The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-20
The Elder Statesmen Of Iapan

which fitted him. has been prime min
lister several se,., times, and In rank has
quis and prince. He has encountered
much bitter and determined opposition
It q home and his foreign policy has
But with all his faults. he has proved
his great ability, and in history he
Will be reckoned with the list Of the
latter half Of tile nineteenth century
where shine such names az Bismarck.
Gladstone and Diaz.
other times In opposition, are the three
other political members OF the Genro.--
M Ma ts,sa M., lnorye and Yamagatm
Prince Ito. and has been connected
with financial affairs OF government
ever since the foundation az the pres
I @ s 70 @ th s0de Wsi ss
ep after the wesh sodsf 1s As
sna The sty % e his e Ees
1ssssiss7, He does not take take e active
interest In n the politics Of the day but
authority In Japan.
MARQUIS Inouye is of Prince 1tos
to England in 1853. When they re-
turned lnouye advocated opening the
haired barbarians,'' waylaid hin. beat
him and left him for dead. When the
Restoration was accomplished. Inouye
in high position. He has been a
great executive, but n certain narrow
ness and Intolerance has prevented him
from rising to the full measure OF his
opportunity. The business of me
Elder Statesmen in politics is wire
pulling because It is only through this
yyNn HAD hat bAS In. ,<t, t,f
felt upon Emperor. Cabinet or Pariia-
ment: and there is none TO deny that
| Inouye's reputation as a king among
wirc-pullers is deserved
Prince Yamagata, fourth. but not
least OF the politically active Eld.r
Statesmen. is seventy years old. He
Prince Ito. which extends even into
tho councils of the Genro. and ne Also
embodies the conservative ideas If the
<sld-fashioned class Of modern
has but little patience with even the
japanese make-beiieve popular gov
eminent. and is largely responsible Tor
the continued control OF, the military
spirit In Japanese national affairs
Ysmagata is "a soldier. and was INN
self one of the ablest leaders "f The
resisted the militarypowerof the tShogrn
a year before. the restoration OF Inn
periaI power He was practically the
n nvi var o o efe and has li awsys ben
| identified with the army. Twice. how
ever he has been prime minister and
now + the president OF the Privy Coun-
ell. His military notions of discipline
kept him constantly embroiled WITH
members of his Cabinet when at tho
head Of the. government. and he de-
| Yet IL was he who was at the helm,
| in the stormy days just before the
adoption of parliamentary government,
vented the radicals from going too fnr
with their plans and thus wreck!ng the
whole scheme of popular representa-
| ton.
Marshal Prince oyama is the purely
| military man In the Genro. The world
| came TO know his name when he WAS
commander OF the victorious Japanese
armies in the Manchnrian 1 campais r..
| prowess as a soldier has been pro-
/ verb for forty years. He Is nephew
of the great Saiso. the military leader
gushing part In the civil wars which
! led to the downfall of the Shogunate.
His life story Is that Of soldier. He
has now retired to private s VIE ,e. i ,ba
/ Princess Oyama. was one OF the hrst
/ Japanese women to go abroad, being
one of the students sent to america IN
and through her Marshal Oyama mas
| always kept up an intimate acquaint-
ance with American affairs.
| ed the Elder statesmen When u lent
| crisis in affairs In Japan comes ;tlont
| the whole nation turns 10 them and
asks them what to do. They are all
practical politicians. and know how 10
| pull wires. but the people rightly think
| that as they have been connected with
New Japan since It's birth. and as their
| Interest in Its welfare Is as great az
| their knowledge is deep. no other set,
| Of men could be trusted as far.
1 Copyright, 1905. by Frederic ].
| TIaskin)
| i t
To-morrow-The Great commoner OF
: Japan. u