Evening star., 1945-09-05
From Yesterdays Last Editio,
BY w. HI. SHIPPEN, Jr.,
Star Staff Correspondent

Star Staff Correspondent
TOKYO, Sept. 4.-The strang.
est session in the 50-year history
of the Imperial Diet opened to-
day with American correspond
ents peering down from galleries
and American troops on the out
skirts of the fire-scorched capi.
tai.
A family funereal air pervadeo
the stately chambers, where the
proceedings went forward with pre-
cision, rigid courtesy and ordered
applause.
The thick gloom, troubled brows
dim lights and dolorous speeches
suggested that the legislators were
presiding at their own demise
Peers, princes and representatives
were garbed mostly in formal black,
with cutaWay coats, striped trou-
sers and gates-ajar collars, suggest
ing a convention of old-fashioned
undertakers.
Indeed, if the Nippon Times ed
itorial is to be believed, the session
was voicing its own eulogy on the
death of the old order. The Times
editorial said the Diet lacks the
power to spearhead the new crusade
demanded by the people and by
tacit acquiescence to tradition for
teits the right to direct the con-
struction of the new system.
The people want to know not only
how but why their war exploded
SO violently and it's up to the
Diet at this session to tell them.
The honorable legislators obviously
were tackling the job with more
pain than pleasure.
They were united to man, how
ever. in their eagerness to thank
the Emperor for delivering an up
lifting discourse on the advantages
of peace. The Emperor spoke to
the Joint session of the Diet for
three minutes at IL am. and as
swiftly returned in his luxurious
Limousine to the palace less than a
mile away.
Humble folk along the Emperor's
route to and from the Diet bowed
down and dared not lift their eyes
10 the imperial presence while he
rolled by in a car Father Divine
would covet
Newsmen Fail TO See Emperor.
Not quite so humble, but still un-
der orders, the American CORE
x,oo,o1a,+c fo;1o5 oIco 70 hobp1d tho
Son of Heaven. Their invitation,
which had to be reviewed in several
particulars before they accepted it,
still politely but firmly recommend
ed that the guests arrive by the back
door of the lower house not before
high noon. The Emperor had van
ished almost an hour before the
journalistic jeeps rolled up with
special permission to penetrate.
Today's special Tokyo convoy, au-
thorized by Gen Macarthur, carried
no sidearms except for Army per-
connel acting as escorts. The Japa-
nese invitation stipulated that all
entering the Diet would be un-
armed, but that wasn't all. 1t said
further that guests would be
searched for weapons by Diet guards
and specified three times that cor
respondents refrain from intoXica-
ton
This Slur on their regulations
really nettled the boys, firstly be-
cause they never drink while at
tending Diets, and secondly there
wasn't anything to drink anyhow
In addition a hundred of us were
burning up about an invitation spe-
cifying our Would-be hosts would
frisk us for firearms.
The Aussies, who are the Irish
of the Pacific, howled a protest
seconded by all except three jour-
nalists who said anybody, even a
defeated Jap, could slap their pock
cts if there was a story in it.
Call Off Search Order.
The tempest got bit out of con-
troll of a public relations captain,
8 major, a lieutenant and finally
2 brigadier general, who hurried off
in staff car in search of the
supreme commander. This morning
the Japanese decided they needn' t
search the correspondents for
weapons if they'd leave them be-
hind and the conducting officers
wearing sidearms waited outside
while we covered the Diet.
Can Associated Press dispatch
said that Gen. Macarthur vetoed
the japanese stipulations that
correspondents would be search
ed before entering the Diet and
could neither smoke nor drink
during the meeting)
An Army out bounds order is
now claimed on Tokyo, and none
but the heavy brass knows when our
troops will move up to the capital
But all are aware, including several
hundred thousand bewildered Japs
that correspondents somehow man.
age to keep in circulation.
There are floor seats for 423 lowe
and Alb upper house members anc
gallery room for 300 spectators ant
at least 200 correspondents in eacf
chamber. Diet members have plent,
to explain to their bewildered peo
pie, who thought they were invincibl,
until the empires last gasp.
We had been travelling the q
miles between Yokohama and Toky,
through an industrial area who's
utter destruction wearied the eye
and oppressed the spirits of tht
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