JAPANESE SUICIDE PACT

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1937, Page 7

JAPANESE SUICIDE PACT

“LET US DIE LEAGUE.” [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] (Recd. February 18, ftoon.) . TOKIO, February-.17n As a protest against “rotten, religious and political circles,” five young men belonging to the “Let. Us Dio League,” caused a sensation in the city, by trying to commit .suicide by hara-kiri, some in front of the Imperial Palace, and others in the Diet. It is reported that 28 members of the League, including several girls., entered a death pactj to attract attention to the cause of freedom of conscience. . - : ‘ ’

ARMS EXPENDITURE OPPOSED. (Recd. February 18, at.2 p.m.) TOKIO, February. 17. . The former Minister of Justice, Mr. Yukio Ozaki, in the crowded House of Representatives, demanded reasons for the increased defence appropriations, which are £18,000,000 in excess of last year, despite scaling down';,..He said that no crisis was imminent ih the Near East., . Japan need, not increase heF : ai;h?am ( sfibjild, if Russia desired, conclude a non-aggres-sion pact with her, acting similarly regarding England and America. M. Ozaki denounced the JapaneseGerman anti-Communist agreement, as useful to Germany, but useless to Japan. General Hayashi replied, attributing the increased appropriations to the strained international situation, following the Manchurian incident. .