FURTHER VICTIMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22356, 29 February 1936, Page 13

FURTHER VICTIMS

five statesmen dead COMPROMISE WITH REBELS RETURNING TO BARRACKS Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright TOKIO. Feb. 27 Although Tokio is lying under a mantle of snow and outwardly is calm, the Government buildings and the banks are still heavily guarded and the stock exchanges have been closed. Mr. F. Goto, formerly Minister of the Interior, now acting-Prime Minister, spent the night with the other members of the Cabinet in the quarters of the Imperial Household within the Palace grounds, fearing fresh attempts at assassination. Reports are widespread that military "patriots" still have a number of statesmen and others on their "death lists." Tenderness Toward Assassins The authorities negotiated with the assassins, whose soldiers were supplied with food pending the outcome of the conference. Some foreign observers consider that the extraordinary tenderness the authorities apparently are displaying toward the assassins is partly due to the Japanese tradition that murder is justifiable when, committed for patriotic motives. It is now certain that the following five statesmen perished:— Admiral Oka da, Prime Minister. Viscount Saito, Keeper of the Privy Seal. Admiral Suzuki, Grand Chamberlain. General Watanabe, ex-Inspector-General, Military Education. Mr. K. Takahashi, Minister of Finance. How Prince Saionji Escaped It is announced that Mr. Takahashi died of wounds shortly after being attacked. The Emperor has sent a personal message of sympathy to Mr. Takahashi's family. Viscountess Saito received injuries to one hand when defending her husband. Prince Saionji, the 90-year-old adviser of the Emperor, somehow heard of the plot and took refuge in the house of the Governor of Shizuoka before the soldiers reached his country villa. The whole of yesterday's proceedings were carefully kept secret. They were rehearsed a fortnight ago. Reported Attitude of Authorities It is officially announced that the Army authorities reached a compromise with the rebels responsible for the assassinations, who agreed to return to barracks by eight o'clock to-morrow morning. Groups of soldiers are already making their way back to their regimental units. It is understood that the compromise permits only the rank and file to return to their regiments. Officers will be given an opportunity of deciding whether to submit to trial or make I other proposals for their disposition, j Motor lorries continue to bring food supplies to the rebels. The opinion is spreading that Japanese officials are sympathetically disposed to the motives of the rebels, while insisting on the maintenance of I discipline. Government troops are I erecting barricades at strategic points | in the city. JAPAN IN MOURNING MURDERED NOTABLES \ VISCOUNTESS SAITO'S ORDEAL TOKIO, Feb. 27 Admiral Okada's body was removed to-day from the Prime Minister's sumptuous official residence to his modest home in accordance with his son's wishes. General Watanabe's schoolboy son will be chief mourner at his father' 6 obsequies. Viscountess Saito, in ceremonial white mourning, sits, like a statue, beside, the body of her murdered husband, of whom and of the late Admiral Okada the Japan Times writes: "Japan mourns as irreplaceable these national treasures."" The critical situation has led to the cancellation of the British Royal Air Force goodwill flight to Japan, and the machines are now in Chinese waters. WASHINGTON VIEWS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ASSASSINATIONS DEPLORED WASHINGTON. Feb. 27 Official comment on the developments in Tokio was restrained at to-day s ( press conference. The acting-Secretary jof State, Mr. W. Phillips, said the ( ! department deeply regretted the assasi si nations. He expressod the opinion that i the rising would not have an adverse effect upon the London Naval Conference. Beyond this be declined to comment. Several members of Congress were outspoken in condemning the officers responsible for the coup. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Mr. S. D. Mcßeynolds, said he greatly regretted to see the conditions existing in ( Japan, especially the assassinations of leading civil officials. If the running of the Government was left to the civil authorities it would mean much to the peace of the world, especially in the j Orient. f Mr. Elbert Thomas (Democrat member of the Senate for Utah), who for many years was resident in the Far East, said be did not believe the revolt carried a definite threat to world peace. He expressed the belief that Japanese c public opinion, as evidenced at the recent elections, was opposed to rule by terror and that the coup was engineered by a small group of over-ambitious persons. ________