ABSTRACT
EVENTS in Japan are the chief concern of this chronicle, though the doings of Japanese abroad occupy so much of its space, and Tokyo claims our attention again. The Seiyukai Premier found it impracticable to carry on even the pretence of representative government with a large majority of the Opposition party in the Diet. The Diet was dissolved so that one more amenable might be elected; and as the usual precautions were taken, including a wholesale eviction of Minseito prefectural governors and their replacement by Seiyukai men, the desired result was achieved without difficulty. The Diet that was dissolved had included 247 Minseito members and 171 Seiyukai; the new one assembled with 303 Seiyukai members and 144 Minseito. Since the dissolution there had occurred the murders of Mr. Inoue and Baron Dan, and it was one of the customs of the Diet to fasten the responsibility for any untoward events on the Government, so the Opposition began the good work at the first meeting of the Diet. But Premier Inukai declared that the murders had been shown to have been committed by the Ketsumeidan, or Blood Brotherhood, a society that existed before his Government came into being, so that it was clear that it was the previous Cabinet which was responsible for the deterioration in public morals. This so enraged some of the members that there was a rush for the rostrum, and they had to be dragged back by the officials appointed to keep order. The Premier also spoke of plans for the control of foreigners-not that there had been any foreigners connected even in the remotest way with the murders, but it was always a safe line to take. The Seiyukai did their best for the army, but could not do enough. A Premier who believed in representative government and even in the supremacy of
the civil power went in jeopardy every day, and when Inukai went for a short walk by himself on March 31st, having given his bodyguard the slip, there was the greatest anxiety.
