The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-01-27
JAPAN'S NAVY
HAS GRAFT
SCANDAL
German Convicted Of BlaclSmail
in Berlin Makes Charges That
His Company Paid japanese
Naval Officers Commissions to
Secure Contracts for Building
Japanese warships. Is

Jupahese Wdfsnnps.
- ~,
TOXIC, January 2a.--(By Special
Cable to the Nippu Jiji ~ Today 5 issne
Of the Toxic Jill, one Of the most in.
mental Journals in the japanese cap.
ital, prints Berlin dispatch exposing
the existence Of an alleged graft ring
in the Japanese Navy. The news came
MS n profound surprise 20 the general
public, and has ereated sensa ion 10
official as well as other circles.
Following is the dispatch printed in
the Toxic Jill, under Berlin date
line;
'Tho trial in Berlin court Of one
Richter, a former clerk employed in
the Toxic branch OF tho Semens
Schubert Company, today ended in
verdict of guilty. Richter was at once
sentenced TO one year at hard labor
in prison.
Theft and blacknail were the
charges preferred against the prisoner.
The evidence introduced went to show
that while he was employed in his com
pany s branch Office in japan, in some
unlawful manner Richter secured secret
letters which belonged to the company,
and from which he gained the knowl.
edge Of the existing graft ring in the
Japanese Navy. lie secured a written
agreement, among other papers, where,
in his company promised to pay to Ger
tain officers of the Japanese Navy lib.
eral commissions in the event that they
would arrange to have one of the .Japa.
nese tattleships built in the company's
yards.
Names Are Mentioned.
Lieutenant Admirals Iwasaki and
Full, both prominent in naval affairs.
were mentioned by Richter as having
teen mixed up with the company. TO
prove this beyond doubt, Richter "a
quoted as having said that personal
letters hearing the signatures Of the
officers named are in his possession.
Richter made several attempts TO
hlackmail tho directors of the Sicmens
Schubert Company, intimating that re.
fusal on. the part Of the directors 10
pay liberal sums for the letters would
DO followed by the publication of the
letters The company became embar.
rassed Mt these threats, and finally
brought criminal proceedings against
Richter IL was during the trial Of
Richtpr that the charges Of graft IN
the japanese Navy were brought out. !,
Opposition ATTACKS Ministry.
The Berlin, dispatch was seriousIy
considered and discussed by the mem
bers Of the Japanese Diet today. Dep
MY Sapura Shtnada, leader Of the new.
lylaanched Constitutional party and a
member of the budget committee, took
advantage Of the exposure of the scan.
dal ny making an attack upon the pres
ent ministry. When the committee con
yened this afternoon he made several
inquiries as to the responsibility of the
minister OF the navy in connection with
the exposure, In answer to Shimada' Is
inquiries Baron Minoru Saito. minister
OF the navy, made the following reply.
This talk of alleged graft reached
my ears two months ago when tho man
ager of the Seimens Schubert Company.
accompanied the German consul general
here. They told me Of the news. The
manager at that time said that a for.
mer employe had stolen certain letters
and threatened the company to expose
oil their secrets unless liberal sums were
paid for the letters. Y. ~.
81 saito Not Worried. 3.
"I was not bit worried over the
news, as believed and always will
believe firmly in the uprightness aud
reliability of our naval officers. There.
fore J said to the manager that any al,
tempt by any man TO expose alleged
scandal in the japanese navy will not
perturb our naval officers. Then the
manager left the house. -
The fact that the Japanese govern
ment enters into contract with for
eign shipbuilding concern through nego-
tiating with the Japanese ambassador
whenever new vessel is to be ordered,
the naval minister asserted, would make
u impossible for any naval officer to
receive the commission fees, as alleged
by Richter.
"The blame for the unbecoming con-
duet on the part of the foreign con
cern, declared Minister Saito, ''can
alone be fastened to said company and
not to our officers. = e.n'.,
The explanation by Saito was receiv-
ed with cheers by the Seiyu-kai, mem
bers of the budget committee, who are
supporting the present military, while
the opposition members groaned. The
scene IN the committee room was excit-
ing.
At the conclusion of tho discussion
Minister Saito made it known that
full investigation into the ugly charges
is already being made by special repre-.
sentatives Of the Japanese naval depart.
ment and that before long the facts that
not an officer of the japanese navy had
tho slightest connection with the alleg-
ed graft win be made known.
A. NJ
M** xx* i k**k**
VIII. ,,,-.n .,# .r X