Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06

AA0 AAcI OOCIdlSC movement LIlaI at
tracted public attention In Japan. was
the activity Of the members of the
Heiminsha, organized In 1903, shortly
before the Russo Japanese war. The
leaders Of this group were Kotoku,
Katayama and Nishikawa, all of whom
were interested in newspaper work. The
public, however, still strongly Influenced
by feudalisIn, evinced little interest In
their activities, but they found a few
enthusiastic followers among intellect
uals in the country districts as well as
in the large cities. The authorities were
naturally very much disturbed by the
strange doctrines advocated by these
radicals and did what. they could to
suppress them, but Socialism was so I'M
familiar In Japan, and the authorities
knew so little about it at that time that
they hardly knew what methods to use
to check its spread.
In 1910, Kotoku, who had become an
anarchist, and his IS followers at
tempted high treason against the En-
peror, but they were arrested before
they could carry out their program and
Kotoku, with IL others, was executed
BY the sentence of the supreme court.
(Such cases belonging exclusively to the
competence OF the supreme court). This
so alarmed the authorities that the
radical movement made no progress for
several years.
At the outbreak of the World War in
1914, japanese industry began to de-
velop with hitherto undreamed of
rapidity. This resulted in a marked
improvement in the position of workers
and encouraged this formation of la
Dor unions all over the country. These
unions were, for the most part, directed
by mtellectuals whose ideas had been
strongly influenced by syndicalism. AS
the activities of the unions increased,
Socialism found new impetus.
With the close Of the war and the
subsequent depression, the industrial
life of Japan began to be disturbed by
strikes, lock-outs and similar troubles
which tended, in no small degree to fos-
ter the more radical doctrines among
workers, such as Communism and
Anarchism.
In 1928, the first Communist party
was formed in suburb of Tokyo. It's
establishment by men of the most radi-
cal views was, of course, attended by
was discovered and peremptorily sup
pressed by the authorities. Some of the
members were arrested. and others fed
to Russia or China. The government.
however. found it no easy task to deal
with radical movements. The war had
greatly changed the thought Of the
whole world, and japan felt this in
fiuence.
Added to this, the success of the
Russian revolution had made q deep
impression on the minds Of japanese
students, and in almost every university
in the country, organizations were
formed oStensibly to study social prob
lens, but in reality to learn and follow
the doctrines Of Marx. It was not long
before some Of these students began
to preach Marxism to workers and to
The government became so dis
turbed by the spread of radical thought
that, in 1925 the act for the mainte-
nance Of public welfare was drafted, and
this act, in spite of the bitter opposition
Of large section of the press, as well
as Of Liberals all over the country, was
passed by the Diet and was enforced
that those who founded organizations
aiming at the alteration of the founda-
ton OF the state, as provided by the
constitution, or denying the right of
private ownership, or those participant
ing in such organizations should be
sentenced to penal servitude or impris-
onment for a period of not more than
10 years; further, that those found
guilty OF encouraging or agitating
others to any act aiming at the founda-
ton Of the state, as provided for by the
constitution, should be sentenced to
penal Servitude or imprisonment for a
period Of not more than seven years.
The flrst case to which this act was
applied was the "Kyoto University
Student Case" On the 18th of
January, 1925, a group of Kyoto Uni
versity students planned to hold a
memorial meeting for Karl Liebknecht
and Rosa Luxembourg, but on that very
day the authorities began a search Of
laboratories of the university and other
places for radical literature As q re-
suit of this and other searches, 80 stu
dents were arrested for attempting to
agitate others to participate in q move
n1ent aimed at the foundations Of the
state. Most Of them were students Of
the Kyoto Imperial University, but some
were from private colleges. The public
was aStonished to find that these stu
dents were among the brightest in their
schools. So earnest were they in the
study of Marxism that they continued
it even after their arrest, and their con-
viction that 1t would solve the problems
confronting society was strengthened.
At about the same time, group of
workers who had been studying the
theory and practice Of MarxisIn and
Lenisfn IN the University Of the Third
international IN Moscow returned to