directly implicated and took steps to dismiss naval officers in charge of procurement and shipbuilding, public dissatisfaction continued to grow, and he was challenged to explain the bribery allegations before the House of Peers. After both houses of Diet refused to pass the 1914 Navy budget, Yamamoto resigned on 24 March 1914, bringing down his entire cabinet with him. Given that Yamamoto was also an officer of the Japanese Navy, a court martial demoted Yamamoto and the Minister of the Navy, Saito Makoto, both of whom had previously held the rank of Admiral. Subsequent court martials sentenced several leading members of the navy procurement department to prison sentences, issued heavy fines to Vickers and Siemens, and banned both companies from future participation in contracts. Aftermath With the start of World War I a couple of weeks later, Vickers was asked to restart production on the Kongō, and the men involved were all pardoned and rehabilitated. The Daily Telegraph newspaper edition of 21 January 1914 reported that Karl Richter had been arrested in Germany for his theft of the incriminating papers, and sentenced to two years in prison. See also Siemens Greek bribery scandal of 2008 References Notes Politics of the Empire of Japan 1914 in Japan Corruption in Japan Political scandals in Japan Military scandals Weapons trade