POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11826, 12 May 1924, Page 7

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

BITTER FEELING IN JAPAN ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSIONS AND ATTACKS ON GOVERNMENT. CONTEST FOR CONTROL. Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. C:ib : e Association. (Received Mav 11, 5.5 p.m ) ‘ TOKIO. May' 9. On the eve of the national elections which take piaco to-morrow one of th< bitterest political campaigns in modes e Japanese history is drawing to a close, More than a thousand candidates art standing for 464 seats in tin* House oj Representatives. The immigration rasuc with America, which was introduced towards the end of the campaign made the discussions excessively acrimonious, and attacks upon the Government came from alt sides. The iaciy<>Ilonto party, bong the insurgent clique which hioko from Soiyn-K.ai narty tour months ago, is contesting with Mh . parent organisation for plurality con* trol in the new House. The SeiyoHonto party, nevertheless, is regarded os the Government party supporting the Kiyoura party whose tenure office is bvlicAed to he doomed as a result of the American exclusion act. The Kiyoura party depends upon tho coalition of Soiyo-Honto and Seiyu Kai parties for a majority control in the House. Thostrcngth of the various parties in the* late House was: Seiyo-Hontd 142, Sciyu-Kai 13S, Kenseik.ii 111, K.akushin, and Independents 44. It is estimated that the average coGt of each candidate's campaign will total approximately 40,000 yen, making this also the most expensive of Japanese elections

DOMESTIC STRUGGLE EFFORT TO OVERTHROW MINISTRY. FOREIGN POLICY NOT PART OF ISSUE. Australian and N.Z. Gable Association. (Received May 11, 11.5 p.m.) TOKIO, May 10. Tbe election is being iought mainly,if not solely, on the question of whether the present privileged class Government enjoys the confidence of the country and whether the electorate endorses the illegal dissolution of the Diet-. All parties are united in 'H effort to overthrow the Ministry, *n agreement to that end having been reached by the leaders ef the thr' * major groups, namely, Seiyu-Kal, Kenseikai and Kakushin club. At the time of the formation of the Ministry the separate party programmes such as wore then familiar in the west practically do not exist, or if they do the differences are negligibly slight and the appeal to the electorate features the popular cry of universal suffrage, constitutional Government and Upper House reform. The issue is thus purely a domestia one and the relations with foreign powers are not being taken into coni sideration. Voting passed off quietly in Tokio, but reports from the provinces indicate that excitement m many places sometimes ended in bloodshed. The greatest interest m centred at Morioka where Takahashi, president of the Sciyu-Kai Party, ia racing the hottest struggle. More than 800 canvassers have been arrested for alleged violation of the election law. The counting will take place tomorrow.