Minseito's Decision to Propose Vote of Nog-Confidence Against Seiyukai: Small Parties Now in the Saddle Tokyo, Mar. 17.
A. somewhat secret session of the Cabinet, in addition to vernacular fand other intimations that Soviet money may have added the radical Proleturians in the recent election, preceded the wholesale arrest Japanese extremists on Thursday.
The Government, howevis, now emphasize their disbelief of the alleged Soviet interference, though it is generally understood! that a quiet investigation is under way regarding the source of the Pro Ketarian election funds, Prior to the arrest of the tremists, the "Hochi" claimed to have discovered that the new Soviet Ambassador was the author of a book attacking the monarchies yyatem, upon which the Pres Instigated inquiries and subsequent. ly announced that he was satisfied that, though Comrade Troyanovsky the same name og the author, he had ho connection with the book.
Mer. 18, A month ago interest in Japan was centred on what would be the outcome of the first general elec tion held under the new Manhood Suffrage Law. The Seiyukai were expected to be ventured with a small majority. They -were; but. the margin between the Govern-tment and the chief opposition party was even smaller than generally anticipated, the former securing 221 seats ngninst the latter's 214.
'A. few weeks hence the session of the Diet, in which the newly-elected House will sit, will be opened, and speculation as to its fate fs'as rife now as were, forecasts regarding the election a month ago.
With so narrow a margin, the! Seiyuka''s position is precarious in the extreme, and everything now] hinges on the attitude to be adopted by the Proletarians (8 seats), the Independents (16), the Busi-Men's Party (4), ad the Koku shin Club (3), who, between them, hold the balance of power,—Tha Minseito threaten to introduce vote ut non-confidence and profess to fee! assured of sufficient support} from these elements to have it Paxsed by a small majority. Toe Seiyukai assert, with equal confid-fence, that they will be able to muster sufficient strength to have'
rejected by a margin of eight! or 10 votes. Meantime both are! struggling hard to court the friendship of those whose assist ance or hostility is suth a matter of life and death to them. account of the heavy expenditure and the disturbance to business en: tailed, the probability is that the Government would adopt the first of these two alternatives and step' out of power, even however if the Minseito succeed in having their vote of non-confidence passed.
Tt would be altogether erroneous to suppose that the support given them by these outside elements in putting through this measure indicated any real friendship. Far] from this being 80, the probability that, in the event of their bring-nig about the downfall of the present Government and forming a Ministry of their own to replace it, the Minseito will find themselves as strongly opposed by these elements as wore the Seiyukai, and will in consequence find themselves in a position of even greater insecurity, their own numbers are smaller.
The fact is that the Proletarians, for example, have no more love for the Minseito than they have for the Seiyukai, and they are quite frank in admitting that they are pro-pared to attack whichever of the two happens to be in power. Some of the other elements are similarly hostile to both the major parties—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.