[took office, amongst the _retrenchments it promised the public was a ostic cut in the Army, and for this* purpose General Ugaki, who had-been War Minister before, was [chosen for the same portfolio largely because it was he who reduced the'
Army by four divisions some years ago, supplementing numerical inferiority by superior weapons.
The War Office soon after appointed an Investigation Commis-[sion to look into the matter and, as thus far, no tangible results have been forthcoming, the press voices a suspicion that the Army Jchicftains are trying to "hedge anu Jdodge" arid that their disinclination to suppress institutions not really necessary and reduce the numerical [strength of the country's land forces is not prompted by any—praiseworthy patriotic motives, but simply igs out of a desire to maintain a "balance of power" with the Navy. This means, in different words, that the Choshu clan, which controls the Army, is not willing to et the Satsuma clan whose special reserve is the Navy have any advantage. The press-urges General Ugaki to pay no heed to clan incrests "which have caused the Army to attain a deformed development," but to go ahead with reorg ganization on the basis of retrenchment "because there is no real justfication in maintaining a jarge standing army and because the waste of national wealth. in useless military projects will tend to make the public suspect the patriotism of responsible. statesmen
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.