The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-14
Assassin Strikes At One Japanese Leader
Baron KichuO Hiranuma, 75, Minister Without POrt- folio, Shot, Wounded Seriously Injured
 Is Report From Japan

him. Ishiyama was slightly in- jured in Scuffle.
 News or the shooting was sup pressed for five hours while police were questioning Ishiyama, seeking to find the motive which impelled him to try to kill Baron Hiranuma and especially seeking to find whether there was a political angle.
 The political angle was regarded as important. There had been no political attempt against the life of a cabinet minister since the Ex- tremist army revolt of 1936 in which the finance minister, the lord privy seal and the inspector general of military education were killed.
 Koh Ishii, chief government spokesman, said:
 Baron Hiranuma is such an im- portant man to Japan at this time that a very thorough investigation must be carried out before there is any formal statement"
 (ThiS was plain intination of the importance which the govern ment attached to a possible political motive. Baron Hiranuma is 8 Con- servative leader and has great, al- most dominant, influence in the cabinet.)
 Ishiyama had made an appoint ment with Baron HiP&numa, pre- tending he wanted to get sample of the baron's handwriting for his collection ot calligraphy. He arriv- ed at the villa at 8 a. m. and, as he talked to the baron, drew 8 pis- tol and shot.
 Emperor Hirohito sent his court physician, Dr. Takuma Maisunaga, to attend Baron Hiranuma.
 Prince Fumimaro Konoye, the premier, and other cabinet minis ters, called at the baron'S villa to inquire of his condition.
 Distinguished Career
 Baron Hiranuma has had long and distinguished career in the civil service, the judiciary and politics. At first employed in the justice ministry, he became president of the supreme court apd then min ister of justice. He was premier from January to August 1889. Last December he was brought into the cabinet as home minister, in charge of the national police organization, in 8 move to strengthen the Ko- noye cabinet. In the cabinet which Price Konoye formed July IS, Baron Hiranuma became 8 minis ter without portfolios post, incl dentally, which Konoye had held under Hiranuma in 1889.
 Baron Hiranuma has been re- garded as friendly to the United States and Great Britain rather than to Germany and Italy, though for years he was an extreme na- rtionalist. His "FaScisrn" was of the domestic order in that he favored strong government for Japan. He was president for years of the Kokuhonsha or National Founda- tion Society, an extreme right wing patriotic society formed in 1919 to oppose Democracy and protect the national spirit.
 In recent years Baron Hiranuma had Softened his views, and at the time he became premier he said he had come to favor conStitutionaI 1 government. He said publicly ':Fascism may be good for Italy but I do not think that FaScisn, Com. munism or Nazism would be benf1. cial for Japan"
 Conservative Member
 Baron Hiranuma was considered one of the more conservative mem. bers of the present cabinet. He i associated with Japanese big busi' ness interests. Because of his grea influence, especially with Premier KonOye, he has been called thu unoflcial vice premier.
 | The attempt on Baron Hiranu, mas life was the first against { cabinet minister since Feb. %. 1o3l when young army extremists killed Finance Minister Korekiyo Taka- haslli, Adm. Makoto Saito, Lort Privy Seal. and Gen. Jotaro Wata. nabe, inspector general of military education. Premier Keisuke Okads escaped only because assassins kill- cd his brother-in-law, Col. Denzr Matsuo, in mistake for him.
 It was learned that Hiranuma'i Rssailant had his pistol concealed in 6 roll of paper, on which hs said he wanted the baron to write
 Heon after the assassination ct. tempt the emperor received Homl Secretary Harumuchi Tanaha, whs succeeded Baron Hiranuma in thal ministry when the cabinet was 70. organized last month.