The San Francisco call., 1896-02-28
So Far All Attempts to Over.
throw the Ministry Have
Failed.
MARQUIS ITO's VISIT ABROAD
Talk of the Prestige of Great Britain
Being Impaired in the Far
East.

TOXIC, JAPAN, Feb. 11-There is much
talk of important Cabinet changes in
Japan. The political party that holds the
balance of power between the Government
supporters and the opposition seems dis
posed to throw in its lot with the latter,
now that the budget has passed. All Par
hamentary attempts to overthrow the
Ministry have hitherto been defeated by
general conviction that no obstacle should
be placed in the way of measures for in
creaslng the ornaments of the empire. 1t
was known that if the lower house adopt
ed a motion of want of confidence in the
Ministers an appeal to the coun-
try would Immediately be made, and
thus all legislative work would be
suspended for several months. But the
budget, with its large appropriations for
developing the army and navy, having
passed the representatives, a feeling OF
uneasiness as to the potentialities of the
opposition and the tendencies Of polti-
clans hitherto neutral now begins to pre-
vail. 1t is evident, however, that until
the budget passes the upper house, and
until both houses have approved the vari-
Gus measures for increased taxation with
out which the budget scheme would be
necessarily imperative. no politician SIM
cerely desirous of assisting the programme
of increased ornaments can range himself
with the opposition. Hence there is not
likely to be any serious commotion in
political circles just yet.
Marquis Ito's alleged intention of visit
ing Russia TO attend the coronation of the
Gar continues to be the most discussed
kaT
Marquis should seize a good opportunity
for bringing himself once more into close
touch with European statesmen. but there
exists a great obstacle to his departure
from Japan at this juncture, namely, the
difficulty of finding some one to take his
place at the head of the Cabinet without
dislocating the present arrangement of
political parties. 1t is impossible as yet
to predict whether that difficulty will be
overcome, or whether it will compel the
Marquis to abandon his hope of journey
westward.
The insurrection in the southwest of
Korea IS described by newspaper corre-
spondents as an attempt on the part of the
Min faction to recover administrative
power and avenge the murder of the
Queen But official advlces indicate it to
be nothing more than a violent protest
against the ill-advised action of the Ko-
rean Government in attempting to compel
the adoption of the Occidental fashion of
cutting the hair. So far from fomenting
the movement the heads of the Min family
are assisting the Government to suppress
1t. The Koreans, living in chronic state
OF dissatisfaction, are ready at all times to
obey the smallest impulse for breaking out
into open revolt.
For the moment an except tional calm
reigns over the generally troubled sea of
Korean politics. The Tai Won-kun re-
mains quite in his ostra csm from official
dom. Perhaps the death of his longtime
foe, the Queen, has satisfied the heart of
the sanguinary old intriguer. The Cabi-
net seems to be firmly set. It's predomi-
mating elements are of the Kin family, one
of the three great political factions in
Korea, the other two being the Li-that is
to say the Kings clan-and the Min, or
relatives of the late Queen. A Kin is now
at the head of the Cabinet and Kin holds
the portfolio of Foreign Affairs. 1t is a
progressive Cabinet, friendly to japan.
Moreover, there are no indications of Rus
sian intrigue or interference. At present
SOME Oh lQc AMERICAN MISSIONARIES, now
ever, continue to publish very bitter things
about the Japanese, thereby vindicating to
some extent the charges originally brought
against them by the latter.
The capital of Japan, already disfigured
by a network of wires spreading above the
streets-telegraphic telephone and cleo
tric-light wires-is about to have an over
head railway added to these disfgure-
ments. Several railways now enter Toxic,
but to reach the terminus of one from that
OF another necessitates street journey by
carriage or jinrikisha. The Government
has obtained the consent of the Diet to
bring these lines into junction by means of
two central stations-one for the private,
the other for the state roads-which will
be united with the various termini and
with each other by means of an elevated
railway fifteen and half feet above the
ground. The work will be completed in
six wears at a cost of 8, 100000 yen, the
method of construction being that en-
ployed in Berlin after the Franco Russian
war. namely, brick piers spanned by iron
arches.
Some of the most influential Japanese
Journals write that unless ENGLAND takes
steps TO demonstrate her fearlessness of
Russia, the prestige of the British lion will
be impaired in the far East. These news
uapers point to Russia's recent activity,
commencing with the tripartite alliance
in the spring of last year; proceeding to a
loan that placed the Middle Kingdom at
the mercy of the Muscovite; passing on to
the leasing of Kiaochow Bay as naval
station and concluding with an attempt to
purchase from Holland an island close to
Sumatra Through all these things
England has remained quiet, and the
Japanese do not yet understand that con-
sciousness of strength to act effectively
when necessary may serve as sedatlve IN
the case of great power.