The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-12-13
THE MARQUIS ITO
CALLS A HALT
IN AN INSPIRED ARTICLE HE
TELLS THE MINISTRY IT is TOO
EXTRAVAGANZA.

What purports to be an inspired ar
ticle in the Japan Times on Marquis
ltoS intentions in regard to naval in
crement and other proposed measures
in Japan appeared yesterday. Its text
was the recent dispatch giving a sum-
mary of the London Times attitude on
the present political situation in this
country, an attitude which is described
as having produced a peculiarly CRATE
full impression on the Japanese mind"
After expressing cordial appreciation
of The Times sympathy, the article
continues:
AS for the Times reference to Mar
Quis ltO-as reported in the despatch
we are authorized to state that the
veteran statesman has long since rec
ogniZed the necessity Of further
strengthening the japanese navy, but
it is taking too much for granted to
say that if placed in power mis- Excel
lency would Immediately have the
measure carried through. In the first
place the Marquis strongly believes
that frequent Cabinet changes are not
beneficial to the country interests and
in the second place he is DESTROYS that
the younger statesmen be given as
much opportunity as possible to train
themselves in the practical work OF al
minist"ation-and this for obvious rea-
sons. An Ito cabinet is therefore a re-
mote cOntingency-for the present at
any rate. Further, the Marquis Is a
man VINO sees far thinks deep and con-
siders comprehensiVely, ana the multi
form information he has been gather
ing as regards the economic ana imam
cial condition of the country, had led
him, as we understand, to a growing
belief that all is not satisfactory. Not
that his Lordshlp shares the gloomy
forebOdingS of a school of peSsimists,
but he is nevertheless not without
some anxiety for the future. AS things
go at present the Government $ imam
ces are in a healthy condition and fair
ly on the road toward perfect sound
ness. Still the fabric is not as solid as
1t might be and the Marquis would first
see the foundations We'll laid before a
new construction is started. Nor does
he think that the work OF soliditication
will take very many years. A few
years would suffice for the purpose. 10
speak more explicitly, we believe we
are not very far from expressing the
ideas of the Marquis when we say that
the country should be given, say, hive
years more to thoroughly readjust its
finances and at the end of that time
Japan will be in a position to accom-
plish in the following five years the
same scheme of naval increase now
proposed by the Government as a work
of ten years continuance, and that if
this is done the burden VIII De less felt
by the people than would be the case
ii the latter programme We're adopted.
Thus it is that the Times statement,
which no doubt expresses it's hope, is in
a sense a little premature. We should
add, however, that from what We have
gathered, the Marquis is well pleased
as is all Japan with the kindly concern
with which the English people as rep
resented by the Times are watching
the progress of things In rnis country
In a word, the Japan Times is APP
parently authorized to state that
while Marquis Ito is in favor of the eX-
pansion of the Japanese navy, he is
not prepared to IaVOr the putting of
the katsura programme into execution
in the proposed way. AS we read the
article, the Marquis would merely have
the ordinary naval construction opera
tons, necessary to the upkeep OF the
navy, carried on for the ensuing I'VE
years, and, at the end of that period
would crowd into the following five
years the full amount of construction
for which the Katsura programme calls
to be spread over ten years. In the
meantime, the Marquis thinks, the
countrys finance will have become So
lidihed and the country able to under
take without difficulty what would now
be burden. Here is at least clear