The Wanganui Chronicle SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1932. DISCORD IS JAPAN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 118, 21 May 1932, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1932. DISCORD IS JAPAN.

ynn shocking thing about the recent assassination o£ the Japanese Premier is that it caused no shock. Why did it not do so? Japan is a discord, spiritually, economically, politically; that is the reason for the frequent political assassinations to which the world has become accustomed. Spiritually, Japan has probably always looked outside itself. As far back as the Sixteenth Century this has been so, for then, when the Jesuit missionary, Father Xavier, entered that country he found that the Japanese were strongly influenced in all their opinions and judgments by the example of China : Japan had, indeed, taken over its religion, its writing, and almost all its spiritual culture from China. In Xavier’s verbal battles with the Buddhist priests he was often confronted with the declaration that the doctrine of the Christian “Deus” could not be the right one as the Chinese knew nothing of it; this argument seldom failed in its effect on the Japanese audiences. Right down to modern times it was the Chinese who have been the artistic originators, while the Japanese have been the imitators. This is the basis for the Chinese feelings of spiritual and intellectual superiority over the Japanese. This imitative mind, this continuous process of looking outwards, naturally fitted the Japanese to adopt quickly the industrial technique of the Western nations. Japanese achievements in this regard have been stupendous. But these achievements have retained all the defects inherent in adaptations. Japan’s growing population lias taxed the food producting capacity of the soil to the utmost, and peasants find to-day considerable difficulty in carrying on without going further into debt.

The food requirements of Japan have forced intensive farming to such a degree that the law of diminishing returns is operating namely, that the return for further investment in fertilisers and improvements of the soil grows progressively less. The prices for rice and other produce is so low that the peasants are at discord with the land-owners. The result of this is that the call of the factories is heeded and the old family or clan relationship upon which Japanese society is based is being broken down. The urban areas are attracting the men and Tokio today contains 55 per cent, of males to 45 per cent, of females. The anomaly in this respect provided by Japan is that whereas the peasants are a conservative element in most countries, in Japan they provide the radical element.

Sueh a condition of disturbed spiritual and economic life must naturally react upon the political life. Japan does not know which way to go, whether forward or backward. The last General Election was conducted on the basis of universal suffrage but the extension of the suffrage is too new yet to have any marked effect upon the election results. Feudalism does not die in a generation. In some respects it still lingers on in England; Japan only started to leave Feudalism seventy years ago. Nepotism is still strong in politics. Nationalism in Japan is comparatively new, consequently international Socialism has no appeal. But a mixture of Nationalism and Socialism has emerged in some ways similar to the Nazi movement in Germany. A National Socialist Party was formed on April 15 and one of its objects is to exploit the growing reactions to the situation in Manchuria. Many young military officers believe that Manchuria should be developed as a national estate and not provide a field for capitalistic exploitation. This movement has started with a membership of 42.000, with the support of the Farmers’ Union, and other unions, and a section of the Labour Farmer Masses Party, is expected to join. Forty-five per cent, of the Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party formed the nucleus of the National Socialist Party.

It is possible that this new movement has in some way fomented the recent assassination. The scenes in Japan change so quickly, harmony cannot be attained. The many patriotic societies which exist in the Land of the Rising £un is but proof of their need. The internal discord demands this specialised endeavour to attain national harmony by the call of patriotism. The failure to attain to this national harmony is unfortunately written in the blood of many of Japan’s public men. It is, indeed, regrettable that the harmonising of the discord which is Japan, is by no means within sight. Japan possibly has a long road to travel before it attains internal noise and peace.