HOW FREE IS JAPAN?
THIS question must arise when mocratic rights and civil liberties not infrequently receive
THE
ever the outside world hears is as follows: of a new Cabinet crisis, of Army
notifications from the police they are not to report or
For
arch institute of left-wing ter
at dencies whi carries on a fairly
tensive publication activity. When one surveys the whole field on specific subjects. But they are not lined up unanimously on the of liberties, without either exag- side of the Government, indeed both gerating or ignering specifie
it would seem the Hirota and the Hayashi Cabi- tices of repre
intervention in politics, of police Representative rains on persons suspected of "dan-
Government gerous thoughts," of foreign visi- tors put through searching examina-
of The Japanese male may cast his nets have frequently experienced a that Japan would
He tions by the police if they have
fifty, in con-- unwittingly taken photographs, how ballot freely for any one of a num decidedly bad press. The Japanese something
ber of parties, ranging from some editor is still able to think first of tradistinction to the democracies ever harmless, in one of Japan's
small extreme- nationalist groups his readers and only secondly of the which would be closer to 108 and numerous fortified zones, or of a
through the large established par-police. military invasion in China such as
ties, the Minseito and the Seiyukai, is now raging around Peiping.
dictatorships which would be much nearer zero in a test of this kind.
is
are
to the moderate socialist Social Mass Incoming and outgoing news Party One small political group- subjected to controls which So far as the status of its civil ing, the Proletarian Party, stands more. severe than those of democra- liberties is concerned, Japan, oc- cupies a unique position among the major powers to-day. It cannot be classified offhand either with the major dictatorships or with the major democracies, Prussia in the
WIDOW GIVES UP
By William Henry Chamberlin FORTUNE
(In the "Christian Science Monitor")
early days of Bismarck would fur still farther to the Left. nish a better analogy, although here, munism is an outlawed and too, there would be important points scribed creed.
of difference
Com- cies, but considerably less. pro than those of dictatorships.
Speech in the Diet, like the vot- ing, is at least relatively free; sharp Looking at the question, there criticism of the Cabinet in power fore, from the standpoint of the is not unusual. The joker in this critical protestant, one may say situation is that the Diet lacks the influence the that such an individual would have power decisively to more chance of existence and even course of events, because the Cabi- of a limited degree of self expres- net Ministers are responsible sion in Japan than in the modern the Throne, not to the Diet.
opportunities dictatorships. His
would, however, be vastly more cir- Freedom of
cumscribed in the Island Empire The Press than in the democratic countries.
Getting down to concrete cases, the
Japanese newspapers
are
to
strict
Effect of Remarriage
Mrs. Jaqueline Esther Sebag Montefiore, widow of Mr. Arthur Sebag-Montefiore, who was killed Censorship of foreign news cables in a plane crash in April, 1935, has from Tokyo is sporadic and anony- been married quietly at Caxton Hall mous. Thave personally noticed cen- Register Office to Mr. Geoffrey sorship twice during an experience Cheadle Myddelton, 22, a physio- of over two years, once at the time logist, of Mount Park-crescent, when the February 26 revolt last Ealing. Mrs. Sebag-Montefiore is year rocked the Government to its 26. foundations, once on the eve of the signature of the German-Japanese pact against communism.
Right of con- Assembly
situation in Japan as regards de- trolled, but are not regimented. They
THE
WORLD GOES BY By "ULYSSES"
Under the will of her late hus- band she forfeits on her remarriage a large part of a fortune he left her.
Mr. Sebag-Montefiore, a nephew of Viscount. Bearsted, left £380,000. He appointed half the income of The Japanese has no protection certain settled funds to his wife against being haled to the nearest during widowhood, and £20,000 police station for prolonged inter furniture and securities producing rogation if he is suspected of £5,000 a year on trust during wi- cherishing "dangerous thought dowhood, with remainder on trust An elastic Peace Preservation Act for his eldest son
affords the public prosecutor mach He gave the residue on trust for leeway in this connection. The his wife during widowhood, or an record of the Japanese police
regards third degree" method annuity of $3,000, if she remarried.
is
not good and has been the subject
Mrs. Sebag Montefiore and Mr.
of more than one indignant inter- Myddelten were accompanied to the
No purchaser of this paper to read of directoring referred to the board pellation in the Diet. It is doubt Sebag-Montefere and the bride-
this particular column. He is not compelled to read it, and he does so
...
ful, however, whether this record
The
is as bad as that of police in dicta- groom's brother, Mr. J. F. Myddel- torships where police activities are ton, who acted as witnesses. at his own risk. I am in no way
above and beyond criticism, The ceremony lasted about 10 minutes. responsible for any ill effects it may
Have you ever met one of those number of persons in prison for have upon the system. To-day, one precious persons who dislike the political offenses at the time when of the items sent in in response to obvious?. He chases originality and
official figures were last made pub- a recent appeal to readers to chip in scorns a platitude as I do a boiled
lic was between five and six hun- There is nothing more and help, was the following chest-shirt front.
dred. mut:
obvious, and commonplace, and un-
Now On Sate
original, than one's morning bath Recognised political parties were CHINA YEAR BOOK A bull feeding in a field ate a water, yet into what sort of a state permitted to hold meetings during While should we get if we scorned it and the recent election, Police were in- buttercup containing a bee. the bee was in the bull's mouth-it would have none of it? Certain
thought of stinging it, but decided to wait until it was in the stomach. Arriving
it fell asleep with
warmth.
the
present in considerable bers and did not hesitate to in- truths are platitudinous enough, but we must bathe in them to get aut
and warn speakers who were souls clean. Of such are those who regarded as going too far in their denounce militarism, and political
Especially since jobbery, and caste, and snobbery February révolt the a Upon awaking, the bull was gone. and intolerance, and hypocrisy, and Personally, I do not believe it narrow-mindedness and ignorance How could the story-teller know It is unoriginal to denounce these, what was in the bee's mind?. but it is also unoriginal to take
Bath
willing to grant permission fo outdoor demonstrations May Day parades have been forbidden during the last two years
Academic Freedom
(18th edition) 1996
The China Year Book is an in- dispensable
unce book. Chins, it
I have been thinking of having my portrait (by an Old Master) put in this column. The crime rep very keen on identity and
Log
much
must
Because I sparkle print, people assume that. I sparkle at the dimer table, and. am overwhelmed with invitatiins by
ho want to brighten
This will not do feet in the tro
cloth is
ed, and I
musn
go, and have not
Lid