Japanese Give Heated Reply To Law Professor's Allegation

Jerome A. Cohen, professor of Law, has drawn heated response from Japanese governmental officials since he called last month for investigation of alleged political corruption in Tokyo.

During a speech on U.S.-Korean relations, Cohen told the Washington Press Club that several high-ranking Japanese officials "are very intimately involved in making fortunes in South Korea."

"They have had help directly or indirectly even in their campaigns and finances of their campaigns from Korea," Cohen said.

Japanese newspapers reported the remarks last month, but officials had no reaction until a Japanese newspaperman noted last weekend that no formal response from the government had been made.

'Slanderous'

Shortly thereafter, Eisaku Sato, former prime minister of Japan and one of the officials Cohen mentioned, reportedly told the Japanese press that Cohen's remark was slanderous and that he was considering possible legal action.

According to The Boston Globe, spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi also complained about the content of Cohen's remarks.

Mitsuhiko Hazumi, head of press information at the Japanese embassy in Washington, last month forwarded a letter to Cohen that called his statement a "serious insult to Japanese political leaders."

"It is regrettable for a professor of one of the most prestigious universities in the United States to make such a statement in the public forum and an appropriate remedial measure on his part is in order," the letter said.

Cohen told Japanese press in Boston last Wednesday and Thursday that he considered his remarks "perfectly allowable" and called again for the press to investigate the allegations.

"The Japan government should have kept out in terms of trying to interfere with my discussing openly in the United States. The letter reminded me of something written by a pre-World War II bureaucrat to an underling. It was harsh and imperious," Cohen said yesterday.

Cohen also said he could not believe "that anyone would respond so rudely and in so undiplomatic a manner."

Hazumi said yesterday that the Japanese had "no intention with tampering with freedom of speech," but that he believed Cohen's remarks were unfounded.

"Freedom of speech is not that you can say anything you want. You have a certain responsibility," Hazumi said.

Cohen last visited Japan in April where he said he received reports from many people, including members of the Japanese press, of governmental corruption in Tokyo.

Cohen said yesterday that he believed his remarks hit a responsive chord with the Japanese public and cited various letters to the editors of Japanese newspapers as proof of the attention his remarks drew to the possibility of corruption.

According to The Globe, one Japanese newspaper editor gave the corruption statement prominence because of its possible veracity.

Allegations of corruption in Tanaka's administration have also been raised in recent Japanese campaigns, though they failed to receive the same publicity as Cohen's remarks.

Hazumi said yesterday the Japanese government would take no further action on Cohen's statement. Neither Hazumi nor Cohen said the incident will in any way strain relations between the United States and Japan