SHOT BY OFFICERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 225, 17 May 1932, Page 5

SHOT BY OFFICERS

(Press. Assn.—

simultane0us b0mb attacks on important tokio ' ■* "" buildings cold-bloqded cribies

-By Telegraph— Copyrlght).

Rec. Ma y 16, 7.15 p.m. TQKIO, Monday. The Prime Minister, Mr Tsuyoshi Inukai, was shot and fatqlly wounded in the piost cold-bjooded manner by a group of young naval and military officers, who overpowered the police guard and broke into his official residence yesterday. At the same time a bomb was thrown through' a window of the building and several other buildings in the'eity were also bombed, including the metrQpolitan poliee headquarters, the Bank of Japan and the headquarters of the Seiyukai, the Prime Minister's Party. The Prime Minister died before niidnight in the presence of his family and the Minister of Finance The murder was the most deliberate in Japan's long history of political assassinations. .The official residence was attacked by a group of 25 young naval and military officers. The police were overpowered and an entrance forced The Prime Minister was seized He pleaded with the assailants not to shoot a'nd promised' to discuss their differences, but he was held by two officers and at the word of command was shot, two bullets entering his head.

The military authorities expressed surprise at the outrages, and promised the severest punishment. The existence is revealed of a secret society of young officers, who seek the reform of the Government under capitalistic influence .They cut off the tips of their little fingers to prove their devotion to the cause. Mr. Tsuyoshi Inukai, who is past 70 years of age, was made Prime Minister of Japan in December, 1931, following the downfall of the Wakatsuki Cabinet through an abortive attempt to form a Coalition Government. Prior to his elevation, Mr. Inukai was President of the Seiyukai, or Conservative Party, but was originally a Liberal.