Arizona republican., 1921-04-24
SHALKLED PRESS OF JAPAN MENACE
 TO WORLD PEACE
By WILLIAM PHILIP SiMMS Written Expressly for the Newspaper
 Enterprise Association

TOKYO. April 23-Perhaps the | greatest menace to peaceful relations | ebtween the United States and Japan lies in the almost total absence of an enlightened public opinion in Japan.
 With the press of the country under i constant menace of seizure and the 1 responsible editors and writers in ! danger of prison sentences, it need | scarcely be said that the national pol | icy, either domestic or foreign, is not | guided by a fully informed popular 1 mind.
 Japanese newspaper men are the l first to admit this. Not only do they realize this situation is damaging to the nation but are trying, in every way they know how, to bring about change. Conscientious editors claim the system, which permits the police arbitrarily to suppress legitimate news, puts premium on Taking" and making a sensation of otherwise unimportant news.
 A strongly worded resolution pro- testing against the official muzzling of the press" and demanding free dom to publish all legitimate news. home affairs, M. T. Tokonami, by a delegation representing some of the most powerful newspapers in Japn.
 These included the Chugai, Yamato, ] Miyako, Chuo, Yominuri. Kokumin. Tokyo Nichi Nichi, Asahi. Yorozu. Tokyo Mainichi, Niroku, Hochi, Jiji and Japan Times.
 Resolved the resolution reads. " that in our opinion the perfect ment cannot be carried out unless the right of free speech be upheld and the avenues of information developed for the enlightenment of the people. For this reason the imperial constitution guarantees the right of free speech.
 "Press Muzzled"
 Despite this guarantee the author ities have resorted too often to meas ures of muzzling the press and SUD- pressing the news. at the same time threatening the press with admins trative action.
 The government appears to be de- sirous of hoodwinking the public by means of the secrecy thus imposed, which is intolerable under the consti tution
 Therefore, we, the undersigned, ask for reconsideration by the gov crnment of it's present attitude to- ward the press, and should this be refused we then resolve to unite our efforts in impeaching the government for it's unconstitutional action
 The resolution was passed unani- mously by those present who tben formed themselves into a delegation to call upon the home minister at the l imperial diet building. There, the presentation was made fin words considerably stronger than the reso- lution itself" I was told, the injus tice which has been done the press of Japan being referred to. the Vari ous editors heatedly giving their views regarding the suppression of | biyftr ffoi ire nf lat Q
 "Serious Affairs" It must not be taught that news papers are suppressed only when they ! print something deemed objectionable about the imperial household, or about military affairs or certain kinds of policies, but for many other things IS well.
 A contractor was murdered in a sleeping car between Tokyo and Kobe. | The newspapers were forbidden to l publish the news. It became "a grave | affair." aboard "a certain train" l A Korean was assassinated by a 1 fellow Korean in the station hotel in | Tokyo. For several days this was another grave affair." in the press. 1 Two days after I had been told of 1 the assassination, one Japanese news paper published detailed description | of the Koreans departure from To- ! kyo, naming the officials at the train ito see him off" how they stood i deeply moved" and with "bared | heads bowed and so on, never once ! suggesting the Korean gentleman had | been assassinated two days previous | ly and that he was, at the time the | Japanese officials were seeing him i off" in a coffin with the lid tightly | screwed down!
 Public Not Told The most serious affair. .of all, of | course. centered in the imperial | household and had to do. it is gen. orally understood, with a fight be- 1 Chashu-as to which of two princess | es Crown Prince Hirohito should marry.
 | The newspapers of Tokyo asked in vain that the ban on this serious l affair" should be lifted, but to date | the lid is still on and IS likely to continue on.
 In the diet this incident occurred following the crown princes depar- | ture for Europe:
 The discussion turned on the ad- ! visibility of allowing newspapers and magazines to publish pictures of the imperial family. Says a Tokyo pa per:
 Many held the opinion that as 1 these papers are generally destroyed or used in ways that are insulting to l pictures of the imperial family, the innovation is inadvisable.'
 Danger in System Public opinion in Japan, therefore, can have little or no bearing on the l (Continued on Page Two)