The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-02
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor
.r.--...-.-l.t rQof MIA Carrfica


Copyright. 1884. by NEA Service. Incl
TOXIC, April 2.-After Italy
i and Germany, party govern
ment in Japan is fighting for its
life. the odds being against survival
For two and One-half years
since the army swept through
Manchuria-the diet has been in
almost total eclipse. Members of
parliament have not dared lift their
voices III criticism of the militarists.
Today a slight spark Of life is
discernible in the political bodies,
but it is extremely feeble. And I'M
less something happens to fan it
into blaze it will 60 out alto
gether.
Should that happen, Japan would
probably go Black Dragon. This
would correspond to Italy going
Fascist and Germany going Nazi.
She would likely return to a sort
of Samurai rule, under her sacred
emperor.
Nippon may produce her version
of a Mussolini or a Hitler, but,
short of cataclysm, there is little
likelihood that his imperial majesty
will cease to be regarded with any
thing but piety and awe by the vast
majority Of his subjects.
Wealth in Few Hands
The party system is in disrepute
in Nippon, because, rightly or wrong
~, the abuses of japanese capital
isn. are popularity laid at its door.
And in no other country in the
worlc is wealth confined to so few
hands.
Factories. shipping, banking, de-
partment stores-practically every
thing in the islands-is controlled by
five or six Stupendous interlocking
concerns.
To the public, civil or party gov
eminent has meant vast privileges
and wealth for few and poverty for
the many.
To them, the diet has not been
composed of representatives of the
people, but representatives of the
big banking, commercial, and in
dustrial houses.
Ur to the Mukden incident Of
Sept 10, 1881, one of the most
prominent liberals in Japan and a
former member Of the diet told me,
the japanese people had the feeling
of being hemmed in by stone walls
without an exit.
Many wee jObleSS. University men
were gra luated and five of one
hundred found jobs. The other nine
ty-flve went to work as day labor rs
if they were sufficiently lucky.
Army Finds Way Out
Then the army defied the civil
regime and took Mukden. 1t spread
out all over ManChuria.
And Manchuria. to the masses
meant the breaking down of the
stone wall. 1t meant room to eX-
pand. 1t meant a way out.
At the same time. the factories
began to start up. This meant work
The yen deprecated, exports started
to boom. the army needed new
equipment, and pretty soon there
was little unemployment left.
Comparative prosperity returned
Money began to circulate so that
everybody-not Just the half dozen
big corporatiOnS-could get their
hands on some of it.
Rightly or wrongly again, the
masses became more than ever con-
WINGED that the army is more patri-
Otto and more unselfish than the
politicians.
Where the politicians feathered
their own nests by looking after the
big interests. the army had at heart
the livelihood of the people through
out the country.
Assassins Made Heroes
Thus, when three young naval
officers aSSassinated Premier Inukai
81 d started a movement to over
throw the civil government. they
were popularity hailed, not as muir
deIerS but as heroes.
So intense was this sentiment
among the masses that even mod
crate punishment became risky
business
So strong is the popular feeling
against parties that grim determi-
nation is heard among soldiers re-
turning from Manchuria that this
new country must be kept forever
free from civilian rule.
We did not take Manchuria," I
heard one of them say. ito turn it
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