Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-27
T. Il Il Il Il Il Il - 81 r * = = :;

knots an hour. Such work as this
made ice breaking in the Baltic, where
the ice is not likely to exceed five feet
in thickness, mere child's play. 1t was
Vice Admiral Makaroff's plan to steam
around the north end of Nova Fem
bIa and break his way through the ice
of the Kara sea to the Yenisei. 1t was
found, however, that the ice OF the
Kara sea was too heavy to be broken
by the Ermak.
Vice Admiral Makaroff's career in
the navy of the car has been notable.
In the war between Russia and Turkey
in 1S76-77 he commanded the Grand
Duke Constantine. For brilliant serv-
ice with torpedoes he received the dec
Grafton of the Order of st. George.
In 1890 Makaroff was made rear adj
miraI and chief of ordnance. The lat
ter appointment was very important
because of recent improvements in
quick firing guns and smOlkeless pow
der. In 1894 he succeeded Rear Admi-
raj Avelan in command of the Mediter-
ranean squadron. When the Chino
Japanese war broke out in 1895, he
took his squadron TO the Pacific ocean
TO Join the one already there. The Rus
sian government then decided to unite
the two under the commander in
charge before the war, and Admiral
Makaroff was called home to take COM
mand of the Baltic squadron Later
he was promoted to the rank of vice
admiral, and for some time he has been
in command of the naval station at
Cronstadt, near St Petersburg.
One of the peculiar institutions of ia
pan which have been much in evidence
during the past few months is the
board of elder statesmen, or genrO,
which assists the mikado in formulat-
ing the policy of the empire. This body
was formed some years ago and con-
sisted of those men who had served
their country well in the early history
OF the new Japan.
This council is cOnvoked by the mi
kadO at critical times, and its members
advise the mikado. No additions are
made to the original council, and in
time it will be extinct. The genro now
consists of Marquis Ito, Marquis va
magata, Count InOuye and Count Mat
sugata, all that are left of a once nu-
merous body.
Marquis Hirobumi Ito is one of the
worlds prominent characters and the
foremost of Japan's statesmen and
warriors. He was born in the province
Of Chosu in 1910 and came into the po-
litical arena just when his country
needed Il progressive man.
He was educated at the Japanese
schools and early became student of
statecraft. At the age of twenty-four
he represented his government in nego-
tiations by which Japan was made to
pay large indemnity for the murder
of foreigners because of an uprising
in which Count Inouye, lifelong
friend and political fellow, took part.
Soon after this Ito and InOuye ran
away from Japan, working their way
to England before the mast They re-
manned year in England, noting the
things of progress in which the west
eclipsed Japan. They returned and be
gan to preach that Japan could no Ion
ger exist II she did not open her eyes
and embrace civilization. The seed fell
on good soil. and Japan began to
spring forward.
Ito came to the United States in 1868
to study it's coinage system. He made
another visit in 1872 with the Iwakura
embassy, which sought the revision of
a treaty. As undersecretary of the de-
parment of public works in 1874 he
built the first railroad in Japan.
An imperial edict in 1881 promised
the people constitution, and a COM
mittee under the direction of Ito
worked ten years preparing the docu-
ment, much of which is based on
American and European models. In
of the PRONUNCIATION of the
the mikado made Ito his
premier in 1885, and Count Inouye was
appointed minister of foreign affairs.
They had collisions with the lower
house of the diet, which led to their
resignation. but they came back into
power in 1892. 1t was this Ito ministry
which fOresaw the war with China and
boarded up great sum for the. gapa-