POLITICS IN JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 12

POLITICS IN JAPAN

The outcome of the political crisis in Japan has been a victory for the military leaders. For some months the Hirota Ministry had maintained an uncertain existence. When the Diet assembled in December last in the newly-completed Houses of Parliament in Tokio it was said to be the opinion of many that the time had come for all political parties to unite in asserting the right of Parliament to influence the Cabinet, especially in opposing the usurpation of domestic government by the chiefs of the army and the navy. A more cynical •comment was that the new building was finished just in time to see the passing of parliamentary government from Japan. When the Diet reassembled on January 21 it was clear that there was to be a concentration of attack upon the Government. Indignation aroused by the swollen expenditure was increased by the announcement by the Minister of Finance that heavy new taxation would have to be levied to support the estimates of expenditure—of which the war services claim nearly 50 per cent.—and that Budget deficits must continue for some years. The Government was charged with being too much under the influence of the army, and with yet lacking the confidence and support of the army. The Minister of War, Genera] Terauchi, declared that the army had been insulted by the suggestion that it wanted a dictatorship. The War Office issued a statement in which it declared: " It is essential to implement the defence programme and renovate the Administration. It is regrettable that the politicians are acting only in their own interests and are becoming slaves to the . maintenance of the status quo." In this atmosphere of recrimination, with

politician and militarist ranged in opposing camps, the Cabinet resigned and the Emperor summoned General Ugaki, the veteran former Governor-General of Korea, to form a Government. But the choice was not favoured by the army and navy. General Ugaki found it impossible to select a Minister of War of whom the army was prepared to approve, and had to abandon the idea of forming a Cabinet. He conformed to Japanese ethics by attributing his failure to " lack of personality and virtue," and surrendering his military rank by way of protest against the army's opposition. General Hayashi, a former Minister of War, was then entrusted with the task, which he has completed, of forming a Cabinet. The army and navy seem to be satisfied with Ministerial appointments which ensure a vigorous championship of their interests and a resistance of any opposition to the estimates for either of these forces. Where the fighting services are concerned the democratic character of the Japanese parliamentary system is least apparent. They army chiefs have declared for a purge of politics. They repudiate Fascist aspirations, speak of desiring to ensure constitutionalism representing the national will, and have expressed ,the hope that the purification of political circles will enable the army to devote itself to defence, its essential mission. The political parties represented in the Diet have no 'faith in these assurances and suspect a formidable threat expressed by;the Tokio correspondent of The Times in the statement that " the real issue is whether the Diet is to retain, the powers it has won in thirty years or is to become a mere instrument for registering executive decisions." The politicians believe that the army desires to abolish party government. Uneasiness attends the approach of the anniversary! of February 26 with a revival of memories of a regime of martial law twhich lasted for several months. While no doubt there is a need of administrative reform—a commission dealing with that question having been appointed by the late Government, —in face of constitutional hindrances, and of the power which the army, and navy are able to exercise, the difficulties confronting any political party in Japan animated by progressive ideas are certainly very great.