Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-25
MOST EXCITING
ELECTION EVER
HELD IN JAPAN
Women Take Active Part in
Campaign Government
Probably Wins Through In
dependent Candidates,
tsy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL lr.sro w,arl

icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL trAstp WiRGI
Toxic, March 24-Closing an eX-
citing campaign during which the
wives of several candidates at Toxic
made personal visits and appeals to
! the voters. a general election was held
to-day throughout the Japanese en-
Ipirc to choose a new house of repre-
Isentatives.
/ The last hodse was dissolved by
1.-THE emperor on Christmas day, 1914,
because of it's refusal To ratify the
military program of the cabinet. To-
days election therefore not only
brings in new house but decides
| the fate of the cabinet headed by
1 Count Shigenobu Okuma.
/ In the last diet the ministry was
Opposed by a majority and should
| this majority. represented by the Sci
iyuhai, or conservative party be re-
turned the cabinet might have to re-
tire from office According to latest
forecasts. however, the Independents
are likely 10 be increased from II to
40. and thus hold the balance in the
house.
The campaign has been the most
exciting and expensive in the history
Iof Japan. The candidates employed
thousands Of canvassers and there
were daily rallies in the streets and
halls throughout the country The
growth of democracy was evidenced
by an increased appeal To the reason
of the voters Premier Okuma made
a Whirlwind campaign, speaking
from a special train. while leaders
like Yuko Ozaki. the minister of
Justice, distributed their views by
.phonograph.
Increase of Army an Issue.
The government insisted upon an
increase i'm the army of two divisions
ana Baron Kato, the foreign min
lister, declared that the adoption Of
this measure would not affect Ja-
pans relations with the other
powers,
The Seiyukai contended that the
success Of the government in push
ing this measure through would be
a blow to constitutiOnalism
Indications before the election
were that the contest would he eN-
ceednglv close. The governmental
groups. consisting chiefly of the pro-
gressiVc dOshi--Kai and Chuse Kali
as well as the nationalist group Kok-
mimic have waged strenuous cam
paign Virtually all the cabinet
IilfliI HflN HlhNf Hlf' o. iNiAla N'Nif' 40
kio and the interior.
The appearance of women in the
for the first time in Ja-
panese history, caused a sensation
The wives Of several of the candi-
dates made a house to house canvass
in behalf of their husbands, thereby
considerable comment in
the newspapers concerning the de-
of the new woman
The government used all its efforts
against corruption in the elections
and the police were ordered to make
quick arrests in the giving and bride
taking AS a result $500 persons
were arrested.
The number of representatives |
elected today was 3S1, but in view of /
the difficulty of determining the bal (
loting the result will not be known 1
for several days. In all there We're I
about 200 candidates.
Taking into consideration the fact I
that the population Of Japan is APP !
54,00O,0O0, the suffrage /
is small. only about 100000 persons /
having the right to vote. Three |
Gfths of that number exercise their /
at the election in 1912. |
The city of Toxic with population I
Of a little over 100000 had only !
10000 voters.