Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-04
POLITICIANS ARE
BLAMED FOR PLOT
Attempt TO Assassinate Prime Minis
ter of Japan to Political
Ruffians.

The Associated Press.) - Politically
inspired ruffians are believed by the
police to be the perpetrators of the at
tempt to assassinate the prime min
lister, Count Shigenobu Okuma, on the
night of Jan. Il. The premier was re-
turning from grand state banquet Of
fered by the emperor in honor Of the
Cars cousin, the Grand Duke Michae-
lovitch, who came here TO convey cor
onation congratulations from the Rus
sian court
"As for the attack on myself-that
is a mere nothing" said Count Okuma,
but what | deplore is the spirit of
commercialism and envy which breeds
such cowardly doings as assassina
ton or assault. These acts are rem
nant of the past and cannot be toler
ated in this advanced stage of modern
civilization. / am anxious that We
should show a magnanimous attitude
worthy of a great power during the
stay Of our distinguished guest and
that nothing happen to mar his pleas
Urc"
In Japan there exists a class of
men which can hardly be called Grim
inal and which yet contributes nothing |
to society. They are known as "soshi' !
and usually take leading part in po
litical riots and other disturbances. |
They are popularity supposed to be
hired by political groups when any
public violence is Conspired. The word
"soshi' literally means useful samu-
raj" and in former days signified a
brave young patriot. Gradually the
term like the men degenerated and to-
day in popular parlance it means
"strong-armed men" Although no ar
rests have been made the police
are inclined to lay the crime at
the door of these individuals rather
than to an anarchistic organization.
The belief entertained in some quar-
tiers that the attempt may have been
made by German spies or Chinese rev.
dictionaries is not generally held and
the popular idea is that the crime was
the work of japanese malcontents.
Count Okuma's escape which was
exceedingly narrow was undoubtedly
due to the extraordinary presence of
mind of his chauffeur The driver
noticed a man suddenly emerge from
a dark alley between a toy shop and
confectioners He was waving his
arm as he ran toward the automobile
and the next moment heavy missile
struck the motor case of the car,
glanced Off to windaw, which it
broke, and then rolled to the street BY
the time the missile had struck the
chauffeur had pulled his levers and
the limousine bolted forward with the
speed of an express locomotive. The
assailant had hurled another bomb
Immediately after the first but it
struck the ground behind the car eX-
ploding with a terrific defamation and
only a few of its fragments did some
slight damage to the cover Of the Ii
mousine. The street was deserted at
the time but the noise Of the eXplos-
ion caused residents to draw aside
their japanese shutters and peer out
anxiously. One householder declares
he saw a man in western clothes stink
away into a narrow passage to be
swallowed up by the Obscurity.
The limousine stopped shortly aft
erward and the detective who accom-
panied Count Okuma picked up the I'M
exploded bomb. 1t was taken to the
Toxic military arsenal and here il
was found to consist of copper kettle
full Of small pebbles pieces of lead
and small quantity Of explosive
There was fuse Of powder attached
Plainly the Internal machine was the
creation of an inexperienced hand
yet had it exploded as intended its eff
fects would undoubtedly have beer
disastrous.
Threatening letters were received
by Count Okuma and by the household
department just prior to the corona
ton and threatening placards were
posted in one of the parks of the city
Also, the public recalls newspaper re
ports that a small quantity of explos
i've had been previously stolen from
one of the military depots 1t is no
improbable that the bombs used in thi
attempt were manufactured from THU
explosive.
Count Okumas frequent utterancei
keep him in the eye Of the public a.
the most prominent Japanese of today
next TO the emperor. He was severel.
attacked by the opposition group
when he withdrew his resignation a
premier last year at the request of tn
emperor Political opponents declares
his act to be against the constitution
and the discussion which took plac
at that time may have awakened
feeling which has only been slumber
ing and which from expression in tn
recent attempt to Stay the premier.
Countess Okuma was as unmove'
by the incident as her premier-hus
band. She told an interviewer tina
she was not surprised for she Away
felt that her husbands life was ex
posed to danger-a danger, which. sh
said, she was always ready to shar
with him.
The newspaper Ashai has been main
tanning the theory that the Outrag
was the work of two japanese me-
who were hired or instigated by som
third party. The newspaper claims t
possess information that the suspicio
i It'd 4