The Washington herald., 1920-04-11
JAPAN STIRRED
OYER SUFFRAGE
Election IN May Expected to
Be Stormiest Country
Has Known.
RADICAL SCHEMES SEEN
People Aroused Over LN4
ing Cost and Withdrawal
From Siberia.
RADICAL SCHEMES SEEN
Cwashinston Heraid-PubIic Ledgz
Far East Service, Special Cahae
Dispatch-D
BY GLENN RABB.

DispatchD
BY GLENN RABB.
Toxic, April 1O.-with unjverzE
suffrage as the main issue, the vo-
ters of Japan will elect a nsW
house of representatives In an ex-
traordinary general election set
for May 10. This special election
made necessary by the dissolutUn
of the Imperial Diet on February
26, at the time the debate on uni-
versal suffrage in the lower house
had reached fever pitch. Is expected
to be the stormiest in the history
of constitutional government i'm
Japan.
The dissolution OF the Diet and
the debates on the suffrage bin
Immediately preceding the dissdL
luton were attended by remarkable
demonstrations in Toxic. These
demonstrations. some of them par
ticipated in by as many as $4,000
persons, occurred almost daily for
a period of two weeks. Effective
police measures, in which thou
sands of policemen, reinforced by
cavalry, took part prevented any
concerted violence on the part OF
the suffrage agitators. But the
demonstrations showed that the
people are immensely interested I'm
the right to vote, and this same in
terest which may manifest itself
in departures from the usually do
cile conduct of the japanese peo-
PIE, is sure to be taken in the con-
test at the polls.
Premier Explains.
The premier. Mr.. Hara, said in e8>
planning the dissolution of the Dict.
that IL was due TO the undercurrent
of radicalism in the suffrage demon
strations. This same ugly UNDER
current is still running, strength
ened by the pinch of the high cost
of living. and is sure to come to tha
surface at times during the cam
paign.
The contending parties ape IN
Seiyukai party, which supports the
Hara cabinet on the one hand and
the opposition parties. including thu
kenseikai. the kokuminto and other
smaller groups. on the other. In the :
house OF representatives which was
dissolved the Seiyukai had an abso-
'fute majority Of about twenty men,
bers, but Premier Hara says he rs
sending the suffrage issue back to
the people. cOnffden Mt they will re-
turn much safer majority for the
ca binet.
While universal suffrage is the
central issue of the contest there
are many other questions entering
in. many of them rejecting the un-
settled social and economic condi-
tions that exist in Japan today.
Among the most important Of these
is the high cost of living. which has
I Oh mi. in
pre-war price levels than in any
other country that has not suffered
from the results of defeat in the
world war or revolution. The oppo-
nents of the government say that
those in power have done nothing
TO stop the cornering of necessities
and profiteering.
Recall From siberia Urged.
There is also 4 demand among tAe
opponents of the Hara ministry that
the Japanese cxpeditionary forces
be recalled from Siberia. Politicians
OF the kensal6ai party, which is theA
most powerful of the factions thatH
oppose the Hara regime. and severalF
of the leading newspapers of Toxic
join in demanding the withdrawal
of the troops from Siberia. The
reasons fo- that demand are many
anG varied. Some OF the agitation
is due to the same feeling that
prompted the get the boys home,
toot sweet" movement in the United
States last year. Some of il is due
20 the fear that the troops will be-
como infected with the virus of Boil
shevism: some is due to the fact
that with the collapse of the koI-
| chak government in Siberia and
| with il the loss of all the conces-
! sions granted by the supreme ruler
| and his Cossack lieutenants japan
now has little to gain by remaining
in Siberia
| A victory for the Kenseikai, how
| ever. will not mean a reversal OF
Japan's policy in Siberia. 1t is not
rEe Hara cabinet that wants to keen
large army in Asiatic Russia. Il
| is the militarist faction, the little
group that stands aloof from the
| chickering's of the political parties,
always near the throne, almost al
ways strong enough to dictate a
| foreign policy to any cabinet of any
political party.
Premier Hara probably Is az,
willing as any OF his opponents
that the japanese troops evacuate
Siberia, but his hands are tied, and
so would the hands of any sucS
cessor in his office be tied by the
! same influences.
100000 New Voters.
The May election takes on added
| interest because it will be the firsa
in which 100000 new members OF
the electorate cast their votes. Last
year the requirements for the ex-
! ercise of the franchise were re-
| duced. with the result of moro
! than doubling the electorate. In
| all previous elections a Japanese
subject was required to pay an
income tax of ten yen, or s5, a
year before he could vote; this year
he must have paid only three yen.
| or $50. And the first big issue
! to come before this enlarged eIec-
Itorate is the question of whether
the right to vote shall not be ex-
| tended to every adult male in the
|