JAPANESE ELECTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 12 April 1946, Page 5

JAPANESE ELECTIONS

Press Assn.

Close Race Indicated women candidates surprige

Bv Telearavh

-Covvriaht

Received Fr-idayl 1.15 p.m. TOKIO, April 11. i ^ Slow courtting indicates a close I' „aee between three parties for conF trol of Japan's 468-seat House of [ 3epresentatives, and hofds promi-se for a surprisi'ng ppmber of women /andidates. / The latest pyogress r-egults are: Social Democrats 25 seats, Progresirives 24, Liberals 23, Independents 6, People's Party 1 and Communists 3. It is estimated that 72 per cent. | pf the electorate voted. j Most of the reports are too vaguel to indicate more than the general j trend. Those elected include Takao \ Saito, a Progressive leader, who was i in the old Minseito Party and wasj expelled in 1940 for eriticising the' Army from the floor of tlie house,! the chief secretary (Wataru Narahashi), the Secpetary-Geperal of ' the Social Democrats (Tetsu Katayana) and the Secretary-General of! the Communist Party (Kyuichi Tokuda). The Communist Party leader (Sanni Nosaka), who recently teturned from exile in Yenyan, appears certain to be electedThe Home Ministry has ordered the Prefectural Governors to investigate widespread reports tnat hundreds were unable to vote because of improper registration, faulty records and other errors. Some Communists demanded a new election because of electoral; role errors, and charged that many. vi ar criminals participated in the election campaign. American sources say that the records of all the elected candidates will be scrutinised, and added that the alleged disqualification of some voters would be insufficient reason for calling a new election. Many Japanese voted informally for General MacArthur. One voter wrote on the ballot paper: "I mean this seriously."