PALL-BEARERS STRIKE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 14 June 1926, Page 7

PALL-BEARERS STRIKE.

AT EX-EMPEROR’S FUNERAL. POLICE PREPARED FOR. TROUBLE BY CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGHT. TOKIO, June 12. In anticipation of a serious uprising on the occasion of the funeral of. the ex-Emperor of Korea, the police at Seoul raided the headquarters of the malcontents and seized documents affording proof that the funds were supplied from the Vladivostock headquarters of the Third International for the purpose of fomenting a Communistic demonstration revolt during the funeral. Many thousands of Koreans from all parts of Korea and Japan flocked to Seoul. The police were strongly reinforced, 3000 guarding the rout© of the funeral. Many malcontents were gaoled as the result of the police, raids, but only the leaders were kept in prison.

The funeral was the largest ever seen in the Orient, more than 30.000 walking in the procession. The coffin was enclosed in a huge wooden panoply carried on the shoulders of 200 pall-bear-ers.

The coffin was followed by Viscount Matsura, representing, the Japanese Emperor. Then came the Prince and Princess, followed by representatives of Tokio diplomatists and thousands of visitors and professional weepers. Over a quarter of a .million visitors entered the city to view the procession. When: nearing the funeral place the precession was thrown into confusion by a. body of students attempting to distribute inflammatory literature. The students joined in, shots adding to the disturbance. • During the procession the whole of the pall-bearers struck, alleging that they had been ill-treated, and abandoned the catafalque on the road two miles from the grave. Coolies were hastily despatched from Seoul to replace the strikers while the cortege waited.