The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21


 the villa where I visited him today that great paper was prepared and as talked with the prince I could hardly realize that the new Japan, with its wonderful system of finance and banks, it's parlia- ment elected by the people and the ma ehinery of it's government. which is one of the best in the world, was largely formed by him, now more than quarter of a century ago.
 Prince Ito Before the Mast.
 Prince Ito began His Lle young. He was only 21 when. after trying in vain to drive the foreign gunboats out of To- kohama, he slipped away one dark night and got a ship for Shanghai, having de- termined to visit the western world and spy out the secrets of the barbarians who then threatened the very existence of his country He and Marquis Inouye took passage on another ship at Shang- hai, and by it made their way around the Cape of Good Hope to Europe. They had arranged for money beforehand. but In some way there was misunderstand- ing. The captain of the ship did not realize that he had two young nobles going off on tour of investigation. He treated them as sailors and made them work during a great part of their pas sage. The two boys knew no English, and when they were dumped out on the streets of London they were at a loss where to go. They had letters of credit on Jardine, Mathieson & Co.,, a great English trading firm, which still has its branches all over China, but they had only $1 in actual cash, and they lost that before tbey had gone many blocks. referred to this story during my talk with the prince this morning, and he told me it was a true one. He said that. Inouye had picked up a loaf of bread l.lV~ Il. bod 1AsI this, their last coin, down, expecting that the man would give them some change To their surprise. the baker threw the coin into the till and motioned to them to go on. They could not speak English and they had to submit. They soon made their way to Jardine Math- ieson & Co.,, and there found the money waiting for them, as they had expected. Their prince had forwarded a credit of sS000 and from that time on they had plenty.
 A Landmark of the New Japan.
 Prince Ito said that he and Marquis Inouye were amazed at the wonders of our civilization and that they had not been in England three months before they realized that Japan must be thor oughly reorganized and educated along modern lines before it could hope to com pete with the forces about them That conclusion of these two Japanese boys marks the real beginning of the new Ja- pan. The prince told me today how they came back around the Cape in another sailing vessel: and how when filled with the importance of their mission they reached Yokohama. they did not dare land for fear of their own countrymen there who had no faith in their stories and how they had to be taken in a for eign gunboat back to their home prov ince, where the Prince of Chosiu ruled. Even then they narrowly escaped with their lives because some of their fellows thought they were traitors and that tho stories they told about the greatness of our civilization were falsehoods, and, 1t was some time before they could per suade the prince to aid in the inaugura- tion of the new movement At that time Ito was of just the age of our boys who will graduate from college this year. He was barely %, and since then his whole life has been wrapt up in the New Japan. He came with the Emperor to TOkio, and since then he has been his majestys right hand. There is no man more close to the emperor. and no one with whom his majesty advises so much from day to day.
 Prince Ito has been four times premier and during the war with China he was at the head of the government In the Rus sian war he was the chief power behind the throne and it is he today who is largely directing the foreign policy of this country
 I met Prince Ito when I was here in 1894, At that time he gave me an inter- view in which he foreshadowed the war with China. I met him again in 1900 when the troubles were already begin ming which brought about the war with Russia, and now. at the age of CT, I find him hale and hearty. throwing his whole strength Into the building up of the empire. and in the recognizing on