Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-30
Inquiry Into Bribery Charges
Resulting From ParIiamen-
tary Elections the Cause.
COUNT 0KUMA, PREMIER,
FIRST TO GIVE UP PLACE
Holds Himself Responsible for Acts
of Members-Emperor Confers
With Elder Statesmen.

TOXIC, July 80, 2:15 PIN.
The Japanese cabinet, headed by
Count Okuma as premier, has
rendered its resignation to En-
perior Yoshihito. This action, fol-
lowing the resignation yesterday
of Niscount Kanetake Oura, min
lister Of the interior, followed an
investigation by the minister of
justice into bribery charges re-
sulting from the parliamentary
elections last March. Viscount
Ouras resignation was sanctioned
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
| first to tender his resignation. The
other ministers Immediately decided to
follow the example of their chief.
After receiving Count Okuma the en-
peror summoned the elder statesmen
| for a conference. A cabinet change at
this time is unpopular with the public
because of the war.
Two Cases Cause Crisis.
Two cases have been mentioned as
responsible for the crisis. The first
| was the charge that 10000 yen (s5.o00
had been offered Viscount Oura by
| candidate for the house as the price
for keeping a rival candidate out of
| the field. The minister of the interior
denied having accepted this bribe. but
K. Hayashida, chief secretary of the
lower house, who was arrested We'd
nesday. has been quoted as admitting
receiving the money and distributing
1t for campaign purposes.
The second case involves two repre-
sentatives charged with accepting
eribss to desert the smiyuka ts or con
ernment in it's campaign for an in
crease in the army.
Count Terauchi Mentioned.
The elder statesmen will meet to-
morrow, and it is considered probable
they will advise that Count Okuma be
invited to retain the Office of premier
and reconstruct the cabinet. The name
of Lieut.. Gen. Count Terauchi. gov
suggested. however, for the post of
premier.
Crisis Narrowly Avoided.
| Correspondence of the Associated Press.
TOXIC, Japan. July 3.-Japan early
| this month just escaped ministerial
crisis, which grew out Of the boycott
of Japanese in China. The elder states
men assembled at Toxic and consid-
cred the advisability of certain
changes in the cabinet, including the
post Of foreign minister. believing that
the retirement of Baron Kato. the oc-
| cupant, might ease the situation in
| China and pacify those who blamed
Baron Kato for the unfavorable situa-
ton in that country.
! The fact that ex-Premier Marquis
| Saionji came out of his retirement
! and was in frequent consultation
| caused great stir and created the
| belief that he was returning to power
! The elder statesmen. however, evil
IDENTIFY did not desire to shoulder the
future foreign policies and the danger
! of crisis was temporarily averted by
| framing a series of measures for ap-
peasing the Chinese who resorted to
| boycott as an answer to what they
termed Japan's aggressive political
policy in their country.
| Business Men Lose Heavily.
Premier Count Okuma made a speech
| to encourage the business men o6
| Japan. some of whom are losing heav-
lily by the Chinese boycott. He declared
that the existing war really offered
Japan a rare opportunity to strengthen
her economic situation.
| The end of the war. which he con-
sidered still very distant. would find the
| European belligerents exhausted. ia
pans foreign trade would benefit even
if Germany should be successful, which
| he said was not probable
| The premier said he was not fearful
| of the outcome. Germany could not
send troops to the far east and. he
added, "it would not be impossible to
make some arrangement with Ger
many to place the peace of the orient
on lasting footing"
No International Questions Involved
Purely internal questions of no pos
ward other powers are involved in the
| sweeping change of the cabinet, an
nounced in Toxic. according to we'll in
| formed Japanese here. For that reason
the United States embassy at Toxic has
not regarded it as necessary to make
any extended report on the subject to
| the State Department. AS one Japanese
official put it. a sort of moral house
cleaning has been going on in the Jap
anese cabinet. and the connection of
several of it's members with the brib-
| cry frauds has indicated a laXity on the
part of some others that determined
| the emperor and the elder statesman
! to make a sweeping change.
| Japan's foreign policies. it is said.
| will be in no wise affected by the
change in the cabinet, and the same
| statement is true of the extensive mill
/ tary program which was in process of
| development, even though Lieut.. Gen.
Count Terauchi should be called upon
to replace Count Okuma as premier.