[Government in Difficulties between Right and Left Exti Scene Outside the Soviet Embassy Tokyo, Mar, 31.
Between the' extremists of the Left and Right, the communists and the reactionaries, the Government is visibly worried. The news of the recent round-up of] roughly, 1,000 communists still remains under an embargo so far ay the press in 'Japan is concerned, though there was no attempt to prevent the news being known abroad. On the other hand, references' to the disturbances. outside the Soviet Embassy on March 23 and 24 by reactionary. clements—who seem to follow the tenets of Fascism—have been suppressed, not only in Japan but also in messages abroad.
Briefly, on the' evening of March 28 considerable excitement was caused in Tokyo when three large explosions occurred outside the headquarters of the Peasant Labour Party. It seems that some reactionary clements exploded powerful fireworks to draw attention to their activities, after which they distributed handbills urging expulsion of the Soviet Ambassador, who, it was alleged, had provided funds for the Proletarians, The handbills also demanded the suppression of radical organizations in Japan and the breaking-off of relations with Soviet Russia.
Later, the same persons exploded more fire-works outside the Soviet Embassy and left a sword, and also written statement demanding that the Soviet Ambassador should leave Japan, on the steps of the building. No arrests avera made at the tim but about a dozen men were at rested by the police the next di Immediate Apology Jetting it be known abroad that thd thorities are busy "mopping up" dangerous elements, On the cone trary, the almost universal feeling in other countries against Bolshewile influences is such that the Japanese Government can feel assured large measure of sympathy. the other hand, if it is allowed to bbe made known in Japan itself thet communists are being arrested wholesale, it is feared that the psychological effect on the country asa whole will be bad.
Sustly why it should be so is no® quite clear, but presumably the Authorities know their own national psychology better than do outside: observers; and maybe the reaction, which it is teaved to induce, is akin to that which is such a marked Feature in the case of suicide, That is to say, one suicide is generally followed by others, the tendency being for it to bacomo almost. epidemic. Similarly it appears. to be feared that the existence of communism in Japan, if emphasized by news of the step being taken to suppress it, may lend to its spread, Indications of Nervousness The case of the Soviet Embassy incident being laid under news eme bargo both internally and externally appears. to arise from a different cause, Tu no far as home consump= tion is concerned, the reason may be similar, namely, fear that know= ledge of it will lead to a more widespread reactionary move me and anti-Soviet demonstrations.
Tut the main fear seems to be lest it should stir up resentment Russia against Japan and serve to create a breach with Moscow, am. outcome that the Government Jin an hour of the incident the Minister for Foreign Affairs, General Baron Tanaka, sent his Secretary to the Soviet Embassy to convey his personal apologies to t Charge d'Affaires, This to be an indication of particularly anxious to avoid, "Fiom the social standpoint, official syme pathies may be with' the reaction aries, whose declared object to prevent the spread of com influence; but, from ixioty to prevent. any resent: Russia due to the incident, The object in view in prohibiting all mention of the first incident in opposed to anything tendh wage their friendship Moscow.
Apart, however, from the f that the' nows is bound to Teak onl Japan, but placing no obstacle in its publication abroad while suppress sing all. messages connected with the incident at the Soviet throws an interesting the workings of the official mind in Japan. The reasoning of officialdom appears to be as follows:
No harm is likely to be done by sooner or later and that, therefore, there is little to be gained by put= ting it under a ban, the present. policy of news suppression apponrs to indicate very clearly the norvousness of tha Japanese Government, both in regard to Communism and Reuter, i to the local brand of Fase
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.