UNDER GUARD

Shannon News, 3 April 1928, Page 2

UNDER GUARD

JAPANESE CORONATION.

Although the coronation ceremony of the Japanese Emperor is several months off, the metropolitan police nave already completed measures to keep a keen surveillance upon, or detain. if necessary, Communists, Anarchists, and other persons that may attempt to make scenes during the ceremony (writes Alfred E. Piores, the Tokio correspondent of the San Francisco Chronicle). A list has been prepared of these . alleged dangerous characters, anu they will be watched. Tlie police declare that this precautionary measure will restrict the activities of persons of radical tendencies and will avert any untoward •ncidents.

The police bureau of the Home Office has notified all profeetual authorities throughout the Empire that v •v.-.-irs’ Mpiuiwco should be kept m aJI suspicious characters for some time prior to the coronation ceremony and until the royal rites are over. According to an ofiicial estimate there are in Japan 500 dangerous radical men and women. In addition, there are said to bo 14,000 persons of questionable loyalty. From now on the police will set to work to secure photographs of all these people and their residences, and to compile a sort of "curriculum vitae” of each person. The Home Office, in co-operation with metropolitan police, intends to mobilise 25,000 policemen for service during the coronation. Of this number 6000 will be stationed in Kyoto, which has been chosen as the venue for the ceremonies. The rest will be placed in the larger towns in and around Kyoto, while a few thousand will be stationed along the principal railroads leading to Kyoto. Long before the coronation day, the police in each prefecture concerned are expected to check up their "black lists,” and it is thought that, by the time November 8 next year arrives, which is the day sot for the coronation, all suspicious characters Mill be under the official ken or in gaol. Shanghai and Harbin have been included as possible sources wdience the radically-inclined may endeavour to come: to Japan with ulterior motives, and these two eities will also be covered by the police net.