Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-10-07
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
TOKYO, Oct. 6.-Baron Kijuro
Shidehara disbanded the dread
secret police today in one of his
first acts as Japan's new Premier
to carry out his promise to create
q liberal regime.
Given a free hand by Emperor
Hirohito and the approval of Gen.
MacArtfalr's headquarters, the 49,
year-old former Ambassador to the
United States dug into his task with
. vigor that belied his years.
Domei News Agency said his first
act was to reappoint as foreign
minister Shigeru Yoshida, a like
minded man whose criticism of the
war against the United States once
landed him in jail.
His second act, said the newspaper
Asahi, was to appoint veteran parli-
mentarian Yadanji Nakajim to the
important post of home minister,
un der whose authority the
thought" police ran their reign of
terror.
Is Prisoners Freed.
It was the failure to obey promtly
Gen. MacArthur's order to dismiss
Home Minister Iwao Yemazaki-who
sought to save the secret police
that helped bring down Premier
Higashi-Kuni's post-surrender gov
eminent yesterday.
Domei announced that the Home
Ministry, besides suspending the
secret police, freed Is political pris-
oners, including Is Communists.
1t likewise dissolved the special
higher police censor department,
which pryed into the lives of dis
senters, Domei said.
Under Gen. MacArthur's orders,
prefectural police chiefs and 9TH
ers connected with the secret police
plan of Gestapolike thought con-
troll over Japan will be removed
when the new cabinet Is formed,
this account added.
Domei Attacks Police.
Domei took advantage of Gen
MacArthur's new freedom of speech
decree to attack the secret police,
asserting its bloody trail of ruth
less activities" kept the japanese
people in utter dread of the name
itself for many years"
ChfInIo Sc frnr,a q
obscurity into which the militar-
lists thrust him conceded with a
revolutionary proposal by the FL
nance Ministry to permit the Japa-
nese people to buy into vast state
holdings as means of redeemine
the enormous war debts
The plan was advanced by the
niinistry's policy-making committee
Domei said. It did not specify the
holdings to be sold, but the state
owns 40 per cent of the forests ane
operates telephone and telegraph
systems, most railroads and has
large electric power holdings.
Yanks Welcomed in North.
Meanwhile, 1t. Gen. Robert L
Eichelberger, commander of thu
American 9th Army, returned from
Northern Japan, where rice riot!
have been reported, and said tn,
Japanese people there, at first hos
tile, now welcomed the American
troops.
The emergence of Shidehara a!
Premier came as a surprise, for VI
to the time of the announcement
those close to the throne were say
ing the job would go to the baron
= old friend Yoshida.
.Yoshida had pressed Shidehara tt
. accept, and while the old liberia
tried to beg off, he finally agreee
and his appointment was approved
n by 1t. Gen. Richard K. Sutherland
Gen. MacArthur's chief of staff.
AT his first press conference, Shi.
.dehara told American newspaper.
men that his aim in a government
IS whose life admittedly may be short
was to meet the food and clothing
crisis and name a liberal, progress
siye government that could win bacl
American friendship.
Interview With Hirohito Short.
OF his interview with Empero
II Hirohito at which he was invested
y. with the premiership. Shidehars
said:
He merely told me to do my hes
to form new cabinet. The inter
(See JAPAN. Page A-3)