Evening star., 1936-07-07
REBELS WILL DIE
WITHIN FIVE DAYS.
II Japanese Leaders in Up.
rising to Be Executed.
Five Get Life.
BACKGROUND

storm last February rs, japanese
Army officers led bloody uprising
against government officials In
phat they termed an effort to
stamp out official corruption. Ad-
miral Count Mdkota Saito, lord
keeper OF the prtpy seal, and Kore-
kiyo Takahashi, minister OF finance,
lUere among those killed. Premier
Okada escaped Uten attdcker mis-
took his brother -in-la,D for him. A
s,citt roundup of rebels brought
nearly 100 before court-marttdl.
BY the Associated Press.
TOXIC, July 7.-Seventeen leaders
of Japan's military rebellion last Feb
ruary probably will die before firing
squad within five days" army au-
thorities said today.
The execution is being planned Tor
dawn, the officials declared, but an
nouncement of the shooting will be
delayed several hours.
A high military court handed down
the death sentences yesterday IN q
Judgment more than 10000 words long
after an exhaustive investigation OF
the uprising, which brought death to
three Of Japan's elder statesmen.
Five conspirators were given life
imprisonment, and A non-comms-
stoned officers and 8 civilians were
ordered sent to prison for from 1S
months to IS years. The court sus-
pended sentences Of 27 lesser Of
enders
Public Approves Verdict.
Early indications showed widespread
public approval of the court-martiaFs
drastic action.
A commun.que, however, issued by
the army recognized some degree Of
Righteousness in the motives Of the
rebel officers, who acted chiefly be-
cause of resentment over current con-
ditions in the nation and patriotic
sentiment.
However, they cannot escape re-
sponsibility for disobeying an imperial
rescript on military discipline" the
statement added, "and further having
used units of the imperial army for
unauthorized ends. Hence the SEN
tences were inflicted"
Vote of Sympathy.
A further note of sympathy was
found in the description Of the mo-
tives Of rebel leaders based on their
own testimony as cited in the judg-
ment.
The leaders, the testimony disclosed,
"deplored the corrupt tendencies of the
age, the hippancy of the public mind,
and felt deep concern for the future
Of the country.
"They considered the time had come
to advance the empires fortunes
through the promotion of a national
spirit and provision Of adequate ma
tional armaments. .
They believed, moreover, the SOL
diers at the front and in barracks
lacked assurance their families, left
behind in poverty-stricken agrarian
and fishing villages, would be ade-
quately cared for.
Point to Ills Seen.
They believed the authorities spirit
less in coping with this emergency,
that both the domestic administra-
ton and foreign diplomacy were on
the decline, while political parties
sought only their selfish ends and
financial magnates tried only to satisfy
their own avarice regardless Of the
misery Of the people
They believed the Enperor's su-
preme prerogatives violated by meas
ures taken to conclude the London
naval treaty in 1880. All this they
considered the logical consequence Of
lack Of respect for the Emperors SOW
ereign rights by statesmen close to
the throne, a bureaucracy of military
leaders, political parties and financial
magnates-all the so-called privileged
classes.
In order to manifest the true form
of an imperial realm ruled by one
sovereign through all the ages. they
believed the privileged classes must be
overthrown and the state radically
reformed"
Cites Plan Of Rebellion.
They claimed statesmen close to
the throne had the temerity to COM
init the crime of interference in the
Emperor's supreme prerogatives, but
since such statesmen were above an
overthrow by legal means, the rebel
officers were convinced methods tran
scending the law must be adopted and
units of the Imperial Army used for
this purpose:
"They must resort to direct action
to bring heavens punishment on these
statesmen.
"They were convinced such action
was patriotic and justified by the
critical nature of the times
Capt. Teruzo Ando of the 3rd In
fantry Regiment headed the list OF
condemned rebels, all Of whom were
once officers or cadets in the En-
peror's Army.