New-York tribune., 1909-11-08
IT0'S LAST SPEECH
BEFORE TOXIC PRESS
4 Brilliant Exchange of Wit
1rith Count Okuma.

soAt"- o'N AN--A oinner given By the
Premier, MARQUIS kstsurs. 10 the members
a. TIE international Press Association OF
japan or the evening OF October II ~.
Tie nlosi remarkable entertainment Of ,h,.
KIND ever given IN Japan Hitherto ~.
newspapers aud representatives n. n.,,,n.-
pers have moved entirely in cliaues q-na,.
fss hcsn 10 alignment or bringing ,or..,,.-
~ newspaper men. snd 10 interchanrs :,
ioeas hs'VHeen opposing forces in N. ner-s-
nSper world hRs been possible
TIE International Press Association %
S-nsn vas organized last spring. with some
fcrrt members, MADE up mostly fror,, she
orici EDITORIAL star and foreign depart
rnfn's of the 'ssoing papers. together with
40 correspondents Tor foreign ,,eu-snsne-s
ard the foreign sspondents residsn, .,
Japsa. The hrst dinner 81 this sSsocia-io,
Hss liz honor * eK-N-ice- President Fair
hanks On that occasion ,he other guests
- The rev association Vere Marquis Kat
srrs Prince Ito and Count okums The
Prenier's dinner vas return for this hos
ritaliis, sno ~ ssn7e guests ~ honor were
present. with the addition ~ Count Eo-
riurs. The Minister ~ Foreign Affairs
here we're also present some fftv-H,,s
ueTspapsr men and two women correspond
erts of soretsr nersps psre
-ne dining room in ths Tremisr,s o~5cisl
rssldencs vas hssutifullv decorated ard
fhs table magnificent IN ITS displ.v Of
towers z15 pls'e. The Premier sat IN the
orntrs ~ the table. with Prince Ito opposite
- him on the hosts right hand sal ,re
Ne'srsn Editor cf the ''Hochi." well knoun
- the most violent of the anti-sovernrnert
ncwspzpsrs. on the iert of -he Premier
pss seated Coun- okunna. sometimes called
ths Ssse ~ Wsse6s." but in fac- the mos
sctive Of TIE dccirtnsire roliticisns IF To-
dsv. practically stn leader ct the Pro-
Eressive party. which is the Opposition IN
ihe Diet snd. notp-ithstsndin his age. stul
noble hgnre and = force - be reckoned
pith because % his tremendous popularity.
The interesting feature of the evening
osme when the Premier. after having made
= tslioitous speech on the value OF = press
association. again arose and proposed the
Hesl'h ~ Prince Ito. mentioning that Ito
SEN ss he called him. vas about 80 start
f0r Nsnchu-i. snd they wished Rim
pleasant sourney and safe return This
brought cut the notable ut-ersnce and the
hes' incidents Of the evening
Prince Ito vac IN his hsppi-st rnood. He
'ssfed and threw auips a. fh. newspaper
men. with nov and then = thrust at his old
political opponent. Count Okums, who sat
n -h his e'eS csst dopn snd bis face i'm
mobile as marble. His sftitud. conveyed
- impression % contempt for tho ~hole
proceeding, but Prince Ito became little
shsrper ana stirred the en- my ur. ~ one
- rhese harder thruFfs Okuus's rather
res--v fps quiver~d. hs raised his head
apened his e-c- rlde threw hack his head
snd laughed. This delighted Ito. Kstsura.
Horaurs ana fhe older nevspsper men who
Understood The, knew fhe fight VAS on
'u earnest snd fhs, okuma had accepted
the challenge. bur Ito vas not afraid. Hs
ver' - snd Dug the noble Roman in the .
r.hs ~ -hsfed him nlercilessly; he even /
vsrtured 20 refer 20 periods r. tte political /
r's7or,, ~ Olyuma San which must have I
o~en rather sore points indeed. Tic -hole 4
'shle shook with laughter. bgt Count
Ohuu7s had relspsed into his old attitude:
bis Hrs were close shut and nov and then 4
10 slov-l, lifted his eyelids and looked at
Ito.
Marquis slstsurs. tho shrcwdest politician
IN japan. sitting on Okuma's right wss al
rmcs evidently uneasy and looked At Ito 4
hcenl,. turning nov and then 20 note the 4
oppression on DUMAS face, bat he found I
nothing there.
Aside from this FIRST attack in battle
r.! ~it snd sarcasm. the notable uttersnce
Tsds bv Prince Ito was IN regard 20 his d
proposed "Trip - Msnchuris. lie said that 4
l.. took this particular occasion 20 make
rho sunorncenlent that the trip he VAS
about 20 ;ake 70 Msnchuris was entire'v .
c7 h's own initistive: that IL was not F
n-ompted bv snv QUO IN particular. and that
- Was goirg - irvestigste conditions - .
satisfy himself and no one else. lie sp-
ur'cis ted tic importance Of Manchuria ami
The ir1por-an"e of relations between China
and Japar. pfth Msnchuria o. a ground
a
or this reason hc desired 20 pay bis first
'isi. - the some Of tho great struggle be
,ueou Jspao and Russia. Prince Ito closed
Prs speech With ? pleasant ailusion 70 his
host and rriend. and tried 10 smooth things
oser nth Count -Ol-Inla. 20 check
'ns avalanche which hs lad reason 70 cx-
Yert.
Prlrce To vas not disappointed When
frs P-,sidor: of the Privy Council vas seat
od 81 eyos were turned or the sage Of
n sssdR Who sprsng from an almost life
RS sit'-VGc into great activity. For fun
'so rli1vfes before he roso % speak he
rev Urrle sarcssU' and Quips across the
able % Ito = almost sounded ss n hs
were --grrinE him on 20 cay something
rore. tVt this was in an unoertcne. and
1-'v tro7e imn'cdistei,. srognd Understood
t.r
Tses rising I'm his place. Count Okun.a
poured forth his attack. t's chaT and lis
-geSt.o 10 the newspaper mon. lIc was
-.c-c eloquent than usual. Jess didactic anl
r.rgc been IN his TRUSTS Al his old antago-
20. End 'aadc Lutte digs ~ The Premier
srs 'ae FcroiEn Minister. Tho dinner wss
nersb'v successful In establishing closer
rels' ons between the neVspspcr ueprescnts-
f''rs ~ discrcrt factions
Prince Ito was sssss.insteo by
Co-.sn editor q. hsrbin, October 2s.