Tokyo, Jan. 23.
The Japanese Diet now in session has already entered the stage of accusation ard counter-accusation and mutual recrimination that has ever been a feature of the Lower House. This session more than especial attention is being devoted to these tactics, because of the importance of some of the issues involved, the most important of them being, to the Japanese, the question of responsibility for the mysterious assassination of Chang Tso-lin, and the dismissal of Dr. Suzuki,' formerly Home Minister, from Baron Tanaka's Cabinet. Though there has not yet been a real fistic fight in the Diet this session, as is the case more often than net, the Lower House was nearly turned into a bear-garden to-day over an allegation that the Speaker was show-me partiality towards members of the Government party. This the Speaker. indignantly repudiated, when a voice from the gallery. shouted:—"The Seiyukai are arrogant lot" Immediately passions broke loose, the gallery me terrupted being alleged to be a man in' Minseito pay, and Seiyukai members rushed from their seats towards Minseito members, waving clenched fists. The Minseito men prepared to meet the onslaught, but the Diet guards were far quicker and interposed, whilst the Speaker managed to pacify the more belli-case legislators of either camp.
Whilst these fusteted and seemingly mortally-insulted Inw-makers were girding their loins for battle, issiters in the gallery' derived con: siderable amusement and satisfac. tien when a burly villager, who had come from the country to witness the Diet sessions, since hey too, now a voter, stood up and, when pandemonium ceased, declared:—"T was told that they fought in the Diet and it is true!" Then, turning towards the mombers:—Bichs For goodness sake, be gentlemen!
Yet another humourous episode connected with the present session the Diet occurred when the Promier wax reading his inaugural speech. The Premier had hardly concluded when one of the "ods" shouted:—"He reads like rakudai" (A "ratudai" corresponds to the Indian "Failed B, A") The Premier did not love his temper. "Lam not a ralndai," he afliemed, "IT were, 1 would not be leader of the Government to-da:
The Preaching Burglac The frequency with which gun-wen recently have made their appearance in Tokyo and have not. scrupled to make use of—their weapons when challenged or con y the law has resulted in sing an apprehension lest "become a second Chicago, h the crack of pistols by gangs. of thugs and squads representing to be organizing ig the dirk and the dagger for the Colt and the Mauser. Police and detectives frequently have been fired upon by burglars and only last week two ficers were wounded by a burglar who managed to dade his pursuers, At present, Tokyo is much ex: excised by an elusive has been christened the burglar," because of propensity te weep with his jetims and ade Jure them to ret in always honest, afore he dispossesses them of their bles. This smooth-tongued scoundrel already has more than 50 burglaries to his name and has added insult to injury, in so far ax the Tokyo Police are concerned, by sending a letter to a prominent. vernacular newspaper in which he Aeclares that the Tokyo Police are lutely incompetent, as I am recounted by victims, it is possible to gain some idea of the "preaching "burglar,"
entity, however, has not shed, He seems ty perfect confidence, nonchalance and Minister, Dr. C. 7. Wang, to make the se Foreiya sure that his, Dr. Wang's, instractions were being fulfilled—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.