The New York herald., 1921-11-26
JAPANESE SPEAKERS
QUIZZED BY COREAN
Asked Whether They Would
Offer Bill to Make His
Country Free Again.
SENSATION AT LUNCHEON
Members of Tokio's Diet Say
They Sympathize With
Hermit Nations Hopes.

WAsHINGToN, Nov. 20 (Assoc!ated
public luncheon here to-day at which
two leading liberal members OF the jap
anese Diet made addressed. when a
Corean, who was unknown to those pres
ent. asked In faultless English the Jap
anese progressives whether they them
selves were in favor Of granting inde-
pendence to Corea and whether upon
their return TO Japan they would be
willing TO introduce q bill authorizing
the return to Corea OF It's sovereignty.
The Japanese parliamentarianc Rep
resentatives D. Tagawa and Y. Eyehara,
replied that they hoped the time would
come when Coreans would have back
their liberty. They said they sympa-
thised with corea's aspirations, but that
really to help that country and make
any movement for granting ,ndepend-
ence successful there must first come In
Japan universal suffrage and a great
advance in the progressive movement
The Corean interrogator. who left the
hall before his name could be learned,
put his question after addresses BIZ the
Japanese. who had been invited to speak
before the members Of the National
Popular Government League. an organ
ization devoted to the production Of
constitutional and legislative measures
and the establishment "of the control
OF Government by the people"
Advancing Liberal Thought.
Representative Tagawa himuelf caused
some commotion among his auditors
when he declared that the clear evidence
OF the advancing liberal thought Of
Japan was to be found In the fact that
majority OF the Japanese people think
II right that Shantung should be re-
turned to China. He added: "I do not
understand why negotiations upon this
matter have been prolonged"
turning to the Corean Questioner he
declared that there were many people
In Japan who are insisting that home
rule be established there" yIe said that
he had been informed By a professor Of
the Imperial University that II the law
students had been asked whether Corea
should have her Independence so per
cent OF them would answer In the af-
frmativc.
The meeting was also addressed By
Mrs. Inouye OF tho Toxic Women's Uni
versity, who said that the women Of
Japan favored q complete disarmament
throughout the world. She added that
the movement for the emancipation of
Japanese wcmcn was making steady
progress.
Eepresentat.veTagawa, who II one OF
Japan's most eloquent parlianentarians,
after pointing out that In Japan there
are only 100000 voters out Of q total
population Of $1,000. 900. predicted that
when universal suffrage Is achieved there
Will be great change in favor OF q
more liberal representation In the Diet
He referred to the fact that the univer-
sity students OF Toxic had voted to /
In favor OF limitation of armament. and
declared that this indicated the real ten
dency OF thought among the young peo-
pie.
He emphasized that many Japanese
newspapers are constantly rebuking the
policy Of the Government In not permit
ting Socialists to form q party or to
hold public meetings. Economically
speaking. the great trouble in japan, he
contended. was the high cost OF living,
and more particularly the high cost OF
land. No farm land In Japan, he said,
costs less than $500 en- acre, and near
Toxic and Osaka It reaches as high as
$500 an acre.