung and Siberia, which it is my desire to have settled at the earliest date, if possible during the early days of the Conference." ," Regarding Shantung, Mr Hara declared : ''We have approached a settler | ment with China in the friendliest spirit and hate proposed terms which we believe are fair and represent l the fullest concessions Japan can make. lam perplated to find a reason why China should not agree to our terms." Regarding Siberia, Mr Hara said that until recently many Governments had been, formed in Siberia which were not sufficiently stable to preserve order and .peace. The Par Eastern Republic of ' Chita was the only one likely to maintain order. "I am desirous of with- " drawing the' Japanese troops from Si-. . bona, but we must have the Chita Government's assurance that the Far East j Republic will not countenance the Bolshevik movement or propaganda. We | must be assured of the security jjf Japanese lives and property. We somehow are apprehensive that Chita is in' close , communication with the Lenin Government, and may co-operate with them. A basis must be found, and I am satisfied it will be found, for a satisfactory settlement. It, is my desire that these shall be concluded while the Washington Conference is in pro- - grtsa" .- • Referring to disarmament, Mr c Hara. VBaid: "Japan is no exception.' All nations find it ruinous, and burdensome -•: to go on building larger navies. The Japanese people are just as anxious for the limitation of armaments as the ■' United States and England. lam con- . fident it- will be but a short time when Japan's motives will be understood - through the action of her delegates." ■ ■ *. r ' £. AN AMBASSADOR'S TRIBUTE. \i .. —— '.. § (Received November 6th, 11.40 p.m.) vsf NEW YORK, November 6. : 'cjir\ The Washington correspondent of the York Times" says the Hon. K. ';Shidehara, Japanese Ambassador to » iu a statement said: "A. ;"J,v great and good man bos been taken from J|s£Japar>. a 1; a time in his career when he least be spared. It will now be l|pl&£f orthy tributo to his memory to |||}-cai£y frrward tho Pacific policy to yjjyhich Mr Hara has been committed."

EFFECT AT WASHINGTON. THE JAPANESE DELEGATES. (Received Noveml>er 6tli. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, November o. Mr Adachi Kinnoßiike, writing in the •'New York Herald," declares that the consensus of opinion of the Japanese delegates is that Mr Hara's assassination will not affect Japan's programme at the Armaments Conference. He points out that Japanese participation was not exclusively a Government enterprise, out was backed by the people while Yiscsunt Kato, who was Mr Hara's greatest political enemy, had promised his fullest support. Other correspondents declare that several members of the Japanese d3leincluding Prince Tokugawa. rfe<eived threatening letters before their (departure. Late Tokyo despatches stalp that the is demented. ADMIRAL KATO RESIGNS. (Received November 6th, 11.40 p.m.) NEV YORK, November G. The 'Washington correspondent of the 'New York Times" says that Admiral T'jinasbnro Kato, one of the dolecrates to the Conference, telegraphed his resignation to the Japanese Government, but this is considered a mere matter of formality and more in his capacity of Minister for Marine than as head of Japan's delegation. It is believed the resignation will not be accepted since it is felt that if Admiral Kato wore now in Japan he would be iippointed Premier. DEAD PREMIER'S CAREER. Mr Takashi Hara took office as Premier of Japan on September 30th, 1918. He was the first "commoner" Premier, previous holders of the office having been of the Peerage. He was born at Morioka in the prefecture of Iwate, in 1854, and, as a youth, he studied at the now defunct Law College and the Foreign Language School, but left before graduating. He then took to journalism, and was on the staff of the "Hochi Shimbun" in the early "eighties." Later he entered the Consular service, and was appoint, ed Consul at Tientsin. In 1886 lie was promoted Secretary to the Japanese Legation in Paris, and subsequently became Charge d'Affaires there. On returning to Japan he was appointed personal Secretary to the Marquis Inouye, Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. ,He continued his secretarial duties under Count Mutsu, who held that portfolio from 1890 to 1892. Mr Hara then went with his chief to the Foreign Office, and was appointed Director or the Commercial Bureau. In 1895 he became Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, end in the following year was appointed Minister to Korea, which post he resigned to become chief editor of the Osaka "Manichi Shimbun." Pie was one of the chief supporters of the late Prince Ito, who founded the Seiyu-kai Party in August, 1900. In the fourth Ito Cabinet, Mr Hara was appointed Minister of Communications, and, on the fall of the Ministry in May, 1901, he became editor of the Osaka "Shimpo." In January, 1900y he was appointed Minister of Home Affairs in the first Saionji Cabinet. The Ministry was defeated in 1908, and Mr Hara then paid visits to Europe and America. When the Marquis Saionji formed his second Cabinet A 1911. Mr Hara again took the portfolio of Home Affaire, as well as the Presidency of the Railways Board. He was also Minister of Home Affaira in the Cabinet of Admiral Yamamoto in 1913-14. On the fall of tho Cabinet of Field-Marshal Terauchi in 1918, Mr Hara was commissioned to form ft Ministry, and so became Japan's first commoner Premier. Mr Hara had been leader of the Seivu-kai smce the death of the Marquis Saionji.