The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-04
In a Short Time Japan VIII
Teach the Natives a
Lesson.
GREAT SPREAD OF THE CHOLERA
Thousands of Persons Dying Daily
In Various Oriental Prov
inCeS.
Correspondence of The United Press.I

TOXIC, JAPAN, Aug. % (VIA VANCOUVER
B. c., Sept. 3).-The pacitication of For
mosa is proceeding slowly. 1t does not
seem likely that campaign on a large
scale will be commenced until the second
half of September, when the change of the
monsoon will make it possible to land
troops on the southwest of the island, so
that the insurgents may be attacked in the
north and south simultaneously.
Meanwhile the japanese have found it
necessary to adopt drastic measures against
the Hakkas and hill tribes. At first it was
hoped that a conciliatory attitude might
induce the insurgents to lay down their
arms, but these semi-savage folks do not
understand clemency. They mistake it
for weakness.
Whatever Japan does is bound to be
wrong in the eyes of some of the foreign
papers published in Yokohama, and while
the foreigners in Formosa itself, as we'll as
the war correspondents with the army,
unite in praising the clemency of the
japanese and in acknowledging that the
measures now adopted are inevitable,
critics in Japan, without any evidence to
support their assertions. are endeavoring
to make ouJ that Herod himself was
saint compared with the Japanese COM
mander-in-chief, Prince Komatsu, who
happens to be one of the most refined and
kind-hearted gentlemen that could be
found anywhere.
There has been much talk of Japanese
aggression in a southerly direction. APP
petite comes with eating and, having &C.
quired Formosa, it has been predicted that
the PHILIPPINES also will soon be added to
the Japanese empire. The Madrid Gov
eminent seems to have shared this appre-
hension, for it entered into negotiations
with Japan and has just concluded con-
vention for delImiting the boundaries be-
tween the two countries.
The cholera has claimed 5000 victims
thus far in Japan, and has attacked %, 900.
Nearly 1000 new cases and 700 deaths occur
daily in the forty-seven towns and districts
where the disease has made its appearance.
The places most seriously affected are
cities of Osaka and the town of Hiroshima,
the former reporting 140 cases daily and
the latter 120. These figures are, neverthe-
less, comparatively small when placed side |
by side with returns of former epidemics. |
In China far more terrible state of af-
fairs exists. Over 1900 persons are said to
be dying every day in Picking, but, of
course, that figure must be received with
all reserve.
The threatened Cabinet crisis in Japan
has been averted by Count Ito's accept
ance of the honors conferred on him by
his sovereign. This result was virtually
evitable, for had the Count persisted in
declining a marquisate and the grand
Gordon of merit he would not only have
played into the hands of his enemies, since
his resignation must have followed, but
would also have involved the Emperor in
a political intrigue.
The Cabinet crisis. though averted by
Count Ito's action, has certainly given a
fresh impulse for the development of party
government in Japan. So long as the clan
statesmen held firmly together, no politi-
cal party outside the Government could
possibly develop strength to assume the
responsibilities of administration. The So
called clan statesmen of Japan belong to
one of three principal coteries-namely |
Satsuma, Choshu and Hizen. Formerly |
there were four ofthese lotteries, the fourth !
being the Tosa clansmen. But these last, |
under the leadership of Count Itagaki, fell |
away from officialdom more than twenty |
years ago.
In 1881 the Hizen men Also under the |
leadership of the celebrated Count Okuma,
separated themselves from the Govern
ment and went into opposition, not, how
ever, coalescing with the Tosa malcon-
tents. The politicians of Tosa organized |
the Liberal party (Fiyu-To) and those of
Hizen the Progressionists, the Satsuma
and Choshu men remaining firmly united
and in Office. In the early days of the
Diet the common enmity of the Liberals
and Progressionists against the Govern |
ment induced them to combine for its
overthrow. 1t grew gradually evident that
the Liberals would become, sooner or
later, a government, to which result q |
marked impetus was given by the neces-
sity for constructive craftsmanship i'm
posed upon Japan by the recent war.
The country recognizes that its first bust |
ness at present is to build ships, organize |
armies and develop industry and COM |
merce, none of which objects can be ac-
complished unless the Diet and Cabinet
work in some degree of harmony. The |
Progresslonists, however, persist in oppos-
ing everything that bears the stamp of |
officialdom, and their destructive policy |
has had the effect of bringing the Govern
ment and the Liberals into still closer rela- |
tons. But an entente of that kind is not
altogether agreeable to the Satsnma
statesmen. Some of them begin to show
disposition to join the Progressionists,
and such procedure on their part would,
of course, have the effect of driving their
Choshu colleagues fairly in the arms of the
Liberals.
The separation would indeed have been
consummated had the recent intrigue with
respect to Count Ito succeeded, and there
would then have been, spe aking broadly, |
two great political camps in the empire, |
one containing the Choshu and Tosa |
clansmen under the banner of the Liberal |
party, the other, the Satsuma and Hizen |
clansmen, under the Progressionists' ban
ner. The intrigue failed in so far as con-
cerned Cabinet crisis, but it afforded a |
pretty clear idea OF the trend of political |
adjustment and thus brought within sight |
the day when Japanese Cabinets, ceasing |
to hold Office purely by the will of thessov- |
ereign, will accept their mandate fromssthe |
majority of the lower house, as is the case |
in other constitutionally governed coun-