Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-14

Strengthening Germany at home and
abroad till the quarrels with the stubborn
William II sent him into retirement.
Nippon's Bismarck.
The japanese Bismarck the Count
Hiroumbi Ito. born in 1870 made visit to
Germany in his youth, and discovered that
the civilization of Japan so much Wanted
at home was far inferior to what they
knew in the fatherland. He also made a
tour of Europe and even came to the
United States. but his preference was ever
for German ideas. and he became thor
oughly imhued with the thought that Jap
anese progress identified with a
scheme of government that closely as pos
sible would approximate what Bismarck
scheemed for the land OF the Teuton.
Ito's first work for Japan was to estab-
llsh a mint at Osaka then he became min
lister OF public works. and on revisiting Eu-
rope in 1880 he had come to be recognized
as one of the foremost of modern states
men.
In 1886 he entered as premier the reor-
ganiZed cabinet of the mikado, and there
upon naugurated many OF the modern
movements whose fruits Nippon is reaping
now.
He was the father Of the constitution
which was promulgated in 1889. and which
it is frankly admitted follows closely on
the lines of the principles of German gov
eminent.
Like Bismarck Ito was not content to re-
the war with China came in 1894, the pre-
mier took command OF a Japanese fleet and
conducted himself with bravery and skill.
Ito carried along the cause of modern
Japan by his visits to the United States and
Europe in 1S97-1S9S, and again In 1901. He
arranged the alliance in 1902 between Japan
and China. and saw to 1t that his country
got all the better of the agreement.
He was premier again in 1902. and his voice
has been potent in every important council
Europe has known In the last decade. In
the west It is not possible to know all that
Ito has done for Japan, and any intelligent
Japanese will tell you that he has richly
merited his comparison to Bismarck.
Learn From Won Moltke.
When Won Moltke the great German tao
tician, died. It was said that he left papers
behind him which contained military plans
of such farsightedness that the wars of the
fatherland for the next thirty years with
any nation could be carried to successful
issue by following out his plans.
Happily Germany has had no war since
the death of Won Moltke, but the vital part
he played in the successful issue of the
Franco ruSsan struggle was always ad-
mitted even by Bismarck himself. Bismarck
was the man of action; Won Moltke the
planner.
Similarly Japan has planner in the fam
our Field Marshal Oyama. under whose
ideas were fought the struggle with Rus
STA. 1t is not denied that at every point Of
preparedness provisioning its men and all
the tactics that go to carry warfare to a
successful struggle Oyama had outfought
Kuropatkin and all the other famous lead
ers of the cars army.
This was merely another vindcation OF
Won Moltke, for the japanese tactician had
studied the war plans of the German down
to the smallest policy and merely applied
them in new field.
So in the colonial policy. Japan recog-
nzes that its own area is too circumscribed
for world power such as 1t aspires to be.
Therefore, the absorption of Korea. And
there will be further encroachments, the
system in every case being based on the
methods used by Germany in acquiring and
controlling territory.