Assassins, Crews & Sirens

Tokyo was on edge. Assassination was in the air. Sentries guarded the homes of Cabinet Ministers. In his office, Tokyo Chief of Police Fujinuma nervously paced the floor. Finally he grew so nervous that he rushed to the residence of Admiral Viscount Makoto Saito, Premier of Japan. There he excitedly begged permission to remain personally on guard.

Month ago 14 members of the "Blood Brotherhood" who assassinated two prominent Japanese of pacifist tendencies last year were placed on trial (TIME, July 10). They still sat in court last week with wicker baskets over their heads, as is the Japanese rule in case of capital crimes. What the police feared was another wave of assassinations staged by patriotic youths who think that Japan has not yet seized enough Chinese soil. Since the present Government is honestly trying to grab all it safely can, Tokyo police, who are sometimes patriotically lenient toward would-be assassins, made real and strenuous efforts.

In several shrines they arrested a total of 49 young men who had come provided to pray for "Greater Japan" equipped with everything from ancient Samurai headgear and swords to daggers, cans of kerosene and banners appealing to the public in such moving terms that police kept the texts rigidly secret. After grim days of extreme alarm, with police guarding banks, major business offices, electric power stations and waterworks, tension relaxed sufficiently for Premier Saito to give a party. Out of their limousine stepped U. S. Ambassador & Mrs. Joseph Clark Grew, he a trifle lame and slightly deaf. Just as they reached the Premier's door bedlam broke loose. Japanese police with drawn pistols surrounded the Grews. Others brandished swords and screeched. "These people," someone shouted, "are assassins."

Ambassador & Mrs. Grew serenely stood their ground. In two minutes it turned out that a Japanese policeman, thinking to turn on some electric lights, had pushed by mistake a lever which turned in a general alarm. "Very sorry! Must be fixed!" babbled an excited police official. "This accident has happened twice before!"

Still jumpy, the Cabinet decided to appease any patriotic assassins who might still be lurking about by proving just how indomitably expansionist the present government of Japan really is. Fresh programs of army, navy and air expenditures were announced which will shoot Japan's budgetary expenditures for the coming year up to 2 1/2 billion yen--almost twice the estimated budgetary receipts. As usual Japanese bankers and businessmen will be forced to "balance" the budget by absorbing a huge bond issue, while Japan's warriors extend their sphere of conquest. To give Tokyo patriots something concrete to think about all lights were suddenly switched out in the main section of the city at 9 p. m. one night last week. Sirens screeched an air raid alarm. For one hour a government plane flew around and around dropping fireworks and leaflets. These announced that the nights of August 9, 10 and 11 have been set aside for "grand aerial maneuvers over Tokyo and the vicinity."

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