The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-17
Members of Ancient Mitsui Family
Control Wealth OF the
Nation.
HOW THEY HELP EACH OTHER.
Encourage Progress of Industries
by Adopting Latest Inventions
and by Creating New
Business Systems.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
San Francisco, Aug. 16.-Europe has It's
Rothschids. and America, with more
wealth, has its Rockefellers, Its Morsans
It's Vanderbits and its Goulds Now comes
Papan. the infant among the latter day na-
tions. with a claim for the recognition OF
its Croesuses-the Mitsuis. AS in the case
of the Rothschilds. there are many divi-
sions of the Mitsuis. but like the great
bankers of Europe, they hold their -,oney
interests in common. and the good OF one
always spells the good of the others. At
present there are eleven families. They
constitute group beneath and about
which the other rich men and corporations
of Japan are gathered as the rank and file
Of the money kings of the United States
are gathered about Morgan and the Rock
efellers. Throughout the East t.
sion ''as rich as Mitsui' is p-overbial.
The influence and credit OF these fami-
les collectively form the firm OF Mitsui a.
Co. By virtue, however, of certain rules
agreed between each family they are pre-
vented individually from enjoying the free
dom of action which is their legal right
according to the laws OF the country As
individuals. for instance. they cannot dis-
pose at pleasure Of their private properties.
and. further. their domestic affairs ana
their relations between each other are reg
plated by rules which they have mutually
pledged themselves under solemn contract
TO observe. These are controlled and ar
ranged by board of the family council
II is here that we have the sovereign
uiDistration.
Origin of Family.
The council. however, does not necessarily
interfere in the actual business opera tions
OF the firm, nor exercise any direct infiu-
ence upon 1t; it is nevertheless here that
trolled.
The Mitsui family sprang from an an
cient and llustrious race. Its line comes
clearly into view In the Thirteenth Century
rom a certain Nagaiye. who. being made
IN Mttsuimura- Hence the surname. It
was, however, In the middle of the Six
tsenth Century that one of the family be-
came merchant. and IT was his son, born
In 1858. and Takatoshi by name, who first
laid the foundation of the present firm.
Takatoshi invented and introduced the sys-
TEN Of cssh retailing; further, he organized
system for the collection and remittance
of money. and this. be it remembered, when
economic science was in but q very rudi-
mentary condition, when monetary trans
actions were almost unknown In the coun-
try.
Later he established, In order to conduct
a foreign trade, a branch house at Maya
sak, at that time ths only port at which
foreigners were allowed to trade. Under
Takatoshfs able management the business
rapidly developed AND hourished The name
OF Mitsui soon spread all over the country.
by the Tokugawa Government as its pur-
veyor and public exchange controller, and
were conferred, in recognition of its serv-
in 17o6- Ten years later his son estab-
lished what may be called the constitution
9s the house Of Mitsui ana from this dates
y entirely due TO the fidelity TO the rules
by each succeeding generation that the
long and prosperous career of the firm has
continued to the present day.
-, Their ulustrious Ancestors.
The members OF the house have a pedi-
gree that can be traced back to the Eley-
enth Century; their ancestors played impor-
tant parts in the history of medieval Japan
and they have had among them men whose
military exploits provide a striking theme
thar there m must be- sometSins Sse IN the nature
Il has been enabled to Withstand and over
come its trials and the obstacles to its
AS a mercantile firm, the Mitsui house
was founded almost at that period when the
premacy Of the state. and though the
Government OF the latter was shattered by
ali the nr,nepes on Ebich society rests iSa
house OF Mftsui withstood its shock and
survived its crisis. It should be remembered
Japan. the unit Of society Is the family and
not the individual, as In Western society.
me latter ts Is Wholly 9 tS to tne for
weigh the rights of the latter. Again, by
laws and customs of Inheritance. the es-
tate of the father generally descends to the
f1rst born by primogeniture.
Properties Are in Common.
The Younger sons must bc adopted into
another family, or. falling this, independent
~ make their own fortunes. In the case
of the Mftsui house, however, from the old
est to the youngest there is no particular
property to which each can enter his abse-
hute claim. The properties of the Mitsuis
are all theirs in common.
The works OF the Mitsuis at home are,
to q great extent, undertaken with the OBJ
ject of public benefit rather than private
gein. Standing as they do outside all possi-
biiity Of rivalry, they are undertaken to set
examples to others by projecting new enter
prises which might be beneficial to the
country. by encouraging the progress of in
dustries by adopting in their works latest
inventions and newest discoveries. and by
creating new systems and methods in busi-
ness enterprises Of a magnitude, with every
public organization in the Industrial world
OF Japan. with every large concern of eco
nomic interest. the name of Mitsui is al
ways identified.
nRhKE TAIKe ARnIlT