The Diet met-on February 15 and the whole "nation belived: that a truce had been declared in the bitter battle between the parties and the Army, the anti-Fascists and the pro-Fascists, The speeches delivered before both Houses by General Hayashi in his dual roles of Premier and Foreign Minister were platitudinous nonentities. 'The Finance Minister's speech was more to the point, more factual, and revealed the surprise that he had succeeded in cut. ting the huge 1937-38 Budget. by slightly ess than 10 per cent. 'The 'Army quite evidently' expected the party men to behave and to control their tongues, still holding over them the dreaded' weapon of dissolution and a General Election, with Its rear cost and its uncertainties of victory for each individual involved, Scarcely had interpellations begun, however, before it was plain. that there was no truce at all on the part of the two major political parties, the Minseito and the Seiyukai, They were still ready to Aght the fight to a finish, and they started after the Army and ils Intorference in_ polit falmost.as hotly as had Mr. Hamad on January 21. "Mr. Malajiro Kale zumi of the Minsello, which enjoys plurality in the Lower Mouse, launched into a vigorous and bitter castigation of Army meddling in politics, of suppression of freedom of speech, of failure to balance the huge military and naval expenditures with national economy, of the rising cost of living and the approaching increase of tax rates, of the Budget ary discrimination against the agri cultural masses and local govern ments, of the responsibility of the 'Army for the plots and assassinations of May 18, 1032, and of February 26, 1936, of the fact that the War Ministership was confined to generals and Lieutenant-generals on the active list, of tacit military disobedience to the' Imperial Command and of other is and evils 'Mr. Koizumi, who has come up from the very bottom rung of life, has served in a parly Cabinet and the Idol of the proletariat, did not bring out all these charges' himself, but he and succeeding speakers combined did so. 'The strongest, sanest fand most balanced speech was made by' the veteran Liberal leader Yukio Ozaki, although it was far less violent and inflammatory than the interpellations of his young colleagues, Liberal for 41 Years Mr. Ozaki stands in a peculiar niche of his own in Japan. He has been a member of the House of Representatives through all of the 70 sessions since the first Diet convened in November, 1800. He has never once wavered in his liberal views and his championship of democratic government. These views have cost him high oMfce and fortune, but he has remained true to them. Once Mayor of Tokyo and again Minister of Justice in 1914, It has been impossible for him to accept. (even if it were proffered) Government office since then, because he has. resolutely refused to compromise. His early companions, at one time as stoutly' Mberal as he, have all yielded to temptation of office or of wealth.
'The Japanese have a tremendous! respect for a man of courage and action, even when they heartily disapprove of the action in question. This trait of character' explains. the heroism garnered by the political assassin. "Mr. Ozakl's unflinching course during the 78 years of his life have earned him this same respect and admiration. He alone has consistently dared denounce publicly; the whole Manchuria adventure ever since It was launched at" midnight September 18, 1931, at Mukden. Any other Japanese thin he would long fage have fallen victim to - political assassins, yet only one abortive attempt has been made on his. lif For alt these reasons his "speech. In the Diet gained a hearing and a respect, exercised an influence, tar greater than those of his more ferytongued fellow-believers.
Mr. Ozaki waxed sarcastic in denouncing military participation In politics. He said there must be some Super-man "hidden within military uniform able to direct the Army, the! Government. and to guide public opinion rightly. He called on this Super-man to come out, to doff his military uniform and to become the Moses to lead the Japanese people: Out of their present wilderness. The War Minister and his Vice-Minister sat tensely erect, straining to catch every word of his 100-minute speech.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.