Gen, Baron Tanaka as Head of Seiyukai: Ambitious to Be Prime Minister row: Oon Ows Connrsronoent.
Tokyo, Apr. 15.
'A. new star,. with "comet-like velocity, has: suddenly drifted: into the political firmament of Japan.
This is General Baron Giichi Tanaka; a former Minister of Ws and the inspiring influence of the l-starred Japanese expedition to Siberia, General Tanaka has assumed the leadership of the Seiyukai party and is stated to be entertaining prime ministerial ambitions, which, in plainer word: the Kato Cabinet hi ion shakier than ever a, like every good politician out of office, has denied any such ambitions, but he has been known to have dreamed of securing:
Cabinet plum for some ime, 'A's soon as reports were circulated that General Tanaka was a candi. date for the' presidency of the Seiyukai party, indignant démentis were immediately sent out. While these denials were still being citculated, Mr, Takahashi, whom Gen-feral Tanaka succeeds, resigned' from the presidency of the Selyukat, Behind' the Scenes The immediate cause of General Tanaka's accession'to the leadership: of the Sefyukai is interesting, both because it is s0 strange when viewed from the point of view of foreign polities and also because such I a perfectly ordinary means putting Japanese political transiction throught, The Seiyukai party found: its coffers: rather' low, so! reports: state. 'They' told their President" (the Talembash!) that money would have te be somehow got, and that at Toast Yen 700,000 was needed. Dt. Takutushi virtually' replied: that didn't know' where om earth' to get the sum from General Tanaka; wilh la: more than' pervowa' grata' with the: large: business' itin: here (the Mitsubishi interests excepted), volunteered to get' the - mo Result: Extt: Takahashi; Enter: Gent ra: Bayou OMehl Tanaka statentants? are' aleor rife! to! whet eneral Tanah prapovee to-do' now that he haw' stepped' to the first big' stone lending: across the: river of political control, is said to have: at special policy in regard to China' and: Russia, Whut the: policy. is: exacts ly, no one yet knows except that it is'going!to besa' "positive" policy:
One: seetion of the Japanese press declares: that this "positive" policy to take'the line-of offering: direct opposition: to: Anglo-Saxon economic penetration in these: two lands, and. they: even go #0 far as to say' that General Tanaka: will seek to line up the whole nation behind him when funds the trumpet call for Japanese verve Anglo-Saxon commercial superiority in China and. Siberia, These may be merely guesses thrown out from the other camp, but the press statements have 'a strange resemblance to the manner in which General Tanaka, when in authority, acted in the past.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.