JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 21

JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER

A TIRED, WEARY MAH Seated in his modest bungalow at Kamakura Beach—tho Brighton of Japan—Prince Konoye, Nippon’s new Premier, talked over the war situation with me, said a-special correspondent of the ‘ Sunday Chronicle ’ recently. Ho made a sincere plea for peace. “ My earnest hope is that tho Chinese will realise their true role as an Oriental race and co-operate with us who came from the same Asiatic stock,” ho said.

This tall, smiling, 46-year-old aristocrat, who is the leader of Japan’s War Cabinet, is no fire-eater. “ To preserve the peace of Eastern Asia,” ho went on slowly; “ that is tho true will and spirit of Japan. “ But you must remember wo do things in our own way. “ To-day tho army is the driving force of Japan. Our army is drawn from the whole manhood of the Japanese Empire.

“ It is close to the people, and knows what tho people feel; it is largely recruited from the sons of farmers. “ I am afraid there will be a long war. “ In that case the whole empire will be mobilised. For war purposes all Japan will become a totalitarian State. It will be the will of Japan to organise itself in this w r ay. “ But our foreign friends _ must realise that wo will always act in the Japanese way.” What Prince Konoye did not say was that his Government had not the deciding voice. The army is ruling today; tho Government has to obey—or go. Prince Konoye smiled again and went on to talk in his perfect English of more pleasant subjects. But for all his calm and outward assurance he is nervous. The Prince is a Liberal. Although he is now his country’s leader ho knows the war chiefs hold the real power. The army alone is planning to spend the staggering sum of £641,000,000 in the next six years. That is why Prince Konoye has lost weight since he assumed office. He is nervy, cannot sleep, suffers from constant ill-health. He is not happy in his job. He lives simply and humbly in his beach bungalow", refusing to take up residence in the “ murder-proof bouse of mantraps.” This is a bomb-proof building which tho Emperor had built for the head of his Government “ I am Premier of Japan,” smiled the Prince as he accompanied me to tho rough stone stairway which leads from tho rustic porch, “ but my w T ife rules mo with an iron hand. “ She won’t even let me eat raw r fish or take a cup of tea between meals.