Sanji Kishi

“ About 1,000 students are crammed into a big lecture hall. Akaji Akai, with his great hog’s body, is escorted into the hall by Dr. Hijukake.
After being introduced by the doctor, Akai takes the platform. “Ahem, Ahem. To-day I wish to address you on the subject of ‘The Class Struggle, or Harmony between Labour and Capital.’ ”
With this, by way of preface, he sticks out his great paunch and, fingering his gold watch-chain, beams on his audience.
“Let us first consider the world class struggle. In Germany they call it Klassenkampf. ”

“ But in the early days of the movement there were some capitalists who failed to appreciate my true motives, and I met with all kinds of rebuffs. Then, thinking of my country’s industrial future, I would at times turn my face to heaven and fight back my tears.
“When I reach Geneva I am determined to fight all attempts to handicap the development of our national industries, and to emphasize the peculiar position those industries hold.
“I have friends at Geneva. We will arrange things. With a little tact we can settle a victory for the workers. ”

“ You’re growing fat on the workers, getting yourself made an M.P. and taking bribes from everybody. Buying land and putting up houses, and I guess you’ve got a nice little pile of stocks and shares hoarded up somewhere. I know all about you, you bloody rogue!”
“That hurts, that hurts, I tell you. Stop kicking my head like that.”
“A little bit of booting won’t do any harm to your head. It’s got nothing inside, anyhow.”
“Your rudeness is insufferable. I am Akaji Akai, who people have marked as the coming Premier in the Labour Government. ”

“ He came with the request that I give an address on the labour movement to the students of the Economic Department, but, to confess the truth, I don’t care for these students. You can’t fool them as easily as you can the workers. ”

“ If you’re going to stay on dangling there, the thousands of miners working down below wont’t be able to get to the surface and will be starved to death. But what’s worrying me more than them is, how I’m going to get out myself? ”

“ Sponging on your parents! You don’t know anything about society, real society, except lodging-houses and cafes, and then as soon as someone starts to address you, you chip in with ‘scientific’ or something. I’m no scholar ”

“ Akaji Akai arrives at the city of Hakata in the Fukuoka district. At the station entrance the district governor and the chief of police, in full regalia, have turned out to receive him. Besides them there is a fairly large gathering, made up of the local members of parliament, business men and society ladies, while in the background stand some forty or fifty police. About a dozen workers, come to welcome their leader, only to be shoved back by the police for their pains. ”