Tokyo, Feb. 27.
The Diet was comparatively inactive here to-day beċause of the illness of the Premier, Prince Konoye, who is confined to his home with a cold, He is expected to appear in the Diet early in the week to reply to interpellations. His absence from the Diet in the past several days was regarded as the reason for the delay in work on several important bills, including the National Mobilization Bill.
The Minister of War, General Gen Sugiyama, told the Diet last night that the Government did not intend to utilize the National Mobilization Bill in the present Sino-Japanese war, because Japan was not considered faced with a "very ' serious crisis" Me said the Government should be prepared, however, in an event that a national emergency arose.
The Social Masses Party and other leftist groups have indicated their willingness to support the bill spa aE Ee eae when amended to assure protection of property rights and retention of the Diet's functions. Some circles predicted that the Lower House would adopt the bill by the middle of the week, to be followed by hasty approval in the House of Peers.
Debate on the bill was not believed to have reached the stage of a political crisis. Members of the Diet apparently place considerable confidence in the explanations and promises offered by the Premier.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.