Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-26
MURDERS
JAPANESE
DIPLOMAT
Noted Oriental Is Killed
at Harbin
PRINCE ITO is VICTIM OF A
KOREAN FANATIC
FAMOUS STATESMAN SLAIN BY
POLITICAL ENEMY
News Causes Great Grief and Con-
sternatIon at TokIo-Was
Japan's Greatest Gov
ernmental Leader
FAMOUS STATESMAN SLAIN BY
POLITICAL ENEMY
tBy Associated Pross ]

been received here that
n Prince Ito, the noted Jap
anese statesman, has been assas-
sinated by a Korean at Harbin.
The fateful news was received
at Toxic at 3 o'clock this after
noon. The dispatch contained
only the brief announcement that
Prince Ito had been assassinated.
1t has caused great grief and con-
sternation.
Prince Hirobumi Ito was per-
haps the greatest statesman Of
New Japan. The achievement
with which his name has been
chiefly associated in the minds Of
Occidentals was the framing Of
the imperial constitution, by vir-
tue Of which Japan took her place
for the first time in the rank Of
modern civilized states.
AS the emperor's trusted adj
wiser and the medium through
which the state was placed on d
constitutional basis, he must be
regarded as one of the positive
factors which have helped to win
for Japan her present standing
among the nations.
Prince Ito was 68 years old. 1t
was in 1868 that he made his cele-
brated pilgrimage to England, at
a time when it was against the
law of his country to go abroad
and the penalty for infringement
was death. Nevertheless, inspired
by a patriotic feeling and a de-
sire to learn the secret of Occl-
dental supremacy, he undertook
the trip which proved so bene
hcial to his country later on.
statesman's Career
Prince Ito, who was president of the
privy council of Japan, left TOXIC &c
tober 16 for a tour of Manchurla' ne
was to have arrived at Harpln tooay
(Tuesday), where he was to nave IIle'
MI
ance. The conference, it was said, was
at the behest of Japan and Russia.
Foreign diplomats had attached great
importance to it, although the exact
motives impelling Japan to propose
the conference were not known.
The subjects to be discussed were not
stated in the Japanese oVeftures anu
M. Kokosvoff, it was said, had barred
political questions. He said that ne
was competent to discuss only imam
cial and technical subjects.
In some quarters, 1t was pelleVeu
the tour of Prince Ito was TO nave
been political and that II had as
basis an attempt to forestall TIE pro-
tests of the powers against Russia s
domination of the Manchurian rallroad
zone under her agreement with emma
nv effecting a complete understanding
between Japan and China.
1t has been stated that emma mas
sent several high officials to Haroln 10
confer with Prince Ito.
Prince Ito passed Saturday and sun
day at Mukden, where he had CONFER
ences with Hsi Liang, the Vlceroy'
Prince Ito visited the United states
In 1870 as commissioner to investigate
the financial and banking systems: Oii
>his return to Japan he was appolhteu
vice minister of public works.
In 1880 he negotiated with LII HUNG
Chang on the Korean question ana
concluded the treaty that formed the
basis of Japan's justification for her
war with China in 1894.
Later he negotiated treaty OF peace
with China and at the close of the war
was made a marquis.
After the sso-Japanese war ne ne
was resident general In Korea, IN
which capacity he incurred the haereu
of the Koreans.