Tokyo, Nov. 12.
The leaders of the Seiyukai, who tendered their resignations November 10 as a protest against the decision of the Government to postpone the transfer of the Land Tax to Prefectural bodies, have withdrawn their resignations, Though the postpone mer! is due to the impossibility of the Central Treasury making up the resultant] deficiency of revenue from other sources, the vernacular papers consider that the decision will damage the Government in the eyes of the electorate as the: transfer of the Land Tax to local bodies was one of the principal planks of the Set-yuki Party's platform while out of office-—Reuter. in House of Peers Tokio, Nov, 14.
Considerable interest attaches to the withdrawal of Prince Pumimaro Konoye and several other leading peers from membership of the Kenkyukai, the most powerful clique Ju the Upper House.
The seceding peers propose to form a new independent group, their intention being to restrain the kyukal Party which, fearing that the privileges of the House of Peers may bbe curtailed if any other policy is pursued, is notoriously pro-government, no matter waar party is in Power.
Well-informed observers of olitfecal affairs consider that the action taken by Prince Konoye and his followers marks the first step in a liberal reform movement which they compare with the movement for the reform of the House of Lords. in England in 1909, with the exception that the reform' is being fostered from within instead of from without.
Prince Konoye himself is, virtually, the mouthpiece of Prince Sion, the grand old survivor of the Genro for Elder Statesmen, who is said to be strongly in favour of the movement forthe reform of the House of Poet It is impossible to foretell at present what effect, if any, the split in the House of Peers will have on the present Government—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.