Evening star., 1946-04-11
Three Parties Runninq
Close Race in Count
OF Japanese Ballots
BY the Associoted Press

TOKYO, April 11.-Three ma
jor parties today were running
a close race for membership of
Japan's 468-seat House of Rep
resentatives. Communists were
trailing far behind. Nine women
appeared certain of election.
Scattered nation wide results
from yesterdays first postwar elec-
ton gave the Social Democratic
party 25 seats, the Progressives "a
and the Liberals %. The Commu-
nlsts were certain of only three so
far. At least six independents and
one Peoples party candidate also
were elected.
Results still are too incomplete
to indicate the final makeup of
the house. The Progressives failed
to win a seat in Tokyo on the basis
of early returns.
Cabinet Secretary Wins.
Premier Shidehara's cabine t
sparkplug, Chief Secretary Wataru
Narahashi, was elected from Fu-
kuoka prefecture on Kyushu.
Narahashi Immediately announced
the Shidehara cabinet would re-
main in Office at least until con-
vocation of the next special Diet
session, probably on May 10. The
press quoted Narahashi as saying
he planned creation of a new politi-
cal party, probably coalition, with
Shldehara as its head.
Kyuichi Tokuda, secretary general
of the Communist party, who led a
l4-man committee into Shidehara S
office Monday to demand the Pre-
mier's immediate resignation, was
one Of the Communists definitely
elected. Another was Party Leader
Sanni Nosaka, who recently returned
from exile in Yenan and was one
of the most personally popular of all
candidates in Tokyo
The close race led to immediate
speculation that a tri-party coali-
ton would organize the next cabi-
net.
Early returns indicated a 70 per
cent national vote.
Among the Social Democrats
elected was Tetsu Katayama, the
party's secretary general.
Liberal Leader Elected.
Two members of Premier Shide-
hara's cabinet and one leader each
of the Liberal and Progressive par
ties were among those definitely
elected.
1chiro Hatoyama, president of the
Liberal party who recently was
criticized for his 1888 book applaud
ing Hitler and Mussolini, led Toxic S
first district.
The progressive party, the most
conservative of the major groups,
was running behind the Liberals and
Social Democrats in urban districts,
but appeared to be stronger else
where in the country. In Tokyo S
first district, the top Progressive
candidate was seventh.
Welfare Minister Hitoshi Ashida
of the Liberal party was assured
Of election from Kyoto prefecture
Takao Saito, a veteran hrebrand in
the House and a Progressive leader,
was reelected from Kobe. Saito
was expelled from the old Minseito
party in 1910 for criticizing the
army from the House floor.
Eorv,oor R,ronoe. yH;,,e
The first two candidates assured
Of victory were Mrs. Satoko Togano.
38, the Peoples party, and 87-year-
old Yukio Ozaki. Mrs. Toganos hus-
band had been ousted from the Diet
by Gen. MacArthur's political purge.
Ozaki, who had served in every Jap
anese Parliament in modern times,
recently permitted himself to be
quoted as favoring the Communist
sponsored Democratic front, but ran
as an independent.
Mrs. Shizue Kato, formerly the
Baroness Ishimoto. a well-known
prewar birth-control advocate, led
Tokyo's second district. She ran on
the Social Democratic ticket. Her
husband, Kanju Kato, an officer of
that party. was running second in
Ise prefecture
The Home Ministry ordered pre-
fectural governors to investigate
widespread reports that hundreds
hao been unable to vote because
of improper registration, faulty rec
ords and other errors. Some Com
munists demanded a new election,
citing this asserted disqualification,
which party spokesman blamed
on sabotage by the Emperor-sys
tenn administration setup."
Records to Be Scrutinized.
Communists also charged that
many war criminals participated in
the campaign.
American sources pointed out that
records of all elected candidates will
be scrutinized further. They ex-
pressed belief the alleged disquah-
fication of some voters would not
be sufficient reason for calling a
new election.
The only reported election abuses
were a few posters erected within
the 300-yard limit of polling places