Greatest Victory

Japan's famed "Old Fox," Premier Ki Inukai, won the Japanese Election last week chiefly by starting Japan's drive against Shanghai on election morn (see p. 21).

The Old Fox has won his seat in Japan's Diet in every election since the Diet was created in 1890. Last week aged 77, "The Foxiest Man in the World" crowned his career by leading his "War Party" (Seiyukai) to what was said to be the greatest parliamentary victory ever won in Japan. The Seiyukai won 301 seats out of the 466.

In Japan the Government of the Old Fox is so widely discredited as corrupt and reactionary that as recently as fortnight ago Japanese capitalists in Manhattan and Tokyo were laying election bets amongst themselves at odds of three to two against the Old Fox. But once more he outsmarted everyone.

The Japanese people were told by a Press which the Government now rigidly controls that Japan's drive at Shanghai was initially a success, whereas it was initially a failure. Popular elements opposed to the Dynasty and to the Regime were suppressed by police.

Voters amused themselves in Tokyo last week by such whimsies as voting for Chinese General Ma Chan-shan, for Japan's recently assassinated "Peace Man," Junnosuke Inoye, and for late, great Japanese such as Prince Ito ("the Bismarck of Japan"). One jokester voted "Give us rice!" But the Government of the Old Fox felt so strong that its censor passed these little jokes. The Old Fox could say: "A vote for the Seiyukai hastens the return of prosperity," while the opposition could only mutter innocuously: "One cannot feed on a fictitious boom."

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