Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
NAVY TREATY RUNS
GAUNTLET IN JAPAN
Each Step Toward Ratifica-
ton Is Marked by Fierce
Fight in Council.
BY RADIO to The star.

BY Radio to The star
TOXIC, Japan, September 13.-Every
step toward ratification OF the London
naval treaty in Japan has represented
an unceasing and continuous battle for
the government.
At farst 1t was a fight with the chief
of the naval stan, Admiral Kanii Kato,
which finally resulted in Kato's resig-
nation ana his honorary appointment
as member Of the supreme military
council with the unfortunate result
that the fight was carried on by Kato
as a member of the supreme military
council, involving the constitutional
question Is TO the long-eStablished pre-
negatives Of the chief Of the naval
staff.
Premier Finally Wins.
Premier Yuko Hamaguchi. supported
BY the opinion OF two leading political
factors in Japan-Prince Saionji, last
surviving "elder statesman" and Count
Maxine, lord keeper OF the privy seal,
finally triumphed in his determined
stand. only again to encounter as fierce,
if not mercer, battle with the prtvy
council, which constitutionally is the
highest advisory body in Japan, but
whose only remaining function Is as IN
terpreters and protectors of its consti-
tuition.
Heckling the premier, the navy min
lister, the foreign minister and the
finance minister has been the outstaffd-
ing feature of the 10 committee sessions
Of the privy council to date. AT one OF
these sessions, the premier, under cross
questioning by the chairman OF the prtvy
council, asserted that the government
had obtained the approval of the chief
of the naval Staff of the Reed-Matsu-
daira compromise only to be placed in
an almost impossible position later by
denial from Kanji Kato.
Fight Has Been Fearless.
Hamaguchis fight has been fearless,
he having refused the repeated demand
from the councillors for a copy of the
report submitted to the throne by the
supreme military council claiming that
the government had no authority to
The next adroit move Of the coup-
Gil was to demand figures relative to
making good the deficiencies in naval
preparedness and to what extent tax
reduction would be possible. Hama
guchi's reply, forced by circumstances
to be vague and indefinite, irritated the
council to the point where it was re-
gerded that it might lead to deadlock.
The latest session was acclaimed by
tA4C fCAA0N01d1 PAEcS dc tIIC 0CIlSANC
meeting. Hamaguchis fight is not
merely one for ratification, but it is
. fight TO the finish for cabinet re-
sponsibility and modern constitutional
government and in this he has the
support Of the press and public opinion
CIoture Threatened.
At that session, it is reliably re-
ported, though the proceedings were
supposedly secret. he threatened to de-
mafid q fixed date for cloture, which is
within his rights, as stipulated IN the
original Law governing the privy coun-
ell. This clause never has been referred
10 or resorted to In JapAn'e political
history, but 1t is said to have had the
effect of moderating the privy coun-
ellis belligerent attitude.
It is probable that the final outcome
will be ratification Of the pact, but with
q rider censuring the government The
probable result will be that the govern
inaent will ignore the censure, knowing
that It has. public support and counting
on Endorsement. At the same time, the
privy councillors appreciate that this
will weaken the councils prestige.
(Copyfight, 1900