Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-16
THEBISMARCK OPJAPAN
MARQUIS ITO, HIS CHARACTERS
TICS AND SOURCES OF HIS POWER.
Studied Europe Under Patronage of
Mikado Komei Tenno-Fought
as an Ordinary Seaman.

Translation From lie Matin in Boston Transcript.
In the east they call Marquis Ito the Bis
marck of Japan" THE emperor" says a
recent telegram. has had long talk with
Marquis Ito before converting the council OF
ministers to edit the text of the note to be
addressed to Russia. 1t Is believed that
Marquis Ito is kept well informed regarding
the framing of the Japanese note
AS I read that dispatch. the face OF the
foreign statesman, the most remarkable
that the last century has produced in the
orient, came wildly before my memory.
Again l beheld its deep wrinkles in brow
and cheek: its eternally stereotyped SMILE
disclosing the pointed white teeth between
the blanched lips; the extraordinary keen
ness of the eyes that looked out through
gola-bowed spectacles: and especially the
prodigious and disturbing quickness of the
glanees that sought and found and record
ed whatever was of interest to the mind
that controlled them.
1t was three years ago, in a London salon.
that l met him; and there We had long
talk. Today / have rediseovered the brief
notes had then jotted down in my journal.
As he told me the story of his political
career felt as If were turning the pages
of some oriental story of Haroun al Ras-
child. He was twenty years old when he
uTSt LOCK ONCE unt6f his country govern
ment. The old mikado. Aomei Tenno. made
him his friend, and one morning summoned
him to the palace. You have, said he,
"the making of statesman, and perhaps
you are destined to become the prime min
lister of Japan, but to this end you must
give yourself broad education. Especially
you must understand Europe"
Journey to Europe.
At the expense of the imperial treasury,
Ito was dispatched in company with an
other distinguished Japanese gentleman,
Count 1nouye. on a journey to England.
There he remained fifteen months studying
English and the institutions of Great Brit
ain; he observed men and affairs and ships
ships most of ALL At the end of the fifteen
months he returned to the orient and threw
himself headlong into the war in which
Japan was then involved. . On his way home
he left the passenger steamer and enlisted
as simple sailor on board man-of-war;
took part in the naval battle that was
fought beneath the walls of Simonesaki.
and then still In sailors dress, negotiated
with the foreign powers in the name of his
emperor. He was twenty-five years old
When the treaty of peace was signed he
was made governor of Hyogo. and in 1868,
at the age of twenty-eight, he was made
minister of finance. Then followed cabinet
after cabinet ard ministerial combination
after ministerial combination without refer
ence to Ito. Later. however, he was seven
times made minister and four times presi-
dent of the council
One day the young emperor Mutsuhito.
had Ito called to him. and addressed him in
almost the same words which his father,
Konei Tenno. had used: You are great
minister. but you must still inform yourself
more broadly. My father sent you to study
Europe; l am going to send you to study
America
Trip to United States.
So, always at the expense of the imperial
treasury. Ito set out to learn about the
United States. AS result of this investiga-
ton. he brought back the outlines of con-
stitution for Japan. OF this let him speak
for himself:
1T was by no means an easy thing to
make constitution for a country which
had never so much as heard of parliament
tary government / had no model 10 guide
me in all our history. and it was necessary
80 Build soundly for the %futfre. 1 tried to
forget all the constitutions of all the west
ern nations and to frame one which would
be adaptable to oriental peoples. I asked
myself how Buddha would have acted under
the circumstances and what Confucius
would have done if he had been required to
establish a parliamentary regime and I
Halter myself that 1 succeeded pretty well
in getting into their skins: for my constitu-
ton has worked beautifully for twenty
years. and no efforts have been made to
modify it in the slightest particular"
This man. who is perhaps rather clum-
sy joker. had nevertheless profound po-
itical convictions, and when he spoke of
the duties of party leader his voice as
sumed the infections of genuine eloquence:
"A political party, said he must be real
ly guide for the masses, and to that
end it must begin by maintaining a strict
discipline and perfect order within its
own ranks. Its chief rule must be the
maintenance of an absolute devotion to
the higher interests in it's country, and it
must particularly avoid giving office to
mediocre individuals who have no other
cl'irn to preferment than their political
affiliations" Japan. you see. not only ex-
ports beautiful vases, but equally beautiful
moral preceptS.
Full OF honors and of years, Marquis Ito
His countrymen have given him the sobri-
quet of Bismarck and the emperor, who
has four times called him to preside over
the councils of the ministry. now makes
him preside over the councils of the elder
statesmen, as we have had occasion to
learn through recent dispatches-councils
where all the old servants of the country
and all the past glories of the empire are
summoned together, and at which 1t is de-
cided what part the nation is to play in an
hour of anxiety and trouble.
Such an hour has just come to Japan,
dispatch reproduced at the beginning of
this article, the emperor had had a long
interview with Marquis Ito. What came of
it? That is still a mystery At that sol
emn moment perhaps this bismarck of
the Orient remembered the unforgettablc
words of the other Bismarck. whose gram
tie statue rises in the Place de FriedrichS-
ruhe: Never in my life have 1 declared
war unless I had more than certainty Of
winning victory"
FALSE ALARMS