The Washington herald., 1908-04-21
GREAT COMMONER OF JAPAN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Special Correspondence 10 Inc Washington heTald'
Tokyo, March Z. - Count Shige-nobu
Okuma Is the great cOmmoner OF Japan
and in many respects has the most inter
esting personality in the Land Of the
Rising sun. He is peculiarly interesting
10 Americans because OF the fact that Il
was he who LED the japanese protest
against the United States when the San
Francisco school question and the immt-
grafton agitation FIRST came up. As the
leader of the opposition. Count Okuma
undoubtedly seized upon these questions
as a club with which 10 belabor the gov
-ernment. but at the same time he did
not compromise with his conscience TO do
so. He holds that the japanese people
are racially the equal Of other peoples, or,
rather. that there is no difference Of de-
gree Inherent in difference Of race.
Historically, Count Okuma is account
ed one Of the elder statesmen, but as the
leader of The opposition and as an essen
tial democrat he has not been admitted
to that privileged circle Of the Genro
which directs japanese national and in
ternational policy. His influence upon az
fairs Of state is not TO be underestimated.
however, for his attitude in opposition
has been such that many OF his ideas
have been forced upon the government,
and the japanese public still hears him
gladly OF the six survivors OF the group
of men who brought about the restora-
ton and made new Japan possible Count
Okuma is the most democratic and Prince
Yamagata the most aTistOCTatiC. Between
these two Prince Ito has steeTed & mid
die course and has become the greatest
constructive statesman Of the Orient,
The student of comparative history can
not fail 10 compare his course with that
taken by Washington. midway between
the policies Of Hamilton and the ideals of
Jefferson. And Ito, like Washington.
leans more TO the conservative than to
the democratic.
While Japan has adopted the forms Of
a popular government, the voice Of the
people In affairs of state is heard but as
from afar. Count Okuma is both admired
end suspected because OF his democracy.
and If that quality has won him many
warm admirers among the people. It has
also lost him the influence with the gov
erning class which he might otherwise
WELD The explanation of his status
goes farther back than the modern po-
litical career Of the elder statesmen, In
old feudal Japan the two strongest clans
were those of the ChOshu and the Sat
suma. These two clans still rule in ia
pan despite the changes in form Of gov
ernment. Centuries Of clan feeling can
not be everthrown in few decades.
Both Ito and Yamagata are of the clan
Of Choshu. Count Okuma can claim al
lance with neither Of these ruling fami-
lies. He is without the pale of the OIL
garchy and has maintained his influence
by sheer force Of character, broadness of
mind. and knowledge Of practical politics.
Yet his power has been great. In the
days when it was still a question wheth-
er lne restored Emperor would resign the
greater part Of his power 10 the people
Okuma stood as the champion OF popular
rights. His programme was always mod
ified by the powers that were. but never
theless, he always gained a part of what
he fought for. He was the founder of
the progressive party II Japan, has been
prime minister, and now, although re-
tired from active politics. is still TO be
reekoned with as q power. He, like the
other elder statesmen, has been connect
ed with governmental affairs from the
time of the downfall OF the shogunate.
He was the intimate friend Of Okubo, one
Of the great triumvirate which brought
about the restoration, and is to-day re-
garded as the highest authority upon
questions Of Japanese history Of the past
half century.
Fifty years ago Count Okuma was a
boy of twenty living in a small japanese
town, trained in the virtues OF the an
Client japanese learning, and sharing with
his fellows all the beliefs and prejudices
Of their exclusive race. But TO these
ideas he added curiosity. and curiosity
was his making The visit OF Commodore
Perry and the granting of treaty rights
to foreigners by the Shotgun had set all
Japan to talking about the ''red-haired
barbarians." The law set its face stern
ly against the Christian religion and mis-
sionaries, and while Okuma approved OF
the law, his curiosity impelled him to in
quire about these strange people
So ii happened that 0kuma heard OF an
American missionary who was secretly
spreading the forbidden doctrine in the
country. He went to DR.. Veerbeck as
Nicodemus went to Jesus. by night. From
that renowned missionary the young Oku-
ma learned OF the great world outside of
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