BITTERNESS IN JAPAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 9

BITTERNESS IN JAPAN.

Sp-NATIONAL-' ELECTIONS. t- ACRIMONIOUS CAMPAIGN. . PREMIER NOT SECURE. ?/ 'AMERICAN EXCLUSION BILL v ~ . —- - | PARTIES IN LAST HOUSE. If ' By Telegraph —Presa Association Copyright fMr\ : ~ ""* '-''■ ?■■ (Received €.5 p.m.V ,l Si'!' JL. and N.Z.' ' TOKIO.' May 9. On the eve of the national 'election's, ;5 ; 'which will be held to-morrow, one of the | most,, hitter political campaigns =in -:/' Japanese modem history is drawing to a Sl'-: ' close. Over 1000, candidates are standing for the 464 seats in the House of Repreijjjs .' «entatives. , _■. __ . "* ;;''. \ The United States immigration . issue, injected toward the end of the campaign, |;'".' made discussions excessively acrimonious, IS;.'' and attacks upon the Government came #4''-' from all sides. ..'-,v ■"''/-;■ ■'■•'■■ ■...■■■r lp The Seiyohonto Party, ;••'. the insurgent ; ; : ! clique which broke away from the Seyu--•y leal Party four months ago, is contesting .. with the parent organisation for plural control in the new House. The Seiyohonto : ; : is, nevertheless, regarded as a Government party supporting Viscount Kiyoura, whose tenure of office is believed to he . doomed owing to the American exclusion K' bill. * ■* '.'■'• \ Viscount Kiyoura depends upon a V .'■ coalition of the Seiyohonto and Seyukai :'•;;. parties for a majority : control in the V..'" ■ House.-. .->-".i ■ ■ ■ '";-■■■ ; ■=■' '•>•'- iV. : . The strength of the various parties in the last House ■ was as follows: — ** Seiyohonto : .. ... 142 ' ', , ' Seyukai ■/"'. . . . . 138 j,' •.' : •.• " Kenseikai *;' -. . . . ;'■' ... HI '~'..' ■;• . ! Kakushin V- ~ . .... ''. 29 : .', Independents .....; .. 44 y -. ; J lt is estimated that the average cost of each candidate's campaign will total ap- "■ proximately 40,000 yen. This will make the election the most expensive in Japanese history.- ; '' i -£. MINISTRY ; UNPOPULAR. POLLING DAY INCIDENTS. / BLOODSHED IN PROVINCES. .'-■'■ v : fvwi-'>;.:':''■•. (Received 1.5 a.m) s.'v '' Eeuter. ;-/«;* TOKIO, May 10. >> . ; The elections are being fought mainly, . if not solely, on the ; . question as ':.- to '■: ; whether ..the .present, ;'privileged class" Government enjoys the confidence of the* country,; and whether the electorate en-,. • dorses the illegal dissolution of the Diet. : ' All are united ;in th% effort,to overthrow the Ministry, van ? agreement to that end . having been reached by the leaders of the :.,;... .three' major opposing • groups, ' the Seyakai, Genseikai and Kakushin. >,', Separate'/party• programmes, such as are familiar in the West, practically do not exist in Japan, or if they do, their differences are negligibly slight, and the appeal to- the electorate features-the popular cry; "Universal' suffrage, constitutional government, and Upper- House re- . form." ; The issue is thus purely domes: tic,, relations with foreign Powers not being <laken into consideration. The voting passed off quietly in Tokio, ",-., but reports from the provinces indicate '"•'• . that excitement; reigned in many places, sometimes ending in bloodshed. The greatest interest ' centred at Moribkaj where M. -: Takahashi, . president of the Seyukai Party, faced the hottest struggle. •..- • More than 800 canvassers were arrested for, alleged violations of the election law. The counting of. the votes takes place to- .■■;■; .. morrow. ■■-.. i,u, ~ • •-.■ ; .;y-^v> : w'' ii: : --- - ; ■;■ ■"'