Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-11
JAPANS GOVERNMENT SHAKEN IN PRESENT
CRISIS; CRITICISM At HOME IS BITTER

HOlAA ~ Dk LII
eng dciirerar!on. or tt-rI>>c.4 hrtnr,.
the en}rcIn~ H." atil~a"i,iIy Cf pM"
suing enc rnUTEr or "tIrr acuO"diN :
to ne , .uriUSi"n 80 v mcH ;u"y ar.
rived after Erc at Gt1itl atom. :. g. &c
Tai0rit and III" = iNn:l'E have gi.ru
their OpiniCnS .iH1. a ;ho pres n;
crisis, tie c!!cr sa Cs1cn ar, no.
giving the young "W""!n o. ,,.Aor th&i'
advice r cuu;eIGin'; hCi6r" his Waj
49, WIai tOIrSe SrOI!d Ue taken il.
re good Ct tie ooIE.ry. Iney come
jT'pL.iai palace AMI tIcr" fiscal CT
1INi sEg The c'"p cor iucy @ rrn-
Aulting What they .shOuu advise
SOr' c'in : they appear bc...rC tie en-
h~rUr ana more often they COngreca:e
in The Bolan-Eo-Na and intrigue how
best either EC!auCfl OF MatSukI a or
katsura can form the succeeding
government Least provoking the ma
;iOn'S wrath. Thry are ma:..ng the
imperial PALACE their consuming piacr,
or, as i said, the den OF intrigue6
Why can they not consult or intrigue
az some other place. The imperial
palace was not made for a consulting
or meeting place for few unpatriotic,
intriguing politicians who lightly play
with the nations welfare and the
army, and who. ignoring the funda-
mental work Of the late emperor's
real greatness, try to abolish the con-
stitution, which he has granted to the
people TO enable them to enjoy the
fruits of their labor and freedom for
ever with the pOStCrity unto the end
Of the world The nation should drive
them away from the imperial palace
again to despOil the sacredness OF
the Imperial palace with their unc!ean
presence.
People and Nations Purse.
vi. Another great issue raised by
this present constitutions; crisis is
the right Of the people to control the
purse of the nation. The contention
Of the military party is that the army
should control the purse OF the nation
so far as the appropriation for the
army is concerned and that the army
has the right to determine whether
there is room for retrenchment or not,
and that if there is, whether they
chould economic or not, and that
they alone have the right to dispose
Of the money saved by the retrench-
ment and neither the government nor
the people has any right to interfere
with it. This doctrine is incompatible
with the right of the people to control
their own money, and to determine
how their money should be used. This
pretension of the military party. If
conceded, will result in setting up an
imperium or imperio. a government
within the Japanese empire which is
independent Of the Japanese govern
ment. How would it be possible for
The nation to maintain peace and or
der with such an anomalous situation
within , the government itself? The
people should stand as one In protest
ing the reatest of the late emperors
great works, the constitution, and
drive out of the country the enemy of
the people who thus tries TO set up a
government within a government, and
protect their own right to control the
GISpOSL(IOu VI luCll O"u hlOASy'
VII. The most extraordinary thing
about the situation in Japan at this
constitutional crisis is the apathy of
the political parties. The people are
always too busy for politics but the
politicians must be alert at all times
to defend the constitution and sound
the bell of alarm for the people to
rise to defend their rights and inter
ests. But they are as silent as the
sphinx and as inactive as if they
were the dead corpse. Only the papers
are sounding the feeble, ineffective
alarm. | wonder very much where
are the PrOgressives and COnStitu-
tionalists. | do not believe there IS
in the world any other country where
the politicians are so idle, sluggish,
dull, stupid and foolish as the politi-
clans belonging to the SO-calied pOliti-
cal parties of Japan. Where IS Mara
quis Saionji? He is lying idle at his
villa in Oiso. Where is Eara, Mat
suda and other great men Oh the Con
stitutional party? Where are the
leaders Of the Progressivists-Oishi.
Inukai and KonO, who are accustomed
TO make lots or noise III Trivial mat
ters? They say nothing and do moth
ing. Their existence in this political
crisis is wholly hidden from the view
of the nation, and their places are
taken by the old, feudal-headcd Elder
Statesmen whose character and train
ing make them utterly unfit Tor carry
ing on the modern constitutional gov
crnnent, however great the works
may be which they did in the los AMI
sos Of the last century. But, thank
God. the nation has found their de-
tenders in the chambers OF commerce.
These merchants who are indifferent
to the recurring political contentious,
the elections and the ordinary struS-
gle for political supremacy Of these
political bodies, have risen to the
height of splendid craftsmanship, and,
taking the place Of the GecTepit poll
tiCians, have openly inaugura;ed the
against the increase OF
army and fought bravely the fight for
TIE people, for the reduction OF taxa
ton and reforms in tine aGministra-
tive system Of the governments. .Ieet ,