Weekly journal-miner., 1915-11-24
IMMUNITY BATH
 AROUSES THE JAPANESE

TOKYO, Nov. 1S-(Correspondence
 of the Associated Press)-The de cision of the government not to pros ecute Viscount Oura, the recent min ister of home affairs, whom a prelim- mary court declared had contributed $20,000 for purposes of bribery of members of Parliament, mas excited a controversy throughout Japan.
 The controversy centers about Yu-
 Ozaki, the minister of justice, who frankly takes the responsibility upon his own shoulders, and who says:
 "Viscount Oura was undoubtedly guilty of bribery but the act was prompted not by any base or selfish motive but solely and entirely by a sincere desire to carry out the govern ment's policy, though in unconscious disregard of the principles of the cabinet. In consideration of this and of the fact that the ex-minister is repentant and has resigned all poli- tical and public positions for the rest of his life we have decided to post pone prosecution Criminal punish ment has the double aim of preventing repetition of an offense and of warn ing the public against committing similar offenses. Prosecution of the ex-minister is dropped not because he was member of the nobility or the holder of a high position but solely because we believe the end of the criminal code has been attained without subjecting him to punish ment'
 The same preliminary court which found that Viscount Oura had dis tributed bribery money found four members and fourteen former mem bers of the House of Representatives to be guilty of bribery. The case cen ters about an attempt to buy over members of the opposition groups and induce them to vote for the govern ment's project to increase the army bv two divisions. That project was adopted by the last session of the Diet. The disclosure of bribery scandals and the subsequent resignation of Viscount Oura led to the collapse of the entire Okuma ministry. The cab met returned to office in a recon structed form.
 The records of the preliminary court show that Oura admitted that he had given certain politicians var ious sums of monv but pleaded that he had acted for the good of the na- ton. q feared". testified Oura, that if the proposed army expansion was rejected it might create antagonism between the army and the navy and create circumstances undesirable for the country. l though it would be better for the country to make the house accept the governments bill even If # were necessary to eXpcnd money to accomplish that cnd.' Oura continued bv saying that he had not to oribe members of the house but merely to use the money in the government against at tacks from the oDDosition.
 Tie opponents Of the decision to grant immunity to Oura contend that the law should have been allowed to run its course irrespective of the DO sition or the so-called motives of the defendant They dcc'are that it is dom to the briber and hold the bribed TOT trldl. lneY contend that the ar gument that Oura. having forsaken public life and gone into seclusion, IS really more severely punished than ne could have been Dv the law, is more sentimental than legal.
 Says the Japan Times: The plain fact is that the government has not the heart to brand as a criminal a man who, as one of its members did what he considered to be ill its inter ests. even to the extent of violating the law of the land. The government considers that the offense has been adequately and sincerely ex- plated. But we cannot sec how the can avoid a very heated discussion of this question in the next session of the Diet
 The warmth of the discussion the country on this Qucs ton is another proof of the striking growth of freedom of public pole l mics in Japan, a freedom that has come from the west and is especially based on American ideas.