Gruesome Gift

Staggering beneath a huge pine coffin, little brown men bore it through the streets of Tokyo last week, let it down at last with a thud on the doorstep of Premier Heijiro Wakatsuki's official residence.

The Premier's servants, lifting the coffin lid,, were startled by something more ominous than a mere grinning skeleton, which might have seemed appropriate. The coffin contained instead a handsome disemboweling knife beautifully encased in a white leather scabbard and resting on a ceremonial tray. By this expensive present the Kamiya Keiseisha (Opposition Party) pointedly conveyed to the Premier their opinion that he is a perjurer and ought to commit harakiri.

Causus Belli. When Reijiro Wakatsuki was Minister of Home Affairs (1924-26) he allegedly promised a group of Osaka real estate speculators that if they would contribute 200,000 yen ($100,000) to the funds of his party (Kenseikai) he would issue an order transferring the filles de joie of Osaka to a new quarter of the city owned by the speculators. The money was paid, but the order was not issued. Recently the aged onetime (1914-16) Minister of Communications K. Minoura was thrown into jail on charges arising from the incident. Premier Wakatsuki, called to testify, whitewashed himself and tarred Minister Minoura under oath. The Opposition contends that the Premier perjured himself, began last week with their gruesome gift a campaign to upset the Cabinet.