Evening star., 1936-02-26
PEACE ADVOCATES
VICTIMS IN COUP
Military Zeal Is Victor Over
Caution and Liberal
Diplomacy.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Statesmen of the Land of the Rising
Sun-venerable Orientals who sought
to temper the military zeal Of the new
Japan with caution and liberal d.
plomacy-today were reported victims
of a swift and ruthless military coup
There was no rejoicing within the
inner circle of the "big navy" men
when Keisuke Okada, then 66 and a
retired admiral, became premier in
August of 1894. He had devoted his
life to the navy, but his efforts as a
mediator between civilian and military
elements caused the strong men" OF
his empire to call him "lukewarm."
War between Japan and the United
States he onced called "unthinkable. u
His elderly finance minister. Kore-
kiyc Takahashi, 50, noted for his lib
eral tendencies. only last month de-
clared Japan's secession from the Lon
don Naval Conference need not bring
marked increases in naval appropri-
ations and taxation. But his views
contrasted strangely with those of the
navy's f1rebrands.
Okada Talked Peace.
Okada, too, declared the naval con.
ference rupture-caused by four pow
er refusal of Japan's demands for
parity" on the high seas-would not
cause his nation to lose respect for
the principles of non-menace and
non-aggression in the world"
But his forecast, too, was made in
the face of boast from Vice Admiral
Sankichi Takahashi, commander in
chief of the battle feet, that "if the
japanese Navy is called upon to fight
the combined power of America and
Great Britain, am confident we will
win"
Viscount Admiral Makoto Saito,
Okada's predecessor in the premier
ship and reported slain with him, be-
came the center of semi official dis
pute in November of 1884 after an ar
ticle appeared over his name in the
Christian Science Monitor assailing
jingoists of Japan and other nations
japanese newspapers later said Saito
had denied authorship Of the article,
but there was no direct disclaimer.
A former Governor of Korea, Saito
in recent years had voiced numerous
peaceful utterances regarding Japan
China and the United States.
With Count Maxine, reported at
tackled. and Prince Saionji, believed
safe, Saito belonged to an influential
triumvirate of liberal statesmen.
Okada, A years navy man. never
was forgiven by his jingoistic col
leagues for mediating Japan's internal
conflict over whether the Emperor. in
1880, should sign the London naval
limitation treaty-later renounced by
Toxic.
His belief was that the world powers
could do with smaller. less powerful
capital ships, although, he insisted
Japan needed submarines for defen-
sive purposes
TakahaShi always was a pillar OF
safety when sudden death or danger
struck at japanese leadership or eco
nomic stability.
Headed Temporary Government.
He was finance minister seven times
they called upon him when vio-
lence, panic or depression drained
the empires treasure coffers-and
twice he became premier when as
sassins struck down the heads of the
government.
AS premier. following the Staying
Of Takashi Hara in 1921, he issued
the imperial rescript which named
Crown Prince Hirohito-now Emper-
or-as regent because of the failing
health of his father. the Emperor
Yoshihito. Again in 1882, he headed
a stop-gap government after Premier
Tsuyoshi Inukai was murdered.