The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-11

0h ChCONANG AOlN6 vi OOfNNu ulGus 90
field guns and ll3 mountain guns.
The reserve consists OF 104 900, not in
cludinR the land Landwehr of "a, 900.
Thus Japan commenced the war with
100000 perfectly equipped and thor
oughly disciplined troops.
Moreover, the officers of both army
and navy are carefully educated for
their duties In the Japanese naval
and military academies, while many
OF them have been sent by the Gov
ernment to complete their profession
al studies in the United States and
Germany. And thus it has come TO
pass that Japan entered the war under
such conditions as to render her sue
cess, by sea and land, as assured as
human foresight could prepare the
way.
Financially, Japan is in excellent
condition. Her regular revenue is
$S5, ,000, 900 a year; her public expendi-
ture averages l$2, 900, 900 less than her
revenue. Her home debt 1910, 900, 900,
her foreign debt only S5,000,O00. Her
currency unit is the god yen, equal to
our dollar, but she maintains her sill
yer yen at par with gold; most OF her
money circulation is Government
paper 1881, ,000.0 .000), which is at par
with gold. Hence, it Is evident that
financially Japan was as well pre-
pared for the war as in the perfect
equipment of both army and navy.
And to complete the elements OF
success the people OF Japan-accOrd-
ing to the reports of our naval officers
are in hearty sympathy with the
Government. The whole nation has
acted like "a single man, bending all
its energies and resources to attain "a
single object; with practically un-
limited supply Of troops, ships, arms
and money for carrying on the war
and an unbounded enthusiasm and
confidence Of victory. Japan well
counted upon an issue favorable TO
her flag.
When Commodore Perry, forty years
ago, opened Japan to the world, Japan
was quite another country than IL Is
today. The nominal Emperor of Jap
an, the mikado, was secluded from
mortal eyes and all power was vested
in the tycoon, who made treaties in
his own name and exercised supreme
power. The country was an Oriental
feudal despotism society was divided
into castles as rlgidly as in India:
First came the mikado's family; sec
ond, the hereditary shogun (generaD,
commonly called "the tycoon;" third,
the high nobles-daimios -250 semi
independent feudal mobiles, with inn
InGuSG IGNcnuCb anu AOuIkIlg
the samurai, or feudal caste-the
"two-sword men"-who numbered
100000; fifth, the heimin, or indus
trial castles; and lastly, the HMM
(Which means "not men'O, who were
the serfs and paupers of Japan.
The feudal system was In full opera
ton when Commodore Perry entered
Yeddo harbor In 1854. The shogun
and the daimios were the govern
ment; the mikado was an unseen
fgure-head. Japan was as completely
feudal as was France In the days
when Pepin, the "mayor of the pal
ace," and the princes and dukes OF
ancient France kept up the solemn
farce of calling the Carlovingian king
their sovereign; the country was di-
vided into principalities among the
daimiOs, whose castles surpassed the
medieval castles OF France, England
or Germany in magnitude and host Of
armed retaipers; the people were in
the condition of the people OF Europe
in the time of the Crusades.
In 1867, only thirteen years later,
the present mix ado (whose correct
title is kOtei, or EMPEROR called upon
the ruling tycoon Tor shOgun) to re-
sign his powers into the EmperOrs
hands; this was accomplished after
short struggle and the daimiOs, or feu-
dal dukes, were compelled to yield
their feudal fiefs back TO the Emperor.
This overthrow of the feudal system,
commenced in 1871, was completed in
1877, after a sanguinary struggle.
The present constitution Of Japan,
in 1889, established
monarchy. The EN-
peror is the hereditary head OF the
the source of all power, who
exercises his executive powers
through cabinet ministers appointed
Oy him and responsible to him. The
Emperor alone can declare war, make
peace and form foreign treaties; he
exercises his legislative powers
through Parliament, consisting Of
House of Peers and House OF Repre-
each comprising about 300
members. The Representatives are
elected by the people who can prove
small property qualification. No law
IAN go into effect until 1t has been
passed by the two houses Of Parlia-
nent. The Emperor appoints the
Judges, who cannot be removed except
1y impeachment. The Emperor
JWears to maintain the con-
and laws, and we have, in
his development Of constitutional
the establishment OF
public schools, containing 7,l95,4l2
cnOlaTS III lo5OJ Oh HOInhl bCuOOls kf0J
md universities (3), of public libraries
20) and of newspapers and magazines
716)--the proof Of Japan's right 20
claim that it is q civilized govern
nent, firmly established and constitu-
ionally governed. What japan has
lone within the last few months
proves her right and power TO be
respected as a strong government 70
De respected and treated as such by
he great powers OF Europe and
4 meTica.
Marvellous has been Japan's ad-
yance in these forty years since she
irst made foreign treaty!
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