Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-24
THINK POLITICS
INSPIRED ATTACK
ON COUNT 0KUMA
Attempt to ASsaSSinate Prime
Minister Believed to Have
Been Made by 'Soshi', OF
jap Strong-anm Man,
CAssociated Press correspondence


ruffians are believed by the police TO be /.
the perpetrators of the attempt to as
sassinate the prime minister, Count /
Shigenohu Okuma, on the night OF
January IL. The premier was return !
inc from grand state banquet offered
nv the emperor in honor of the czar's
cousin, the Grand Duke Michaelovitch,
who came here to convey coronation
CONGRATULATIONS from the Russian
court.
AS for the attack on myself-that
is Il mere nothing" said Count Okuma,
but what | deplore is the spirit of
commercialism and envy which breeds
such cowardly doings as assassination
or assault. These acts are a remnant
of the past and cannot be tolerated in
this advanced stage of modern civili-
zation. | am anxious that we should
show Il magnanimous attitude worthy
Of a great power during the stay Of
our distinguished guest and that moth
ing may happen to mar his pleas
ure'
In Japan there exists a class of men
who can hardly be called criminal and
which yet contributes nothing to socie-
IT, They are known as ''soshi' and
usually take leading part in political
riots and other disturbances. They are
popularity supposed to be hired by po-
ltical groups when any public violence
is conspired. The word ''soshi' liter
ally means useful samurai' and in
former days signified a brave young
patriot. Gradually the term, like the
men, degenerated, and today in popu
lar parlance it means strong armed
men. Although no arrests have been
made UP to today the police are in-
clned to lay the crime at the door
of these individuals rather than to an
anarchistic organization.
The belief entertained in some
quarters that the attempt may have
een made by German spies or Chi
nese revolutonaries is not generally
held and the popular idea is that the
crime was the work of japanese mall
contents.
Count Okuma Had Narrow Escape.
Count Okumas escape, which was
exceedingly narrow. was undoubtedly
mind of his chauffeur. The driver no.
ticed a man suddenly emerge from a
darl, alley between Il toy shop and "a
cOnfectioner's. He was waving his
arm rs he ran toward the automobile
and the next moment a heavy missile
struck the motor case of the car,
glanced off to a window, which it
broke, and then rolled to the street.
BY the time the missile had-struck the
chauffeur had pulled his levers and
the limousin bolted forward with the
speed of an express locomotive. The
assailant hurled another bomb imme-
diately after the first but il struck the
ground behind the ear, exploding with
terrific defamation and only a few of
its fragments did some slight damage
TO the cover of the limousine. The
street was deserted at the time but the
noise OF the explosion caused residents
to draw aside their Japanese shutters
and peer out anxiously, one house
holder declares he saw man in west
elH clothes stink away into a narrow
passage to be swallowed up by the
uhscurity
The limousine stopped shortly after
ward and the detective who accom-
panied Count Okuma picked up the
nneNnoded bomb. 1t was taken to
The Toxic military arsenal and there
II was found to consist of copper
kettle fun Of small pebbles, pieces Of
lead and small quantity Of explo-
siVc. There was fuse of powder at
taehcd. Plainly the Internal machine
was creation of an inexperienced
hand, vet had it exploded as intended
lis effects undoubtedly would have
been disastrous
Threatening letters were received
~ Count okuma and by the household
department just prior to the corona
non and threatening placards We're
posted in one of the parks of the city.
Also, the public recalls newspaper re-
ports that a small quantity Of explo-
sive had been previously stolen from
one of the military depots. 1t IS not
Improbable that the bombs used two
days ago were manufactured from
this explosive.
Most Prominent Jap
Count Okuma's frequent utterances
Keep him in the eye of the public as
the most prominent Japanese OF today,
next to The emperor. He was severe
~ attack by the opposition groups
when he withdrew his resignation a.
premier last year at the request OF
the emperor. Political opponents de
cared his act to be against the con-
stliuti0n and the discussion which
LOOK place at that time may have
awakened Il feeling which has only
been slumbering and which found ex-
preston In tho recent attempt to slay
The premier.
Countess Okuma was as unmoved
by the incident as her premier hus-
hand She told an interviewer that
she was not surprised for she always
lelt that her husbands life was ex-
posed to daneer--a danger which she
s'ld she was always ready to share
with him.
L. .