JAPAN New Cabinet
New Cabinet
A storm of industrial insolvency which had been gathering over Japan since the disastrous earthquake of 1923, burst last week and forced the resignation of Premier Reijiro Wakatsuki's Cabinet.
During March a rumble of warning came when seven banks suspended payments. The first thunder clap (TIME, April 18), was the announcement by Japan's richest woman, Mme. Yone Suzuki that her enormous importing and exporting firm would delay payments on its $250,000,000 obligations. Forthwith came another thunderbolt--suspension by the great Bank of Taiwan, chief creditor of Suzuki & Co.
In an effort to clear the air, Premier Wakatsuki attempted to secure approval from the Imperial Privy Council to extend enormous credits from the Bank of Japan to save the Bank of Taiwan. The Privy Council, a body of august solons with super-legislative power, responsible only to the Emperor, refused to sanction the Cabinet's plan. So, although Premier Wakatsuki had a parliamentary majority, he resigned with his Cabinet.
Lightning Exchange. His Majesty, the newly ascended Tenno (Emperor) Hirohito, received last week the first resignation of a Cabinet during his reign (TIME, Jan. 3 et seq.), at 9:10 a. m. from the Imperial Chamberlain. By 11:00 a. m. newsboys were crying on the street that the new Premier was General Baron Guchi Tanaka, leader of the Seiyuka.* Thus New Japan, with her young athletic, enlightened Tenno and highspeed printing presses, kept the public waiting not over two hours for an exchange of government which in ancient days endured decorously and interminably. Japanese editors applauded the new Tenno for following the typical Occidental procedure of calling the leader of the Opposition to take the Government when a cabinet falls, whether or not he has an apparent majority.
Sword-Handy Premier. General Guchi Tanaka is a picturesque, opinionated, vigorous man of the sword who was allowed to enter politics from the Army by imperial decree of the late Tenno Yoshihito/- He was born (1863) the third son of a servant attached to the great feudal lord Mori. His evident quickness and superiority of mind gained him the patronage of his lord and he was sent to the Military School, thereafter rising through the ranks until, in 1915, he was a Lieutenant General and Vice Chief of the General Staff.
On entering politics he served as War Minister under Premier Takashi Kara (1918-1921), Premier Viscount Takahashi (1921-1922) and Premier Count Yamamoto (Aug. Dec. 1923). Then, in 1925, he assumed the party leadership of the Seiyukai.
In Japan the new Premier enjoys the reputation of a valiant, discriminating drinker, and a gentleman of perfect decorum in his frequent visits to geisha-houses. On one such occasion he became aware during the night that he had carelessly set the establishment on fire. No poltroon, he sobered instantly, ordered the geisha girls out into the street, organized the men-servants to carry out furniture and extinguish the fire, paid openhandedly for the damage he had wrought.
Such a man, Japanese thought last week, possesses the qualities of courage, resourcefulness and leadership necessary to avert financial panic in the present crisis. He began his labors by naming a Cabinet of solid, able conservatives: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs--Baron Tanaka. Home Minister--Kisabro Suzuki. Finance Minister--Korekiyo Takahashi. Minister of the Army--Jchisuke Tsuno. Minister of the Navy--Admiral Keisuke Okada.
Minister of Justice--Yoshimichi Hara. Minister of Education--Chuzo Mitsuchi. Minister of Agriculture--Teijro Yamamoto, Minister of Communications--Neisuke Mochizuki.
The Cabinet's first act was to petition and receive the Emperor's signature upon a decree authorizing all banks to suspend payments for the three weeks to ameliorate the fiscal crisis.
* Chief opposition party, but in a minority compared to the united Kenseikai and Seiyukai parties which supported the last cabinet.
/- Prudent Japanese law ordinarily debars army men from a political career.