The Washington herald., 1908-07-09
Changes in Japan.

Undoubtedly the depression In indus
trial conditions. the increase In taxation.
the enormous increase In expenditures
for the army and navy and the conse-
quent additional burdens placed on the
already suffering populace are response
bic for the fall of the Japanese ministry.
1t stated that his excellency Count Kat
sura has been asked by the Mlkado 10
form a new ministry, and though he is
one OF the ablest men In the empire
and served as prime minister OF Japan
through the crisis Of the beginning OF
the Japanese-Russian war, the task that
has been assigned him is one Of no small
magnitude
1t is reported that his excellency Count
Katsura has asked Count Komura, at
present Ambassador to Great Britain. 10
accept the portfolio OF minister OF for
eign affairs. a selection that could hard
ly be bettered. as Count Komura is well
known and we'll liked in America. and
has made his presence felt In a friendly
way in London It is thought that the
| present ministers OF war and marine will
| be asked to retain their posts. but so
long as the country is at peace these
| portfolios are not OF much consequence.
| The one important Office to be filled is
/ that of minister OF finance. and Japans
finances are in such a parlous state that
Il is sure to be difficult to find a compe-
| tent statesman 10 assume the duties
/ The task before this minister is one that
might we'll appall any one. His excel
| lency Marquis Ito is on his way 10
Japan from Korea. whence he has been
recalled because OF the revolt Of the
/ Koreans against his harsh rule. and It
may be that Count Katsura. backed up
| by the Mkado. may induce this aged
elder statesman TO try 10 unravel the
financial tangle.
1t will be interesting to watch what
the attitude Of the new ministry viii
be IN regard to Japan's relations 10 for
eign powers The retiring ministers un-
! doubtedly lost much Of the confidence
Of the people when they failed to take
a more aggressive attitude against the
objections to Japanese immigration into
Occidental countries. Whether the new
ministry will think # worth while 10
insist more strongly on the japanese
view Of equality with the white races
remains to be seen. Such an attitude.
while 1t would imperil Japans foreign
relations. would be immensely popular in
Japan.
Then. too. the new japanese ministry
has before It the question OF what TO de-
eide in the matter Of naval expansion.
Japan has set out to create an enormous
navy. and she Is doing 1t as economically
as possible; much more cheaply, indeed.
than any other nation could acquire n
navy. Already she has transposed all the
Russian war ships captured during the
war into irst-class modern fighting yes
sells. and she has laid down a programme
Of new battle ships that. in spite Of
cheap labor and cheap materials. is prov
|
the country with it's crippled resources
can stand.
| What Japan needs more than anything
else is a complete reorganization Of her
Industrial system; an era of economy
Of rest. OF hard work. There Is little
in such a programme to make a popular
appeal to the people OF Japan, and If
Count Katsura and his cabinet propose
TO establish such an era, they will have
their work cut out for them. The fact
that Count Katsura is decidedly a con-
servative. and that under his former ad-
ministration japan made its greatest
strides in industrial prosperity. speaks
well for the prospects for the future.