"No Menace"

"We offer no menace to any nation, we submit to menace from none!" All Japan harkened to these words of Foreign Minister Kijuro Shidehara last week. Not only was he explaining Japan's policy at the London Naval Conference, but in view of the approaching general elections, ordered by the Emperor for Feb. 20, he was defending the record and policies of the Prime Minister, shaggy-haired Yuko ("Shishi") Hamaguchi.

There was need for stout defense because the present Minseito Cabinet has been carrying on with a smaller number of seats in the Diet than are possessed by their potent rivals the Seiyukai Party. But great achievements stand to their credit: chiefly that of putting the yen back on a gold basis (TIME, Dec. 2). They hope to win the election by a thwacking majority. For the first time in 15 years they will be the party in power on election day, an advantage almost as formidable in Japan as in Mexico, Chicago or Rumania.

In his final, ringing address to the Diet, Baron Shidehara touched on three great international issues, said:

"Today the public opinion of the world is calling in sober earnest for the security and happiness of national life and for peace and friendship in international relations. Should the London Conference take this tide at its flood its labors will surely be crowned with success. The nations there represented can ill afford once more to disappoint this public demand.

"Whoever is Japan's Foreign Minister, Japan's primary interest in China is trade, and trade requires peace.

"It is true that to our regret the question arising from the discriminatory clause contained in the American immigration act of 1924 cannot yet be regarded by us as a closed incident."

Most recent and spectacular of astute Prime Minister Hamaguchi's gestures toward Economy was his toning down of his son's wedding. The bride, petite Miss Aya Mizumachi, is the daughter of a rich Imperial Privy Councilor. Her family had already spent 10,000 yen ($5,000) on wedding preliminaries, were preparing to spend a total of some $25,000.

Soon the prospective fathers-in-law stood face to face. "I have come to say," said Father-in-Law Hamaguchi, "that I hope the expenses of the wedding proper will not exceed 50 yen [$25], and that not more than five yen [$2.50] per wedding guest will be spent on refreshments. I shall instruct my son to spend not more than 250 yen [$125] on the wedding trip."

Highly pleased by these suggestions, rich but frugal Privy Councilor Mizumachi proceeded to marry his daughter on the cheap. Last week they were honeymooning at a Japanese inn rated as third class.

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