JAPANESE CRISIS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8363, 25 February 1913, Page 8

JAPANESE CRISIS

PREMIER’S STATEMENT PLEDGES HIMSELF TO ADOPT SEIYU-KAI PLATFORM. B» Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright TOKIO, February 23. In connection with the political crisis, all the Ministers attended a meeting of the Seiyu-Kai (Liberal) party. The Premier (Mr Yamamoto) declared that he would follow, the party’s platform. He also pledged himself to adopt the policy of the Marquis Saionji, an ex-Premier. Of late years Japanese party distinctions have been more clear in name than m policy. The chief party is known as the Seiyu-Kai, or Constitutional Political Association. It was formed in 1900 by the Miu-quis Ito, and has ever since been numerically the strongest party in the Lower House, Whether nominally ‘ in power or not, the Seiyu-Kal have always commanded the situation in the last resort. The position of parties at the beginning of 1908 was as follows: Seiyu-Kal (Liberals), T 92; Progressists, 67; JEtoshu (Commercial party), 42; Yusbia-Kai (Independents), 4A; Daido (Conservative party), 31. In 1910 the Progressists and the lioshin combined to form the Rikken Kokumm-To, or Constitutional Popular party. The position of parties after this re-arrangement was: Seiyu-Kal, 201; Bikfcen Kokumin-To, 92; Central Club, 50; Independents, 33. At the beginning of 1911 Prince Katsura, whose Cabinet had not up to that time commanded a majority in the Diet, declared his adherence to the principle of party government, and formally allied himself to the Seiyu-Kai. Prince Katsura resigned office in August, 1911, and recommended the re-appoint-ment of his predecessor, the Marquis Saionji. The general election of 1912 resulted as follows: Seiyu-Kai, 217; Koku-min-To. 96; Central Club, 32; Independents, 37. What happened to the Saionji Cabinet is described in the “Japan Weekly Chronicle” on December 26th, 1912. That paper says: “The Nippon’ describes the present political crisis as the second political Revolution of Japan, and violently denounces Prince Katsura. The Tokio journal writes that the ‘stupid Prince Yamagata,' who was instrumental in destroying the Saionji Cabinet, has been played with by the ’ ‘ambitious Prince Katsura’ when the formation of a 'new Cabinet came to be considered. Prince Yamagata first approached Marquis Matenkata with the request to form a Cabinet; then Admiral Count Yamamoto, and then Baron Hirata. In the meantime Prince Katsura had been laying obstacles in the way of Prince Yamagata,. who has been thus deprived of a chance of bringing forward Count Terauchi, whom he had chosen in his own mind as successor to Marquis Saionji. Prince Yamagata may claim to be the leader of the Choshu statesmen, but in reality he is now nothing more than an old soldier. The ‘ Japanese people will now try to drive him off the Board of the Supreme Command of the Army and Navy (Gensui-fu) and from the Chair of President of the Privy Council. “What Prince Katsura has done is more detestable than the action of Prinoo Yamagata, says the ‘Nippon.' He has induced Prince Yamagata to break up the Saionji Cabinet, privately assisting him in the task by pulling the wires in the Imperial Court. When the plan proved successful, he made the conference of Elder Statesmen end in nothing, and at last has compelled the office of Premier to fall into his own hands. The artifice resorted to by Prince Katsura is detestable. What the public should not forget, says the ‘Nippon,’ is the fact that in carrying out such artifices Prince Katsura has abused the offices of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Grand Chamberlain, which he holds. The Elder Statesmen are no longer worthy of troubling about; their ability is of no value. Prince Katsura’s action oneos up the evil system of involving the Imperial Court in politics, and the responsibility of the Elder Statesmen in so carelessly recommending a man of such character to responsible office in the Imperial Count must be questioned. A few months after his appointment to the offices in the Court he has been allowed to take the Government in his hands. The ‘Nippon’ asks the 50,000,000 people of Japan how they regard this present state of things.” , When M. Wakasuki Beijiro, Minister for Finance in the Japanese Cabinet, presented his Budget on February 6th the Opposition violently attacked the Premier. Prince Katsura, as unfit to hold a constitutional Premiership. Prince Katsura replied amid uproar, and read an Imperial Edict adjourning the Diet Crowds outside cheered the Opposition and threw out the seceders to Prince Katsura’s party from a rickshaw and attempted to duck them in the canal. On February 10th serious noting occurred in the vicinity of Parliament. Attempts were made to wreck and burn bureaucratic newspaper offices. Gendarmes sabred the rioters, six of whom were killed or severely wounded. On February 11th it was reported that Prince Katsura’s Cabinet had resigned. Mr Yamamoto, the banker who was formerly Minister for Finance in the Saionji Cabinet, became Premier with a coalition Ministry. This was said to indicate an advance in the nation s political evolution, the downfall of the Elder Statesmen’s influence, and diminution ot the prestige of the Crown. A later message, however, stated that no Ministry had yet been formed to succeed the Katsura Cabinet The Liberals decided not to support the new Prime Minister, Hr Yamamoto, unless all the Ministers, with the exception of the Premier and the Minister tor War and Marine, were selected from among their own following. Mr Yamamoto repued to these demands by pointing out that the Liberal party does not contain the whole of the Ministerial talent of-thc country.