PARTIES IN JAPAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1939, Page 5

PARTIES IN JAPAN

KONOVE CABINET RESIGNS

CONTENTION OVER FUSION DEMAND. BARON HIRANUMA LIKELY TO BE PREMIER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. TOKIO. January 4. The Premier, Prince Konoye. today tendered the Government's resignation. The resignation was caused by the demand of the Home Minister. Mr Suetsugus, for the fusion of all political groups into a single national party, which Japan's two major parties, the Minseito and the Seiyukai, strongly opposed. Prince Konoye’s most likely successor is the 73-year-old Baron Hiranuma, President of the Privy Council. PRICE OF THE WAR. NEED OF REDOUBLED EFFORT. 3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. TOKIO. January 2. The Minister of Finance, Mr Ikeda, in a New Year statement, says the Government plans to issue further national bonds valued at approximately £291,000.000. and also to make tax increases totalling £11,000,000 in order to cope with the demands of the war in China and other extraordinary expenditure.

In view of General Chiang Kaishek’s antagonism having complicated the international situation in China, he said. Japan would be forced to redouble her efforts. “It must be emphasised,” he went on, "‘that, even after the establishment of relations between China and Japan on the basis already outlined, it will be useless to expect that a rapid reduction in Japan’s burden of largescale renovation in East Asia can be achieved.”

EXTREME POLICY PROPOSED PREMIER’S RECORD. FOUNDER OF SEMI-FASCIST ORGANISATION. (Independent Cable Service.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) TOKIO, January 4. Baron Hiranuma, who has been asked by the Emperor- to form a Cabinet,'' is an extreme Nationalist who created several years ago a semi-Fas-cist. organisation called the Society of the Foundations of the State, designed to unite all patriotic leagues. It was founded from various military groups. He was closely linked with the Army and Navy, who favoured a system modelled on military Fascist lines.