Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-06
Shidehara Leaves Building
as Dozen Persons Are
Hurt in Toxic.
RESENTMENT AT NAVAL
PACT CUTS HELD CAUSE
Opposition Party Tactics Had
Blocked Budget Discussions
for Two Days.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
TOXIC, February 6.-The fash of a
dagger in an anteroom of the japanese
House of Representatives today precipi-
tated a fight in which about a dozen
persons, two of them members of the
Diet, were injured.
Pent-up political feelings between the
opposition and the government was I'M
leashed in the ensuing melee, in which
ash trays and other available objects
were hurled. Police said several persons
received cuts on their heads and hands.
Still others were cut and bruised by
crashing glass and flying clubs.
A meeting of the Budget Committee,
at which the trouble started, broke up
in disorder. For two days opposition
tactics had blocked budget discussions
and on several occasions there had been
near riots.
Dagger Man Detained.
The man who f1ourished the dagger
was a member of the Seiyukai (opposi-
tion) party, but not a member of the
Diet. Police detained him. About so
persons participated in the melee.
Baron Shidehara, foreign minister
and acting head of the government dur
ing the Interpretation of Premier Hama
guchi, was in another part of the house
when the fight started. He left the
building Immediately under heavy
guard.
For two days the opposition's tactics
had blocked budget discussions. OPP
ponents of the administration had
charged Shidehara with an "indiscreet'
utterance during interpretations regard
ing Japans security as the outcome OF
the London naval treaty.
Shidehara had replied to the inter
pellations by saying the treaty had been
ratified by the Emperor. and that this
was proof it did not endanger national
security
Protest Is Noisy.
The foreign minister's answer brought
forth a storm from the opposition party,
which noisily protested against his ref
erence to the Emperor and asserted
Shidehara was endeavoring to put the
onus on the titular head Of the empire.
Shidehara explained that mention OF
the Emperor had been merely slip OF
the tongue. and that the government
had been entirely responsible. That
started the storm to brewing, however,
and held the Budget Committee in a
two-day deadlock.
Earlier today Shidehara had been de-
"
ton to rush him had been blocked by
the police.
Tactics interpreted as designed to I'M
seat the Minseito majority party min
istry of Hamaguchi and Shidehara i'm
mediately preceded today's disturbance.
Feeling Over Naval Pact.
Feeling against the government began
to crystalline last June, when Admiral
Kanji Kato, chief of staff of the navy,
resigned as a protest against acceptance
of the London treaty. Admiral kato
had represented a group of navalistS
and others who had believed the Lon
don agreement too much OF conces-
sion for Japan to undertake. The VIC
tory of the government in overcoming
this sentiment was regarded as a prece-
dent in that its views had prevailed over
those of a group which previously had
dictated military and naval policies.
The administration sustained another
shock last November when Premier
Hamaguchi was shot and critically
wounded by young man described by
the police as fanatically patriotic. The
premier's assailant, Toneo Sagoya, was
a member Of a love of country" asso-
citation and his act was ascribed to
resentment over Japan's acceptance of
the naval treaty. An official investiga-
blOL1 1dIcI USfclOpeQ IIldJ LuSIe Ildu
been no responsible" political forces
behind the attempted assassination.
The premier is convalescing.
Burden on Shidehara.
With the retirement last october of
Admiral Takarabe as minister of the
navy and the Interpretation of Hama
guchi, the burden of heading the gov
eminent fell upon the shoulders of
Shidehara.
In recent weeks this burden has
proved to be particularly onerous one.
In an Interpolation by the opposition
several days ago the government was
charged with having subscribed to the
London treaty on the promise that con-
cessions would be made to the Japanese
in the American immigration exclusion
law. Shouts of traitor" climaxed the
Interpolation. Shidehara denied the
charge.
Earlier today six jiu jitsu experts were
added to Shidehara's police bodyguard.