N027  1124  11 Nov 74
TANAKA
BY RICHARD HALLORAN
(C) 1974 NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
   TOKYO, NOV. 11--PRIME MINISTER KAKUEI TANAKA OF JAPAN 
TRIED TO SHORE UP HIS ERODING POLITICAL POSITION TODAY BY 
PROMISING A REPORT TO THE NATION ON HIS FINANCES, BY APPOINT-
ING NEW OFFICIALS OF THE RULING PARTY, AND BY NAMING A LARGELY
NEW CABINET.
   AT A NEWS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON, THE BESIEGED PRIME
MINISTER EXUDED CONFIDENCE WHEN HE SAID: "LET ME MAKE ONE 
POINT VERY CLEAR--I'VE DONE NOTHING ILLEGAL."
   TANAKA ASSERTED THAT HE HAD NEVER ABUSED HIS PUBLIC 
OFFICE FOR PERSONAL GAIN AND PLEDGED THAT "IF I HAVE DONE 
THAT, I WILL LEAVE NOT ONLY MY POST AS PRIME MINISTER BUT 
I WILL ALSO GIVE UP MY SEAT IN PARLIAMENT."
   TANAKA HAS BEEN UNDER FIRE IN RECENT WEEKS FOR ALLEGED 
IRREGULARITIES IN HIS PERSONAL AND POLITICAL FINANCES. 
DEMANDS FOR HIS RESIGNATION HAD COME FROM WITHIN THE RULING
DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND FROM THE LEFTIST OPPOSITION. ONE JAP-
ANESE SAID THAT "IT'S NOT A WATERGATE YET, BUT IT IS A 
WATER LEAK."
   TODAY, HOWEVER, TANAKA'S SELF-ASSURED MANNER INDICATED
THAT AFTER PRESIDENT FORD'S SCHEDULED VISIT TO JAPAN NEXT 
WEEK, THE PRIME MINISTER WILL PUT UP A SCRAP TO STAY IN 
OFFICE. HE STARTED OFF HIS MEETING WITH NEWSMEN A BIT TAUT,
BUT THEN LOOSENED UP AND BECAME MORE SELF-CONFIDENT AS HE 
WENT ALONG.
   TOWARD THE END, HE EVEN GOT INTO A TESTY EXCHANGE WITH A 
NEWSMAN. HE INTERRUPTED A QUESTION TO SAY: "WHY DON'T I QUIT
FIRST? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY, WASN'T IT? THAT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN ONE IDEA BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE THIS WAY, AS YOU
SEE."
   TANAKA APPEARED TO TIGHTEN HIS GRIP ON THE PARTY FOR 
THE FORTHCOMING POLITICAL BATTLE BY NAMING SUSUMU NIKAIDO AS
SECRETARY GENERAL. NIKAIDO, UNTIL NOW THE CHIEF CABINET 
SECRETARY, IS A CLOSE POLITICAL ALLY.
   IN THE CABINET, THE PRIME MINISTER RETAINED FINANCE 
MINISTER MASAYOSHI OHIRA, AND THE MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL 
TRADE AND INDUSTRY, YASUHIRO NAKASONE, BOTH MAJOR FACTION 
LEADERS. FOREIGN MINISTER TOSHIO KIMURA WAS ALSO KEPT ON.
   THE REST OF THE CABINET, HOWEVER, CONSISTS OF POLITICIANS
DISTINGUISHED MAINLY FOR THEIR LOYALTY TO TANAKA, OHIRA, 
OR NAKASONE. THEY WERE NAMED TO PROVIDE FACTIONAL BALANCE 
AND NO CHANGE IN POLICY IS EXPECTED.
   TWO OF TANAKA'S MAJOR CRITICS, TAKEO FUKUDA AND TAKEO 
MIKI, REFUSED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW CABINET. THEY 
INDICATED THEY WOULD SEEK TO BRING TANAKA DOWN ONCE PRESI-
DENT FORD HAD COMPLETED HIS VISIT HERE.
L/BC225P
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