Action of Japanese Privy Cour" cil Condemned by Press, Tokyo, June 29.
Most of the leading newspapers, hich have been consistently oppos-ie the revision of the Peace Preservation Law on the ground that liability. to capital punishment for persons organizing or leading secret associations aiming at a change in the fundamental constitatoo reactionary, are now nly censuring the Privy Council for agreeing to the revision by Which, itis asserted, the Council has betrayed its responsibilities as the guardian of the national coustitution. though it doubts the advisability' of revising the Peace Preservation Law by an urgent Imperial Ordinance, alone upholds the action of the Privy Council as, it contends that it has no right to block government administration.
The Minister of Justice is quoted as saying that the revision is means aay a deterrent, and that the death penalty Is unlikely to be actually imposed.
It is understood that the revised clauses will not apply to those persons arrested during the recent communist. round-up.
Moreover, as the-Diet has the ight to repeal any' Act promulgated Ordinance if it disapproves, there is a strong like= li hood that' the new Act will be suppressed before long.—Reuter, Tokyo, June 20.
General opposition is being offer-to the Government over the recent passage of the Revised Law for the Préservation of Peace by means of the urgent Imperial Ordinance rather than by decision of the Imperial Diet; the matter is looked upon as indicating complete disregard of the existence of the Imperial Diet.
As a result various parties are insisting on prolongation of the sessions. of the Diet.
According to Law the session of the Imperial Diet is limited to three months. This is generally held. to be too short and the opinion of the members of various parties is that it should either be prolonged to at least six months or some convenient and easy rules providing for a special session of the Diet whenever necessary should be devised.
The opinion is, however, most strong among the Members of the House of Peers, that, as quires an amendment on' the Constitution, it is unlikely that the change will be easy effected—Toho, SIX MONTHS OF JAPAN'S,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.