Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-18
EMPEROR OF JAPAN
Representative Of the Oldest
of Dynasties.
A FACTOR IN AFFAIRS
VOLUNTARILY YIELDED UP THE
POWER OF A DEsPoT.
No Parallel in History Of Such an Act
Popular Demand for More
Civil Liberty.
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.


to high rank among the rulers of nations
for no living monarch has been more Tor
tunate than he, and few monarchs in all
history have been SO successful in guiding
the destines of a state. He possesses 10
remarkable degree the talents and tact
essential to popularity and successful ad-
ministration But for his remarkable fac1i-
ity for harmonizing differences and recon-
Cling conflicting interests the history OF
Japan for the last thirty years would nave
been written in very different key.
Since November 10, 19G7-when. boy OF
fifteen, he emerged from the seclus!on IN
which his ancestors had lived for several
centuries, and inaugurated personal gov
ernment-he has not failed to meet every
emergency. Japan was torn with Internal
strife, and the jealousies of his supporters
were so bitter as to often imperil the plan
to put down the Shotgun and place the EN-
peror in power. but by his gentle, concllla-
tory. unselfsh policy he has contrNeo ~
reconcile the hostile clans, unite the FORCES
that have been attached to his interests
and conciliate all conflicting clemens.
Since he came upon the throne, "here .he
people can see him, he mas peen coliipeL isa
to meet many serious crises and decide
MANY momentous issues. And ne mas
never failed to accomplish his purpose. l
do not think so much can be said OF any
other living ruler.
A Factor in Affairs.
Since he reached his majority, five years
after the restoration, he has gradually
taken the reins of power more ana more
into his own hands, until now ne Is qulte
as much of a factor in political and OIL
cial affairs as any of the european soV-
ereigns and much more than most OF theIn.
He keeps his hand constantly upon tne
Inc "a G
and while he is seldom seen In public ne
can always be felt by those who are cognl-
zant Of official affairs
If you will look through the fles OF the
newspapers you will notice great slgnln-
canoe in the list of people who have audi
ences with him daily. Yesterday ne sa"
the minister of foreign relations the min,
lister of the navy, the chief OF the general
staff, two surgeons from the hospltals d,
Hiroshima a survivor of a desperate naval
engagement, two dispatch bearers from the
commanding general in Manchurla, ana
the prince imperial was with him for more
than an hour. The day before he had a
similar list of guests, including three Of the
semi official advisers of the government
known as 1.-The elder statesmen and he
bestowed gifts with his own hand upon
three young heroes who had distinguished
themselves for gallantry.
No regiment has left for the front WITH
out being reviewed by their sovereign and
receiving a set of colors from his hands.
This ceremony was repeated daily at the
beginning Of the war, and had a tremen-
dous influence in arousing the patriotism
and inspiring the devotion of the men. He
gives no public receptions. Everything IN
the way of entertainment at the palace has
been suspended since the war, and the
money which would have been expended
for such unprecedented, about one-third
of the imperial income-has been devoted
to the sick and wounded and distributed in
gifts to the families of soldiers and sailors
hnn It'll n1 ,av,fl iC-
abled.
Hospitality to Americans.
At the same time the emperor does not
overlook an opportunity to show his graft
tude to and his attachment for the United
States by offering private hospitality to
distinguished American visitors He re-
ceived the American nurses with unusual
attention and honors, and the empress en-
tertained them in her apartments Only
the other day Herbert II. d. PIERCE, as
sistant secretary of state, who visited
Japan to inspect the consulates, was re-
ceived in private audience and the emperor
gave him his photograph and autograph,
while the empress paid similar compli-
ment to Mrs. PIERCE. Their highnesses,
Prince and Princess Yamashima of the
imperial house, by command of the en-
peror, entertained Mr.. PIERCE at the ancient
palace in Shiba Park, and other attentions
were bestowed upon him, not only as a
personal compliment but as an expression
of the feelings of the sovereign and the
people of Japan toward the United States
All Americans who come here are treated
with distinction, unless 1 may except the
war correspondents, and, although Japan
has a treaty of alliance offensive and de-
fensive. with Great Britain much greater
interest in and friendship for Americans are
manifested on every occasion. This was
demonstrated in a remarkable manner at
the usual celebration of the Fourth of July
by the American colony.
Notwithstanding the emperors participa-
ton In public affairs, he still lives in semi
seclusion Few people are ever permitted to
approach the palace Only a very small
proportion of the population of Japan has
ever had the privilege of seeing the resi-
dence Of their ruler and it has never. been
photographed. This. am told, is due to
hereditary feeling concerning the sanctity
of the person Of the emperor believe he
is the only man on earth who can estab-
lish his divine parentage by the testimony
of the entire state, and he received the
symbol of his imperial power from the di-
vine founder of the nation. These symbols
are preserved in an ancient shrine In Shi-
ba Park, near Tokyo, one of the most
beautiful examples of japanese architec-
ture, and they consist of mirror, a crys-
tai and a sword. The mirror represents
his majesty's conscience. When he looks
into 1t he sees the ruler of 1900 600 Of peo-
pie, and is reminded of his responsibilities
The crystal is the emblem of purity. When
he looks upon it he is reminded of what his
character and his government should be-
The sword is the emblem of power When
he looks upon it he is reminded of the au-
thority and dignity Of his Office and the
power placed in his hands to maintain the
right and correct the wrong. Upon the 10th
of December, the day assigned to the crea-
ton of Japan, the emperor visits this shrine
and offers prayers to his ancestors, with
significant ceremonies.
The Oldest Dynasty.
While from our point of view 1t may not
be strictly true. as proclaimed in the con-
stitution of Japan, that he holds his throne
''by virtue of lineal succession unbroken
for ages eternal" he Is undoubtedly the
representative Of the oldest dynasty in the
world, 100 years older than the popes No
other family ever reigned SO long. No king,
no emperor has better title, and no man
except some of the bare-legged nomad Bed
ouin chiefs of Syria and Arabia has q
longer pedigree, for he is No. 122 In an I'M
broken line from Jimmu, god who was
not only the founder of the Japanese en-
pire, but the creator Of the archipelago.
According to our reckoning Of time, he
lived from $50 to 5S5 B. c. The existing rec
ords of the Japanese government date from
712 A. D. unbroken. No other government
except China has such venerable archives
In theory the Emperor of Japan Is the
source of all good, and the fountain of all
power He owns every acre of the en-
pire, his authority Is absolute, the lives
of his subjects are his to use at his pleas
ure his Judgment is tnfallibIe and his