Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-07-30
PREMIER OKUMA
AND HIS CAB|Nrr1'
OFFER TO RESIGN
Japanese Crisis Follows With
draWal of Viscount Oura
Under Charges.
EMPEROR HAS NOT YET
ACCEPTED RESERVATIONS
Changes Not Favored Because
of War-Okuma Assumes
Responsibility.

|
| TOXIC, July 30-The Japanese
cabinet. headed by Count Okuma. as
premier. has rendered its resignation
| to Emperor Yoshihito. This action
followed the resignation yesterday of
| Niscount Kanetake Oura, minister of
the interior, following an investiga
tion by the ministry of justice into
bribery charges resulting from the
parliamentary elections last March,
! Viscount Oura s resignation was sano-
toned by the emperor after a report
on the situation had been made to
him by Count Okuma.
Premier Okuma. believing he should
hold himself responsible for the acts
of the members of his cabinet, was
the frs. to tender his resignation.
| The other ministers Immediately de-
cided to follow the example of their
| chief.
After receiving Count Okuma, the
emperor summoned the elder states
men Tor a conference. A cabinet
change at this time is unpopular with
the public because of the war.
Two cases have been mentioned as
responsible for the crisis. The first
was the charge that 10000 yen $4,000
! had been offered Viscount Oura by
price for keeping a rival candidate
out of the field. The minister of the
interior denied having accepted this
bribe, but X. Hayashida, chief sec
retary of the Lower House, who was
arrested Wednesday, has been quoted
as admitting receiving the money. and
distributing 1t for campaign purposes.
The second case involves two rep
resentatives charged with accepting
hpiI "A he Cal
servative party, and support the gov
ernment in its campaign for an in
crease In the army.
Several members and former men,
bers of the Imperial Diet are in
volved in the bribery investigation.
X. Hayshiyda, who had been chief
| secretary of the Lower House for
twenty years, was arrested Wednes-
day in connection with the charge
| against Viscount Oura, who was al
legged to have received a gift OF S5,-
600 from a candidate for membership
In the House.
! WASHINGTON, July 3O.--The Amer
lean embassy at Toxic has made nc
| extended report on the changes In ths
Japanese cabinet, because, II is under
stood. II involves purely internal
uueSLiOHS ana 0OlniDR III TelHLlOD fLO
Japan's attitude toward other powers.
TOXIC, July 3.-(CorreSpondence of
the Associated Press).-Japan early
this month Just escaped a ministerial
crisis, which grew out of the boycott
of Japanese in China. The elder
statesmen assembled at Toxic and
considered the advisability of certain
changes in the cabinet, including the
post of foreign minister, believing
that the retirement of Baron Kato
the occupant. might ease the sltu-
alton In China and pacify those who
blamed Baron Kato for the unfavor-
able situation in that country.
The fact that ex-Premier Marquis
Saionji came out of his retirement
and WAS In frequent consultation
caused a great stir and created the
belief that he was returning to power.
The elder statesmen, however, evi-
IDENTIFY did not desire to shoulder the
responsibility of conducting Japan's
future foreign policies, and the
danger of crisis was temporarily
averted by framing a series OF meas
ures for appeasing the Chinese, who
resorted to boycott as an answer to
what they termed Japan's aggressive
political policy in their country.
Premier Count Okuma made a
speech to encourage the business men
| of Japan, some OF whom are losing
| heavily by the Chinese boycott. He
declared that the existing war really
offered japan rare opportunity to
strengthen her economic situation.