Evening star., 1932-03-21
FASCIST COUP REMOTE"
Observers Say, However, Shake-up of
Toxic Cabinet Is Inevitable,

Observers Say, However, Shake-up of
Toxic Cabinet Is Inevitable.
TOXIC, March 81 LP.-Authorita-
tive political observers canvassed today
said the chances of anything like a
Fascist coup or other revolutionary
changes in the Japanese government
were exceedingly remote.
They said, however, 1t was inevitable
reshufiing of the cabinet would fol-
low the closing Of the Diet on March
Is and that there was an outside pos
sibility the government of Premier
Tsuyoshi Inukai might collapse.
A political true was on today while
the empire celebrated the national hol-
iday festival of the Spring equinox, on
which the spirits of the ancestors and
emperors are especially worshiped, but
the politicians prepared to resume their
strife when the Parliament reconvenes
tomorrow.
The national attention was focused,
however, on the internal conflict of the
Seiyukai tgoyernment) party, instead
of the parliamentary chickering's Of the
Seiyukai and Minseito party leaders.
Premier Inukai postponed on March Is
what appeared to be an inevitable
showdown for the mastery of the 303
Seiyukai seats in the House of Repre-
sentatives by assuming personally the
portfolio of home minister, following
the resignation Of Home Minister
Nakahashi.
Experts agreed today, however, that
the new arrangement was makeshift
and could not last long after it became
necessary to present a united front in
the Diet.
Minister of Justice Kisaburo Suzuchi
heads one faction of the party and
Railway Minister Takejiro Tokonami
and former Communications Minister
Kuhara the other. Premier Inukai
seemed determined to appoint Justice
Minister SuZuchi to the post of home
minister, which is considered stepping
stone to the party presidency and to
the premiership after Premier Inuksi
steps down. The rift seemed to prom
ise to crack the party wide open.
Many Rumors Circulated.
This situation caused many rumors TO
be spread about concerning the chances
of discarding the bi-party parliamentary
system and substituting a dictatorship
resembling either that Of Premier Mus
solini of Italy or Marshal Joseph Pill
sudski of Poland The consensus Of
trustworthy observers, however, Is that
nothing so dramatic Is in the off1ng and
that the greatest change within the
range of reasonable possibility is the
establishment of a non-partisan ma
tional government, including the strong
est men of both parties
Although there is much popular dis
satisfaction with both major parties
and the party system and clamor for
stronger leadership, there seemed less
chance of a Fascist coup today than at
any time during the past two months
The cessation of conflict at Shanghai,
from where a portion of the army al
ready is on its way home, and the re-
turn to comparative calm in Manchuria
has served, for the moment at least, to
remove the army from the national
spotlight.
Economic Questions Vital
The ultra patriots, whose support
would be necessary for any military or
Fascist dictatorship, have fallen in pub
lie esteem because of the revelations
concerning the Blood Brotherhood"
whose members assassinated former
Finance Minister Inouye and Baron
Takuma Dan
Most of the political prophets we're
betting today that the premier would
weather the storm at least few months
longer, either by a compromise, such as
is typical of japanese politics, or by
defying the factions of Tokonami and
Kuhara and carrying on with the por-
tion of the Seiyukai party which would
remain loyal to him and Suzuchi
=. Economic questions are most vital at
the present moment to the japanese
people, who, like Americans, are seek
ing chiefly a return of vanished pros
perity. Already there are signs of dis
appointment, because the imitation poll
Icy Of the Seiyukai has failed to halt
the steadily worsening trend of foreign
trade, but the majority opinion seemed
to be that it would be best to give in
f1ation further trial before overthrow
ing the Seiyukai