CO129-575-3 Japanese affairs 2-1-1939 - 21-12-1939 — Page 185

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who was called to task for his failure to stem the tide of increasing co-operation among the democratic Powers. It is impossible to discover the slightest trace of anxiety regarding a single aspect of the situation in any ministerial statement.

A New Party.

30. There are indications that the minority groups in the House of Repre- sentatives intend to merge, ostensibly in protest against the Government's abandonment of the domestic reform programme. The Social Mass party, with thirty-five seats, and the reactionary Tohokai, with twelve seats, are taking an active part in this movement.

The Imperial University.

31. Liberalism in Japan, such as it is, still finds a home in the universities, particularly in the departments of economics and law, despite the campaign to make education as subservient to the State as it is in Germany and Italy. Tokyo Imperial University held out longer than any other against the new regulation of the Education Ministry, issued last year, by which the president of the university is appointed by the Ministry and not, as heretofore, elected by the university. The Ministry's nominee assumed office last autumn, but he has been having continuous trouble with his staff, and a recent move to suspend two professors in the economics department has led to the resignation of ten others.

32. These quarrels arise partly from internal frictions and personal animosities, which have been in existence for years, and partly from the hatred of the teachers for outside interference and from the despair with which they see their few remaining liberties disappearing.

Gasoline.

33. Gasoline is to be still further restricted, and there is a good chance that it will not be possible to use cars for purely pleasure purposes.

34. Like the Puritans who abolished bear-baiting, not because it hurt the bear, but because it amused the people," the new regulations are aimed not so much at conserving fuel (for the economies effected will be inconsiderable) as at bringing home to people the gravity of the situation. In the artificial prosperity caused by the war they are constantly in danger, according to the authorities, of having too good a time.