Chaplin & Assassins

On his triumphal tour of Japan last year Cinemactor Charles Spencer Chaplin asked, "May I see the room in which Premier Inukai was assassinated?"

Blandly his host the new Premier, Admiral Viscount Makoto Saito, led the way to that chamber in his official residence where naval petty officers did Premier Inukai to death because they thought him "too pacifist" (TIME, May 23). Cinemactor Chaplin was shown the very spot on the floor from which bloodstained tatami (matting) had to be removed (see cut). He had previously lunched with young Ken Inukai, son of the murdered Premier. "As you know, Mr. Chaplin," said Son Inukai, "it was my late father's wish to receive you while Premier."

The incident passed and the Chaplin triumph continued with thousands of Japanese cinemaddicts shrilling a welcome at every station. Only last week, when the assassins of Premier Inukai were put on trial, did Cinemactor Chaplin learn with amazement that he too had been marked for Death.

Perfectly composed, the troop of assassins sat in court, each with his head completely covered by a basketwork hood, as is the Japanese rule when capital crime is involved. Alert and proud of his patriotism, Sub-Lieutenant Seishi Koga rose to testify: "We thought that a war with America was needed to rehabilitate the Japanese national spirit. We planned to blow up Premier Inukai and Mr. Chaplin together. It was only when some of us were arrested and we had to hurry our preparations to kill Premier Inukai that we gave up our plan to kill the American too."

Actually Cinemactor Chaplin is a subject of British George V. Throughout the trial last week all the accused petty officers showed themselves ignorant of world affairs, fanatically intent on just one thing: the resurgence of Japan which they described as "Great Asianism. . . . Everywhere the Asiatic races are oppressed by the whites. ... It is Japan's mission to form a great Asiatic confederation and liberate Asia!"

According to all the accused, they had thought that "pacifist" Premier Inukai's jingoist War Minister, Lieut. -General Sadao Araki, would succeed him as Premier instead of remaining War Minister, which he still is.

"My determination to reform Japan remains unchanged!" cried Prisoner Eitan Goto passionately. "I am prepared to die seven times, but I will" bomb seven times, if necessary, until the country is purified. I regret I caused trouble for the Emperor and disturbed public opinion, but I am prepared to die. I ask to be punished according to law."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.