34	the assassin's shadow lies across japan
^14 THE SITUATION L\^T JAPAN IS VERY SERIOUS "
June 29, 1932
The following statement \vas made to one of my staff by a Japanese,
a member of the Metropolitan Police Board. As this visitor generally
talks about the weather, his remarks on this occasion are significant:
The situation in Japan is very serious. It appears quiet on the
surface, but underneath there is great discontent among the people.
Wherever a few get together, their brains start to work and they
try to solve their difficulties and to see a way out of them. We
are continually hearing reports of probable actions on the part of
various groups of people. We raid them, take their papers, and
arrest a few of them, and so try to keep down any outbreaks. But
when something serious will occur it is very hard to say. It may
happen at any time. The young Army officers are out of hand ;
they have their own ideas of what should be done. The whole
place is full of malcontents.
As for the cabinet—Viscount Saito is an honest man and there
are a few others in the cabinet who are trying to do their best
for the country* But most of them are still the same old politicians,
working for themselves and for the good of their parties. Look at
the trouble about the governors of the prefectures. This man
Adachi is not to be depended upon to do anything for the good of
his country. He is just an old politician, working out his own
political schemes.
Many people have been trying to get together and find a man
who could lead and form a new party based on honest principles,
but such a man is difficult to find ; as far as I know, they have
not gone very far with this scheme.
Yes, I think it is very possible that there will be some more assas-
sinations. It is very difficult to prevent them with the people in
their present mood.
The politicians talk about saving money for the Government
by having reduced all of the officials' salaries but at the same
time they have appointed various political friends to positions that
arc quite unnecessary, such as, for instance, the parliamentary
secretaries to the ministries. These secretaries have nothing to
do. The people know these things and it makes them quite angry.
A GLORIOUS FOURTH
July 4,   Independence Day
The day began early as I had to attend the opening of the Oriental
Culture College at 9 o'clock and to make a short speech. Saito
and two other members of th« cabinet were scheduled to attend but
did not come.