Evening star., 1937-06-06
NEWPART|ESSEEN
FORMING IN JAPAN
Three Major Political Groups
viii Emerge From Present
Set-Up, Says Observer.
BY FRANK H. HEDGES.

TOXIC, June S The
rather quixotic attempt and failure
Of the resigned Hayashi government
to form a strong Rightist political
party. during the brief 30-day cleo
ton period constitutionally provided
in Japan, does not mean that such
= party with decided Fascist lean
ings will not emerge in the very
near future
In fact, its birth and growth have
become inevitable because Of the ma
ture of political developments and
the current conflicting trend of po-
litical thought in Japan. as exemplified
In the cabinet of national union"
formed this week by Prince Konoye, in
which non-party and bureaucratic ele-
ments hold control
There must come, and that speed
Hy, a reshuffling of political lines
which will result in three major politi-
cal parties, each representing a dis
tlnct political philosophy, each enun-
ctating platform more concrete than
Is customarily the case in Japan
each drawing its strength from those
sections OF the public whose views
It represents.
Right Wing of Thought.
These three groups will represent
the right wing of thought, or the
st-militarist-state Socialist ideal.
ogy; the left wing, or the labor ele.
ment and the more extreme liberals;
and the middle wing, or the more
conservative, yet tolerantly liberal
school OF democracy and parlia.
mentary government, backed In al
probability, by the greater part OF
the capitalistic worlds.
The Seiyukai, one of the two prin.
elpal parties, was dangerously nea,
olslntegration earlier this year Their
the violent attack by the government
on the party system, dissolution Of
the Diet and calling of a genera
election, and the heated anti-gov.
ernment campaign which ensuec
averted this and brought a tempor.
Ary unity to the party. Such unity
being artificial, it is apparent tina
the Seiyukai will split within itself
All through the period opening with
the World War armistice in 1918 ano
closing with the Mukden incident ir
1881, party government, parliamenta.
t1anlSm and almost q worship of de.
mocracy in politics prevailed in japan
The two great parties all gave service
to these causes, as did press and pub.
hc, Consequently, there was no open.
Ing for the Labor party, which wa.
endeavoring to struggle into life.
Choice Offered to Public,
The Mukden incident of September
1s. 1881, brought the triumph of thu
mihtarists and their seizure, with tn,
consent OF the public, of control O.
the government. The views of thu
war office on politics are radically diff.
ferent from those of the parties. anc
30 a choice was at last offered The
japanese public. For four years ane
half the public chose the militar,
program, with its grandiose scheme.
for relieving all of Japan's economi,
woes in the new empire of Manchu
kuo, for making the republic of China
In effect satrapy of Japan for re.
turning to the golden age when the
shinto gods walked the earth anc
Japan WAS supreme. at least as rep.
resented by orthodox japanese myth.
ology.
The abortive military revolt of Feb
ruary 26-29, 1896, and the failure O
the army to make good on its prom
ieos awoke the people Of Japan tx
hard realities. Public support begar
rapidly to drift away from the militar,
program and to look back longingl,
to the day when the political parties
had been in control. This served tx
solidify the extremist element in anc
out Of military circles, and they EN-.
barked upon a path in the direction
Of japanese form of facism, advo.
eating state control of industry ane
capital, shearlng the parties and tht
Diet OF all power possible, and ere.
ating miGtariSt- bureaucratic gov.
ernment directly under the throne.
Three Parties to Emerge.
This has, naturally, brought about
3 situation where very genuine DO
btical issues must now be fought out
IN Japan. No longer will the voter.
merely choose between individual can
didates in a national election They
will be compelled to choose between
different and conflicting politica
sdeologies, different theories of gov
Fnment and of the economic system
different platforms and policies. Ir
the regrouping of political forces viii
emerge the parties Of the right, the
middle and the left.
The Shakhai Taishuo, or Socia,
Mass party, will represent the left
wing although new party name may
be adopted and the labor element less
stressed
The third major party will have
As its backbone a merging Of the
principal strength of the two existing
middle liberal parties, the Seiyuka
and Minseito, again probab bly, under 6
new name. Within this party will bt
found all the moderates, all the liberals
who do not let their liberalism rur
away with them, men from all walk
Of life who ardently desire to see theil
nation adopt and practice genuine
democratic government.
tcopyrirht, 1887. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Incl