Evening journal., 1897-10-23
JAPANESE VANITY.
Members of Parliament Think Their
-

Members of Parliament Think Their
Army and Navy Invincible.
Two distinct ideas are to be reck-
oned with when one is considering the
possibilities of war between Japan and
the United States When Marquis Ito
was in New York recently he declared
in the most positive terms that japan
had no desire to annex the Hawaiian
islands and that nothing could be
Further from the intention of the gov
ernment of his country than 20 have
trouble with the United States. Such
thing as Japan going TO war with
America, he said was too preposter-
Gus TO Zoe even thinkable.
Marquis Ito's ideas are those Of all
high government officials in japan.
These men have much political expert
ence; they have been trained, many of
them, for a quarter of a century in
European and Asiatic diplomacy. They
are familiar with public affairs the
world over, and know we'll what should
be the policy of their country in its
relations with foreign powers. They
know what Japan can do; they under
stand that there are many things she
cannot do, and they know why. The
conquest of China has not turned their
heads. They knew they would win be-
fore they went TO war, for they were
well informed of China's weakness and
of their own strength. They knew also
that if Russia took hand in the game
seriously affairs would assume a diff
ferent aspect, and that diplomacy
rather than force Of arms would be
Japan's recourse.
This condition of intelligent under
standing is different from that of the
two houses of parliament, however, and
parliament, though not supreme, is
growing power in Japan and cannot
be ignored. 1t voices the minds of the
people, for it is in great part made up
of men elected by public vote, but as it
is not ten years old, it has had little
experience. 1t does not know how to
behave itself and is exceedingly inn
patient of restraitt, so much so that
efforts to put into effect the rules of
procedure such as are used in the par
liameHts of-other nations meet with NO
encouragement. The parliament mem-
bers who have the dispositions of chill
dren are carried away with Japan's
SUCCESS in the war with China. They
believe that, their feet and their army
are invincible. They will not listen
when cabinet minister appears be-
fore them to ask them TO go slowly.
"Yamato damashil" they cry-"We
are the peoplel" As one of them CON
fided TO an American not long ago;
Il hope that England, France. Germany
and Russia do not interfere with Ja-
pans policy regarding China, for
Should greatly regret the fact if Japan
were obliged to declare war and oblit-
crate England. France, Germany and
| Russia"
This is the mind of a large number of
the members of the japanese diet. 1t
is as different as well may be from the
ideas of the members OF the cabinet,
of the privy council and Of the mikado,
but it must be reckonedl with when
drying to determine the probable ac-
ton Japan will take on the Hawaiian
question. America is better liked in
Japan Than any other country, and
with good reason; but should parlia
ment get an idea that America was
meddling with her dignity (Which is
in truth vanity), the whole country
would splutter and the spluttering
would have to be attended ton. Y
Press