New-York tribune., 1918-04-27
Project Not Abandoned,
and Fuller Understanding
With America Sought
Terauchi May Resign
Goto's Appointment Is Said to
Eoreshadow Fall of
Toxic Cabinet
iStaF Correspondence

WASHINGTON, April 26.-The ap-
-pointment Of Baron Goto, formerly
japanese Home Minister, to the Office
q makeshift to tide the Terauchi Cab
met over an immediate embarrassment.
1t foreshadows the overthrow of the
present ministry, according to diplo-
matte authorities here, who say that
eligible japanese whose appointment
would be logical refused to accept the
Office on account of the approaching
end of the Terauchi government.
The Siberian question was declared
to have been merely pretext for fore
ing an issue with the government, the
true situation being that the Seiyukai
party. which is in the ascendancy in
the Diet, desires to assume the powers
of government The existing ministry
was not formed along party lines, and
has maintained itself in Office by the
support given it by a combination of
parties, the most powerful of which is
the Seiyukai. whose leader is Tahashi
Hara, member of two former govern
ments.
When General Terauchi succeeded
Okuma as Premier he found a hostile
Diet. and appealed to the country,
which returned to the Diet last spring
adherents of the Seiyukai and other
parties. with whom the ministry had
enjoyed until recently working agree.
ment. Before the Siberian question
was raised there was evidence of the
growing inclination of the Seiyukai
leaders to abandon Terauchi, and it is
believed certain that he will soon re.
sign.
The change in Foreign Ministers, and
even of governments, it is asserted,
cannot materially affect the Japanese
foreign policy, whose fundamental
principles controlling the nations for
eign relations are declared to be the
perpetuation of the Anglo-Japanese
Alliance and the maintenance of
friendly relations with the United
States.
The project for intervention in
Siberia has not been abandoned, and
it was intimated that Viscount Ishii,
the new Japanese Ambassador. who ar
rives in Washington early next week,
will soon undertake to arrive at
fuller understanding with the Ameri-
can government on the question.
Whether Japan shall enter Siberia
as the mandate of the Allied powers,
or in her own national interest, was
believed to depend largely upon the
attitude of the United States may take
finally.
OIiSiudIiy IliS SOSeIuIucIl ueiU LUal
intervention would be inadvisable at
that time, leaving its mind open for
the entertainment of new views to
meet fresh developments. Japan be-
lleves that the penetration of Siberia
by Germany is actually in progress now,
the methods employed being short of
warlike because there is no organized
military resistance in Siberia. The
menace to Japan, however, is none the
less real because the penetration and
dissemination of German political
IDEAS and intentions is being accom-
nlished without display of force.
1t is understood, also, that the En-
'ente powers desire that Japan shall
dispatch an expedition into Siberia,
where there are elements favorable to
the enterprise, believing that should
the expedition reach Irkutsk the Ger
mans would feel obliged to withdraw
considerable bodies of troops from the
Western front to meet the danger in
the East.