Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-06

q
sugar hrm, were searched for evil
dence as to an alleged deal in which
off1cers or the two concerns had divided
S9OOQOO, representing the difference in
the actual and reported purchase price
of the Dairi sugar mill near Moii.
During the last week in April the
scandal first publicly touched the diet.
A score of members of the diet-some
of the Constitutionalist party and some.
Of the Progressist party-were arrested
on charges of irregularities as mem
bers of committees in charge of bills
affecting the interests of the Dai Nip
pom. Their designations as members
Of the diet were handed in before the
preliminary trials were held. At the
preliminary trials testimony showed
that the difference between the bid
and asked prices for the votes of men,
bers of the diet on the sugar duty re-
imbusement bills was wide when a
Constitutiondlist member proposed to
the company a scheme of wholesale
bribery as the only path toward the
relief of Dai Nippon. One member
wanted $4,000 for his vote. Some
members sold as low as $1,000 after
much bargaining. With one exception
the accused were committed for pub
lie trial.
As by-products of the chief scandal
new scandals developed. 1t was
learned that directors of the sugar
company and members of parliament
had been leading gay lives. Two di-
rectors had been spending $500 a
month at certain Toxic tea house of
questionable character. The candor
with which some Of the accused per-
sons confessed having accepted money
caused a ferment in the Japanese
press. The Toxic Asahi declared that
whereas formerly persons in lower
walks of life in Japan committed
crimes against individuals, those high
in authority were now drinking at
the thieves fountain" Another jour-
nal, the, Nippon. charged the govern
ment with responsibility for the un-
wholesome atmosphere in political cir
cles, stating that while the press had
fought corruption the courts had not
done their part.
Answers of some of the accused per-
sons, signed by them and the procura-
tor, depicted astounding scenes of
dabauchery as the framing of the pic
ture of bribe giving and taking. The
money was in some cases divided
among the bribe receivers at tea
houses, where the midnight-and all
night-debauche described recall the
structures of Cicero upon the revel-
ries of degenerate Romans at the
house of Marcus Lepidus. A flash of
COllGQY DIS INTRODUCED llllO LIlC lGI-
ord by the statement of one of the
accused that after he had received his
allotted portion of the "swag" a bur-
glar had entered his room and re-
lieVed him of it. So conservative
journal as the Jill Shimpo of Toxic
declared with heat that the disgrace
full exposures of the conduct of mem
bers of the imperial diet were trace
able to the attitude of the govern
TNF 7h-iF
dustries and creating monopolies had
encouraged schemes of corruption.
At the public trials of the members
of the diet the examination of accused
persons was characterized by damag
ing admissions rather than positive
denials. The legal adviser of the
sugar company testified that he had
bribed a Constitutionalist member.
The member of parliament took the
witness stand and asserted that this
was untrue, but admitted having re-
ceived a "year-end present" and hav-
ing borrowed a sum for election eX-
penses, giving as security an un-
Singned promissory note. Another had
received a sum of money for his ex-
penses on journey to America, but
he declared that he was not "a man
of such low character as to receive
money in the circumstances mentioned
in the verdict at the preliminary ex-
animation" Still aonther statesman
admitted that he had received $4,000
in a parcel left without an eXplana-
ton by a director of the Dai Nippon
company after a conversation in
which his protectionist views had been
warmly indorsed by the man who had
the parcel In his pocket. He thought
the money was left to be used for
propaganda purposes" A member
of the diet who was asked to explain
a transaction in which he was al
legged to have received money testified
that his memory was not clear upon
the point, because he arrived at the
rendezvous quite drunk and fell asleep
on the floor while the transaction was
under discussion.
The attitude of the average Japan
ese toward the ibe-taking members
of the imperial diet Is the reverse of
that Of q Westerner. 1t is held that
while there has hardly been a question
as to the guilt of the men accused,
since the first disclosures were made,
men of such lofty station should not
be treated as common criminals. EX-
posure, it is contended, brings its own
punishment. Political extinction and
obloquy are sufficient. 1t Is explained
that the Japanese sense of honor is so
fine that a man disgraced Is a man
we'll punished. Yet at the trial the
men accused of crookedness did not
bear themselves as if they We're utter
ly crushed. On the contrary they pre-
sented, as rule, smiling faces. Sugar
and scandal seem to be always con-
nected.
TomorrOw-The Empire of Japan. V. Uso
of Printers Ink. IL