Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-09

that believing himself to be dying. he
wanted to perform the happy dispatch
and leave the world ina manner betting
a warrior: but his mother prevented him
from doing SO. Whenh he recovered and
went out into the world aagain, his enemies
had him arrested andeflung into noisome
jail, where he was left for three days with
out food or water. 4
If the stories told in Japan may be trust
ed, Ito had an even stranger adventure
about the same time. = He fell lin with a
band of his enemies one day, and had to
flee for his life! He ran into the house
of a geisha of his acquaintance. and she
hid him beneath the loose board of the floor,
drawing brazier of charcoal over the spot
where he was concealed. His pursuers en-
tered. and threatened to torture her If she
would not tell them where he was hidden.
She protested that he was not there, and
at last they believed her and went away.
Hard and Dangerous.
The path of the reformers was hard and
dangerous. Count Okuma, who was also
one of the elder statesmen when he died
year or two ago. was once asked by an En-
when he first preached the doctrine of the
westernizing of Japan. g. e.a~
Yes he replied. my life was attempted
three times. l was taken prisoner twice,
and once condemned to death. Even in
later days. long after the restoration the
lost my leg. 1t was blown off by bomb
thrown into my carriage in 1887 by IA
matte who objected to the treaty giving jul
dicial concessions to foreigners, for which
was responsible"
Ito and Inouye have remained firm ,polit-
ical allies throughout their long official ca
reerS, and on the numerous occasions when
Ito has been called upon by the mikado to
form a cabinet he has always insisted, that
1nouye must have a prominent position in
it. 1t has been said that IF one wished TO
sum up modern Japan in word. 1t would
be Ito. He more than any other man, is
responsible for the rapid development of
the country on western lines. Wonderful
man that he is, he even induced the ladies
of the court to abandon their pretty native
costumes for Partisan gowns. People of
artistic tastes may quarrel with him on
that score, but he took the view of a prac-
teal politician, holding that while the jap
anese dressed as Asiatics, America and Eu7
rope would treat them as Asiatics and not
as equals.
A Political Scapegoat.
Count Inouye," said an American woman
who is thoroughly familiar with Japanese
affairs. has always been the scapegoat Of
the various cabinets in which he has served.
The political history of Japan is fun of his
failures. They are not to his discredit, but
are due to his disposition to offer himself
up a willing sacrifice whenever his col
leagues have made a blunder."
In his ideas Of foreign policy, Count
Inouye closely resembles John Hay. Hon
word. In an article published in 1897 in the
''kokumin-no-Tomo,'' =, a Tokyo journal, ne
said: 80
1T has generally been believed that by
foreign diplomacy there is meant system
of stratagems. This interpre tation of the
expression foreign policy has now become
obsolete. No Interpretation can be more
erroneous than this. We are convinced that
honesty is the best foreign policy. Our pol
icy is to reveal and disclose our whole heart
to the representa- lives Of the friendly pow
ers. o1d5L
Perfect peace reianslsover the east. Let
peace be our foreign policy. His majesty
will. if we may reverently refer to it, must
be for peace. Ever since the restoration
peace has been the principal of our govern
ment. Peace and justice have always been
our aim. ~l.'Lj
Enthusiasm and, Vitality.
II by no means disparage the spirit of en-
thusiasm. A nation moves onward because
of this spirit. Without. enthusiasm and vi
tality a nation is, in truth. dead. But an
imal courage or enthusiasm must be ac-
companied by morality in order to form a
symmetrical character. To conquer other
nations for the mere sake OF conquering
would indeed be q pleasure for the time be-
ing. But such ACKNOWLEDGMENT. from the
want of fixed basis, would not last long.
1t would necessarily fall into decay and
corruption
1.-The Tartar invasion OF Europe was a
grand thing at the time. What was its OUT
come? When the crescent was raised IN
the city of Constantinople about 400 years
ago. how mighty and how dazzlingly grand
appeared the Turksi The kings Of all the
nations were about to kneel before the
Turkish emperor and pay homage to him.
But behold the contrast between the glory
of that time and the present condition Of
the Turks! This is kind Of victory which
we must detest.''
The Most Popular.
Count Inouye Is. perhaps, the most uni
versally popular of all the statesmen Of
Japan He is at once the Chevaler Bay
ard and Don Quixote of Japanese politics.
and even his strongest opponents like him.
Field Marshal Marquis Yamagata shares
with Marquis Ito the claim to be the great
est of the mikado's subjects. He Is at pres
ent the leader of the elder statesmen, Ito
naturally deferring to him because he is a
soldier and the present is time OF war;
He fought on the side OF progress during
the restoration struggle and speedily rose.
by valor and skill, to the rank OF chief OF
cavalry. During the era of peace which
followed the Satsuma rebellion he became
prominent politician, holding ONCE sew
eral times as minister of the interior and
premier.
When war broke out with China he took
the field again at the head of the LIST Army
Corps, and showed by series OF brilliant
victories that he had not forgotten his real
profession while he was absorbed In poll
tics. He is president of the war council as
well as leader of the elder statesmen. and,
under the mikado. is mainly responsible
for the movements of the military forces
now in the field against the Russians. 1t Is
believed in Japan that he. more than any
other man, inspired the policy which led to
the war.
Chief of Staff. H@a
Field Marshal Oyama is chief of staff and
Yamagata's right-hand man. He Is a
sturdy old soldier, whose political activities
have been confined to holding office as min
lister of war, which may be considered part
of his legitimate profession. He captured
Port Arthur and Wei-Hai-Wei during the
war with China, and. therefore. hates Rus
sia more than most Japanese. because
Russia swept away the fruits Of his per
ssonal victories. His wife, one of the most
accomplished women. In Japanese society,
having been educated inAthis country, at
Vassar College Perhaps owing to this
fact Oyama is the most pro American Of
Japanese statesmen since the death OF
Count Okuma Shisenobu.$
Count Matsukata Masayoshi was born In