The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1921-11-18
JAPAN'S PREMIER
IS ASSASSINATED
Head of Mikado's Cabinet Slain
While at Railroad Station in
Tokyo, Says Dispatch.
HAS HELD OFFICE SINCE 1918
News OF Leaders Death Causes Sen.
sation Among Japs Who Are in
Washington to Attend Arms
Conferences.

conference.
Tokyo, Nov. 7.-Premier Takashi
Hara, head Of the Japanese cabinet
and for forty years prominent IN pub
lie affairs in Japan, was assassinated
here. !.
Premier Hara was fatally stabbed in
the breast at the railroad station In
Tokyo.
A Korean boy hiding In third class
waiting room sprang upon the premier
and stabbed him repeatedly in the
breast. The cabinet leader died fif-
teen minutes later. His assailant was
Immediately arrested.
Takashi Hara had been premier
Of japan since 1918. He was leader
Of the Sayukawi (government) party.
The premier handled the Japanese
government during time when ques-
tons of worldwide Importance were
pending in the Orient.
His policy was strongly anti-Bolshe-
vik, but he consistently contended that
Japan had no aggressive or warlike
aims either in Siberia or China. He
played an important part in forming
the Japanese policy to be followed at
the Washington conference and in a
public interview he pronounced all talk
Of possible war between japan and
America to be absolutely useless"
Washington, Nov. THE State de-
partment received confirmation Of the
assassination Of Premier Hara.
The dispatch to the State depart
ment declared the attack on the pre-
mier occurred at railroad station in
Tokyo. The message from the Amer
lean embassy at Tokyo was timed at
8 p. m.
Prince Tokugawa, heal of the jap
anese conference delegation, has been
prominently mentioned for the pre-
miership when the Hara ministry was
under attack, and at one time was sug-
gested as compromise candidate for
the post.
The first news of the death of
Premier Hara to reach President
Harding was conveyed to him by
newspaper correspondents at their
semi-weekly conference with him.
The President had heard of the |
stahbing Of the premier, but had not
been Informed of the State department |
dispatch carrying the word of the
death. Mr.. Harding was visibly af-
fected. He paused for several mo-
ments and then said:
81 am profoundly sorry" He reit-
Grated this phrase several times and
added: persons in authority are hor-
rifed to learn Of such outrages. This
is especially distressing at this time,
when we are all trying to. get together
and have the good will Of all peoples.
1t Is an unhappy and discordant note"
News of the assassination of Pre-
mier Hara on the eve of the assembly
of the armament conference here
caused a profound sensation in Wash
ingtOn.
The news came as stunning shock
to the members of the Japanese con-
ference colony here, all of whom were
associates of the dead premier and
appointees of his administration.
AS a result Of the death of Premier
Hara, 1t was announced that Sen
nosuke Kokots, chief of the japanese
legislative bureau and attached to the
armament delegation of that country,
will return to Tokyo. Mr.. Kokota was |
said to have been the late premier's |
fright hand" man In legislative mat
tiers.
That the assassination of the Japa-
nese premier will have far-reaching |
effect on the conference here was gen.
orally predicted whsn the news beanie
known.
The death Of the premier finds two
of the most important men in Japanese
public life in Washington, thousands
Of miles away from Tokyo, in admit
tedly what may be political crisis
nEnclIMN NEMFEc uAMHIMHc