The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-10
copyright. 1904. by Golfers weekly.I


TOXIC, Feb. SIN Toxic the Council of
Elders of Patriarchal story meet in mediae-
val dignity; at Sasebo the bunkers of the
fleet are full of coal and the bores of the
twelve-inch guns glisten under the waiting
gunners eye. Within one of the tile
topped houses of the palace grounds, which
have the formal security of wall and moat,
is the Mikado. dwelling in much the same
courtly exclusiveness as his ancestors; in
hundreds of barracks an army, modern in
equipment and arms, awaits his call.
You never know, in this land, where the
East leaves off and the West begins. The
groovings, like those of japanese tray.
are covered with lacquer. Japan has dis
carded many of her old institutions and
some she has fitted out in high hats and
frock coats and babe ride in a coupe instead
of a litter.
The genro do not hold Office. They are
not dictators even of small provinces. These
five old men have each played such a part
in making modern Japan that neither EN-
peror nor people want TO take a serious step
without asking their advice. Years are as
thick on their heads as medals on their
breasts. Ito is the great one; the one VINO
has the supreme touch of genius At the
other pole is Yamagata, the soldier, as dlf-
ferent from Ito as a Bismarck from Nc
Kinley. His critics say that Ito is weak
in his foreign policy; Yamagatas critics
never say that of him, but point TO his in
ternal policy. Every one has known one OF
the others as a political ally in battles OF
the past. Never before have they been as
one man and one mind. Their party jour
nails and their adherents now associate
them with only one idea. They have ceased
to be personalities; they simply the
genro, the five wise men.
The next step below is the Cabinet which
in peace times stands nearest TO the En-
peror. At the head of the Cabinet is a man
who, among his own people, IS somewhat OF
the type of Chamberlain or Hanna. Premier
Katsura speaks no foreign languages; he is
intrinsically japanese, practical THOR
-ough- going politician, TO whom a successful
war will award the guerdon of statesman
ship Komura the foreign minister. is as
much the product Of foreign affairs as Kat
sura of internal affairs. He began his ca
reer in the Bureau of TRANSACTIONS of the
Foreign Office. After promotion his chance
came when he was charge d'affaires at Pc
king at the outbreak of the Chino-Japanese
war. The good style in which he withdrew
his legation made his reputation. The min
lister OF war is soldier. the minister of
marine sailor. This is a martial people.
Japanese speak of General Kodama, the
vice chief of staff, as future premier
much as we would speak of favorite son
as a presidential possibility. The members
of the Cabinet are youthful Young men
for action, say the japanese, and old men
for counsel.
The fourth quantity i'm this situation is
the Council Of War, which is TO devise the
grand strategy, both by land and by sea,
of the coming campaign. Final decision in
all affairs rests with the Mikado. The per
sonal character of no ruler is so little un-
derstood as his. Inquiries about him and
his daily life, with whatever art they are
made. are parried by the greater art Of
Orienta. reserve. The Russian may like
to hear stories about the Car, the Ger
man about the Kaiser, but a japanese,
however high his place and however cos
mopolitan, looks upon the Mikado as too
sacred to be the subject OF anecdote. He
may appear at reviews and great functions,
a few favored foreigners may talk with him
at length, and yet he remains unknown.
and yet not mysterious, because his people
seem to have no curiosity about him
The impression he makes is that of i'm
personality. Of something figurative and
almost historical We hear that his favor
tie diversion is shooting arrows out Of a
window at a target in his garden. and we
know that his keenest enthusiasm is for
military affairs. If you said tc the nation
at large that he was able ruler. the
nation would probably reply. He is the
Mikado.' His character is certainly as for
tunate for the Japanese as the Cars IS
unfortunate for the Russians. The head OF
government with constitution which
he granted. his powers are more nearly
those of the German Emperor than those
of the Gar He is more like William l
than William H. An Anglo-SaXon would
say that his best quality was his sturdy
common sense. In a phrase. NJ is man
of counsel" The initiative which the con-
stitution gives him is really less than that
which the reverence of the people grants
him. Choosing the genro as his counselCrs
in this crisis. placing them as another force
of criticism and veto above the Cabinet, is
not characteristic of a man who rushes
headlong into war.
The correctness of Japan's diplomatic atti-
tude toward the Russia. who is the enemy:
toward the France. who is the enemy's ally:
toward the Germany, who watches codly
for the main chance we'll as toward
Great Britain, who is her ally by treaty,
and the United States, who is her ally in
heart. suggests that Japanese might well
take the place Of French as the diplomatic
language. II is no secret that the advice
as well as the good wishes of the British
and the American governments have been
always at the call of the Japanese Cabinet:
the part that we have played is 10 our
credit IL not TO our advertisement. IL was
Secretary Hay who said that no one might
boast of his conquests either In love or in
diplomacy Our usually quiet legation has
found itself occupied with the work whose
Il xs6xe Bromo 0iIuinines