Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-03


settled state. Riots had broken out in many
of the election precincts, and had it not
been for the fact that the constitution of
Japan provides that when a parliament is
dissolved the budget of appropriations for
the year before shall be continued in force
without the act of parliament, the emperor
would not have had the means TO run his
government. This was the condition when
the was declared. This solidifed the
people. and today they are. to a man. in IA
vor OF almost everything that the admins
tration proposes. All this was largely
brought about by Count Ito, who is, per-
haps, the brainiest man in the whole Japa-
nese empire, and whose master mind Is
directing the war against China. He is the
Ii Hung Chang of Japan. and he is the
power behind the throne which passes upon
measures of state policy. and which. it is
whispered. Is, to a large extent, the cause
of the present war. Still. the world knows
but little about him. He is modest and re-
firing by nature, and he prefers to do
rather than to buster or talk. 1t Is by no
means easy for a foreigner to get access to
him, and during his stay in Tokyo, when
the war clouds were gathering over Asia,
the doors to his palace were closed even
more tightly. than usual Still, my letters
from the cabinet ministers at Washington,
Eese minister at our national capital gave
me an appointment. and had a chance to
see something of him and to chat with him
about the condition of the Japanese people.
Count Ito's Romantic Career.
But first, let me tell you something about
Count Ito. His history reads like a
romance. and 1t is closely associated with
that of Count Inouye, who has just gone to
Corea to preside over the introduction of
fp,a thot IT
most of the story Of Count Ito's life got
from himself and other parts were told
me by an English officer connected with
the Japanese government, as we sat to-
gether one night in the Roku Meikwan
Club In Tokyo. 1t is wrapped up In the
history of modern Japan, in which Ito and
Inouye have been the chief actors. They
came of good families. and their fathers
were soldiers, and they expected to serve
in the army of the Shoguns themselves
This was in the days when the Tycoon or
Shotgun governed the country. He had a
swell establishment at Tokyo, and the
Daimics and Samurai made up his army.
They sweled about the country with big
swords at their sides. acting very much
like the bad man of Bitter Creek" and
they considered other people as having no
rights which they were bound to respect.
In the meantime, the mikado was kept in
side the walls of his palace at Kioto, a
sort OF sacred puppet, surrounded by his
wives and his servants. Commodore Perry
him. and there were foreign and anti-for-
e!gn parties in Japan. Among the anti
foreigners were Ito and Inouye. They
thought that these pale-faced barbarians
would ruin the country. They did not know
much about Them but they understood they
were at Yokohama, and they conspired to
get up party and go there and clean the
foreigners from the face of Japan. Without
letting their superiors and parents know 1t
about 100 Of them sneaked out one dark night
and left Tokyo to go to Yokohama. They
had gotten half way when they found them
selves surrounded by soldiers They fought
their way out and returned to Tokyo They
SC on learned however. that the killing of
the foreigners at Yokohama would only be
the beginning of a great war with them
They went to the seacoast and saw our
warships, as they floated In the harbor
beside their japanese junks and they saw
that Japan could not successfully fight
such things on the sea. Ito and Inouye
were in the service OF the Prince of
Choshiu, who was the chief of the anti
foreign faction. and the question of how
to get rid of the foreigners was discussed
everywhere. At last, the two boys con-
cluded that the only safety for the country
was in her having good ships and good
guns, and they went to their prince and
told him that they wanted to go to Eng
land with three other picked youths of their
band. They said that they would there
study English customs, would go into the
gun works, and would master the great
secret of naval supremacy and bring IL
back to Japan. The Japanese could then
build ships of their own, and they could
put these guns over the country so that
they could drive the hated foreigners away
from their coasts. The prince was pleased
with the idea. and he gave them 50 600 and
arranged with the British consul to ship
them TO shanghai from whence they were
to go on to England.
Midnight Escape.
Now, II was contrary to the commands of
the Shotgun for any Japanese to leave the
with
they would be detained, so they took a
small boat one dark, rainy night, and were
taken on a ship just about to depart for
China. 1t took them some days to get to
Shanghai. their money having been sent on,
In the meantime, to one of the big English
trading houses there, with orders to ship
them to England. The orders were not very
definite. and as Ito and Inouye could not
speak English, the merchants misunder-
stood them, and when they said over and
over again the only two English words that
they knew Navigation" and London"
the merchants thought they wanted to be-
come sailors and go off to London, and in
stead OF sending them to London as pas
sengers, with instructions that they be sent
to a good naval school, they were shipped
as common sailors On sailing ship which
went around the Cape Of Coed Hope. They
had only small amount of money with
them, the rest having been sent on by
draft. and this they spent during their
voyage.
Count ItO's Adventures In London.
The English officer told me of their trou-
bles in London.
The most of them." said he, occurred on
the day that they landed. And venture
the darkest day of Count Ito's life was
when he found himself wandering through
the slums of the city without n cent in his
pocket The way 1t happened was this:
The moment the vessel reached the docks.
the otilcers and crew departed and left the
two japanese boys to take care of them
selves. They were dazed with the din and
the sights and the CONFUSION of the great
city. In the center of millions of people,
they krew not which way 10 turn, nor
whittier to go. The cook was gone, and the
locker was smut, and there was not a bit of
food TO be had. They waited some time ex-
pecting that the merchants might send for
them, hut after while they grew so hun
CRY that they decided 10 go out and buy
something to eat They had three dollars
left, but they did not know the value of
money in England. They thought however
that this would buy them some boiled rice
end a good meal of raw fish. Taking a pa
per with them. Count Jnouye marked on 1t
diagram of the route they went in or
der that they might find their way back to
the ship. and after devious wanderings
they came at last to a bakery. There were
loayes Of bread on the counter. and Ito.
who was carrying the money. not knowin;;