The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-01
TELLS THE STORY
OF JAPANESE DIET
The Legislative Body Promptly
Backed Recommendations.
ecution of the War.
copyright, New York Herald-)
BY O. X. DAVIS.

Special Correspondent Of The Globe.
TOKYO, Japan, March 30-The
twentieth imperial diet ended its labors
yesterday afternoon and awaits only
the formal closing session this morning.
In the main it has been an obedient
diet, doing with fair show of good viii
and with surprising celerity almost
all that was asked of it. The points
selected for the demonstration to the
government that the diet is still an
Independent body were few and not
Of commanding importance. The inn
perial rescript which called it into be-
ing gave it a life of only ten days, and
there was prepared for it work which
could have taken a United States con-
gress about as many weeks. Yet in
half a dozen sessions, none of them
four hours in duration, all the real work
was finished and time found for some
spectacular and hysterical side play.
Work Before the Diet.
Projects of law originate in Japan
either with the government or in the
diet If the diet is not in session the
project is likely to take the form of an
imperial ordinance, which gives it the ef-
feet of law until such a time as it is
approved or rejected by the diet, which
might be at. the next session after
the PRONUNCIATION Of the ordinance. If
approved it becomes law. Disapproval
has the effect of repeal.
The session now closing was sum-
moned to do certain defined work. Sew
eral imperial ordinances had been is
sued on account Of the war. They con-
ferred extraordinary power on the mill
itary and naval authorities under GER
tain circumstances and provided for
the expenditure of large sums of mon
ey, the total appropriations thus ef
fected being about 156,000,000 yen.
These ordinances were to be approved
in order to make them of continuing
force and a number of bills to be en-
acted into law providing the ways and
means for carrying on the war.
Members of the Diet.
The imperial diet consists of the
house Of peers, appointed and hered-
itary, and the house of representa-
tives, composed of 377 members, elect
ed from all over the empire. These 377
are divided among seven parties, the
largest of which numbered only 129,
far from a majority. There are con-
servatives. progressives, imperialists,
liberals and Independents, with two
factions that did not dignity them
selves with a party name, but call
themselves ''cIubs."
Before the opening of the sessions
there were repeated meetings or eau
cuSes of the various parties, at which
plans of action were threshed out. All
agreed that they must support the gov
ernment loyalty in all matters connect
ed with the war. Each took its own
kind Of private fling at the govern
ment, which is not at all popular. but
announced that although the cabinet
Is notoriously weak and unsatisfactory
this is not the time to attack 1t. The
two parties strongest in point of num-
bers effected a sort of working ALL
ance on cardinal matters. 1t was fairly
we'll understood when these preliIni-
nary party meetings were held what
went to the governments financial
scheme.
Speech of Okuna.
The government scheme included an
increase of taxation along several lines.
Some of this increase was acceptable
to the parties and some Of it was not
1t was here that they undertook to
show the government their independ-
ence. Their attitude was well ex-
pressed by Count Okuma, the leader of
the progressives, in a speech he made
at the preliminary meeting of his par
ty. He said in part:
The dissolution of the last (nine-
teenth) session of the diet was appar-
emily uue 70 Ine WOruS, policy Of tenn
porlzlng at home and failure to rise tc
opportunities abroad which were
couched in the lower houses reply tc
the speech from the throne. The pres
ent is not the time to deal with the
government regarding it's domestic and
foreign policy in the past. We must
concentrate our whole energy for the
attainment of a conclusive success in
the present war. There are three great
problems which will necessarily arise
in connection with the war-f1rSt, the
foreign policy attending the war; Sec
ond, the financial administration dur
ing the war, and, third, the practice of
economy.
1--WE should endeavor to bring the
present war to a close as early as pos
sible. Japan should dispatch at least
three hundred thousand troops to Man
churia to fight the Russians, and the
consequence is that the country will
will be deprived of the producing pow
er of these men. AS a result of the
war, various business undertakings
will be suspended, general depression
will prevail throughout commercial cir
eles numerous workmen will be un-
employed and prices of commodities
will rise, while the nation will have to
bear the cost of the war as it drags on.
Furthermore, shipping business will be
monopolized by foreign vessels, and,
moreover, farming will suffer greatly.
1t is, therefore, urgently necessary to
put an end to the war as quickly as
possible.
Reasons for Confidence.
Il do not entertain any pessimistic
views about the war, but l am bound
to declare that any abuse of the ma
tion's patriotism will give rise to Sc
rious grievances in the future | be-
lieve that our army and navy will be
victorious throughout. 1t is a rule OF
the world that those who obey its gem
eral tendency will prosper and those
who go against it will decline. The war
is a strife between civilization and bar
barism, and Japan follows the gen.
eral tendency of the world This is the
reason why 1 believe in Japan's hnal
victory.
''The victory OF the war IS an out
come of the patriotism of the nation
and its results ought not to be mis-
appropriated by a few persons who
represent the people. The cost of the
war must be obtained from the public
debts, as has been done by all the for
eign powers. A scheme of raising war
funds by pettifogging taxation needs
scrutiny.
'-It is impossible that the authorities
are so disloyal and perfidious as to
abuse the patriotism of the nation. but
as we are not sure that they will make
no mistakes we should try to minimize
their faults by our experience. Hope