The San Francisco call., 1904-04-26
JAPANS DIET WASTES NO TIME
IN PROVIDING SINEWS OF WAR
Tokio Statesmen Display Remarkable Celebrity in
EnaCting Legislation intended to Supply Funds
for Carrying On the Conflict
BY OSCAR KING DAVIS,
Special War Correspondent of The Call.

TOXIC. Japan. March 30.-The twen-
tieth Imperial Diet ended its laborS
yesterday afternoon and awaits only
the formal closing session this morn
ing. In the main il has been an obedi-
ent Diet. doing with fair show Of good
viii and with surprising celebrity al
most all that was asked Of H. The
points selected for the demonstration
10 the Government that the Diet is
sun an independent body were few anc
not Of commanding Importance. The
imperial rescript which called il into
being gave il a life Of only ten days,
and there was prepared for it work
which would have taken a United
States Congress about as many weeks.
Yet in half dozen sessions, none Of
them four hours in duration, all the
real work was finished and time found
Tor some spectacular and hysterical
side play.
Projects Of law originate, in Japan.
either with the Government or in the
Diet. II the Diet is not in session the
project is likely 10 take the form Of
an imperial ordinance, which gives il
the effect OF law until such time as il
is approved or rejected by the Diet.
which might be at the next session
after the PRONUNCIATION Of the ordin-
snce. If approved il becomes law.
Disapproval has the effect Of repeal
The session now closing was sum
moned 10 do certain clearly defined
work. Several imperial ordinances had
been issued on account Of the war
the military and naval authorities un-
Ger certain circumstances. and prOvid-
ed for the expenditure Of large sums
Of money. the total appropriations thus
effected being about 1861 900 ven
These ordinances were 10 be approved
in order 10 make them Of continuing
force. and a number Of bills TO BE-
enacted 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
81 are divided among seven parties,
the largest OF which numbered only
conserve tives, prOgressives. imperial
lists, liberals and independents, with
two factions that did not dignity them
selves with a party name. but call
themselves clubs
Before the opening Of the sessions
there are repeated meetings or eau
cuses OF the various parties, at which
plans Of action are threshed out All
agreed that they must support the
Government Loyalty in all matters con-
nected with the war. Each took its
own kind OF private ffing at the Gov
eminent which is not at all popular
but announced that although the Cabi-
net is nOtoriously weak and unsatis-
factory. this is not the time TO attack
Il. The two parties strongest in point
OF numbers effected a sort Of working
alliance on cardinal matters. II was
fairly well understood when these pre-
hminary party meetings were held
what went 10 the Governments fnan-
cial scheme. In fact an outline OF the
proposed budget was submitted to the
party managers at a general confer
ence OF them with the Government.
SPEECH OF OKUMA.
The Government scheme included an
increase OF taxation along several
lines Some Of this increase was ac-
ceptable TO the parties and some Of il
was not II was here that they under
took to show the Government their in
dependence. Their attitude was well
expressed by Count Okuma, the leader
Of the progressives, in a speech he
made at the preliminary. meeting Of
his party. He said in part:
The dissolution Of the last (nine-
teenth) session OF the Diet was appar-
entity due 10 the words, policy Of tenn