The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-04
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z1EWER

his own way. A year ago the members of
both houses were more or less against the
Government, and the Emperor had to
peremptorily dissolve the Parliament last
spring. The whole country was in an
unsettled state. Riots had broken out in
many OF the election precincts, and had IL
not been for the fact that the constitution
OF Japan provides that when 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 war was declared.
This solidified the people, and to-day they
are, 20 a man, in favor of almost every
thing that the administration proposes.
All this was largely brought about by
Count Ito. who is, perhaps, the
brainiest man of the whole japanese
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,
ii is whispered, is TO a large extent the
cause Of the present war. Still, the world
knows but little about him. He IS modest
aud retiring by nature, and he prefers TO
do rather than to buster or talk. 1t is by
no means easy for foreigner 10 get access
TO him, and during my stay in Toxic. 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 al Washing
ton, and special Introduction from the
Japanese Minister at our national capital,
gave Inc an appointment, and l had a
chance to see something of him ard to
chat with him about the condition of the
Japanese people,
Bus first, let me- tell you something
about Count Ito. His history reads like a
romance, and il is closely associated with
that of Count Inouye. who has just gone
10 Korea 10 preside over the introduction
of western civilization into that land. TIE
most of the story of Count Ito's life | got
from himself, and other parts We're told
me by au English officer connected with
the japanese Government. as we sat to-
gether one night 10 the R0ku Meikwau
Club N Toxic. 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 faith
rrs were soldiers. and they expected to
serve ia the army of the Shotgun themselves.
This was in the davs when the Tycoon or
Shotgun governed the country. He had
swell establishment at Toxic and the
Daimios and Samurai made up his army.
They swelled 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 tile 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
bad made his treaty with gunbOats to back
him and there were foreign ana auti-for-
eigD 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 under
stood they we're at Yokohama and they
conspired to get up party and 60 there
and clean the foreigners from the face
of Japan.
Without letting their superiors and
parents know il about 100 of them sneaked
out one dark night and left Toxic to go
to Yokohama. They had gotten half way
when they found themselves surrounded
by soldiers. They fought their way out
and returned to Toxic. They soon learned.
however. that the killing Of the foreigners
at Yokohama would only be the beginning
of a great war with them. They went 10
the seacOast and saw our warships as they
flOated in the barbor beside their Japanese
junks, and they saw that Japan could not
successfully fight such things on the sea.
Ito and lnouye were in the service Of the
Prince of Choshiu. who was the chief of the
anti-foreign faction, and the question how
70 get rid of the foreigners was discussed
everywhere. At last the two boys con-
cuded that the only safety for the country
was in her having good ships and good
guns, and they went to their Prince aud
told him that they wanted TO go to England
with three other picked youths of their
band. They said that they would there
study English customs. would 60 into the
gun works, and would master the great
secret OF naval supremacy and bring it
back to Japan. The japanese could then
build ships of their own, and they could
put these guns over the country, so that
thew could drive the hated foreigners away
from their coasts The Prince was pleased
with the idea, and he gave them $4,000.
and arranged with the British Consul to
ship them to Shanghai, whence they were
to 20 on 10 England.
Now, it was contrary tt the commands
Of the Shotgun for any japanese TO leave
the country without permission. and they
feared they would be detained, so they
took a small boat one dark. rainy night,
and were taken on 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 there, with
orders to ship them to England The
orders were. not very definite, and as Ito
and lnouye could not speak English the
merchants misunderstood them, and when
they SAID over ard over again the only two
English words that they knew, "Naviga-
ton" and London" the merchants
thought they wanted to become sailors and
&C of to London, and instead of sending
them to London as passengers, with in
strnctions that they be sent to good naval
school, they were shipped as common sail
ors on a sailing-shiD which went around
the Cape of Good Hope. They had only
small amount of money with them, the
rest having been sent On BIZ draft, and this
thew spent during their voyage
The English officer told me of their
troubles in London.
THE most of them," said he, occurred