El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-12
Great Statesmen Of Japan
Prince AritOmO Yamagata. At IS,
Most Powerful Man In Land
OF the MiEzadO.
-rl-- 4
-By Frederic j. Hassin-

Prince AritOmO Yamagata, At IS,
Most Powerful Man In Land
OF the MiEzndO.
By Frederic j. HasKin--'
wv ASHINGTON. D. C.. March "a
w Great men bring about great
events. The fOrceful charac-
tiers who are making history in japan
today should better be known TO the
people of the United States, who have
a greater interest IN Nipponese affairs
IMAM they realize
YamaEata the Most Powerful
FIRST to be considered is prince Ari-
tomo Yamagata. who at rs is the
most powerful man in Japan. Chief
spokesman Of the dominant ChOshu
clan, president Of the priyy council and
leader of the elder statesmen, grand
marshal Of the army, nestor OF the
bureaUcrats, he is held personally re-
SpOnslbIe for the present difficulties
he Upheld Uehara in his reQuiSitiOn
Tor 10000 more men for Korean mill
tary defenceS, brought about the
resi- gnatlon OF premier SaiOnji. put
katsura at the head of the ministry,
and to great extent. was priyy to the
selection of admiral YamamOto the
present premier. He has no patience
with the Popular demands and says so
with vehemence worthy of an old
time British tory or an American plu-
tOcrat
The Chuwo says Of him: "Yamagata
IS the destroyer of the constitution, the
nations enemy, diSlOyal and insincere
Neverthelss. the old warrior goes on
his way rejoicing
Hero OF RESTORATION Period
4amagata worked up to his prince
dom from the ranks of the ChOshu
arlstocracy. He was a brave hero in
the restoration period and became a
major general at 81. He has been min
lister Of war and chief Of the general
staff many times and served twice as
premier and has made and unmade pre-
mlers more than once When prince
Ito was assassinated he stepped into
that great mans place He. has been
aDroad HIS recent eOurse brought
about his attempted assassination in
December. His blood nephew and
adopted son IsaburO. So years old, is
QeputE governor general Of Korea.
Prince TnrO KatsUrn
Prince Marshal TarO Katsura IS
every inch man and a smaller Tama-
gaia. whose Lieutenant and fellow
clansman he is. He studied military
science In Germany for four years at
ms own expense. While the Japanese
born under lucky star. his promo
tons were very slow He was a col
Onel when his colleagues were gen
erals and marshals, and a commoner
long after many Of his contemporaries
mad been given titles His chance came
IN 1885 when he assisted the marvellous
Gen. Kawakami. who died at So, in the
reorganization Of the army along mod
ern lines. The war with China made
him Lieutenant general and viscOunt.
HIS rule as premier for five years,
power
MS fame, although he cOunseled the
suicidal policy Of paying off loans with
more borrowed money.
His retirement from active politics
by becoming an elder statesman year
ago surprised the country, and his re-
turn to the premiership last December
was expected. Then followed his re-
lection by the people, public stOning
by a mob, and resignation after less
than two months of office Today. at
%, he is organizing new party which
ne hopes viii be an effective comprO-
mise between the radicals and the con-
servatives Last summer he went to
Russia and is supposed to have negO-
tiated secret Japanese-Russian IN
THOMAS Jefferson of Japan.
MARQUIS kmmochi SaiOnji around
whom the fight for rights revolves. is
the Thomas Jefferson of Japan A pa
trician born, endowed with all the
Of greatness. successful in
public affairs since his 18th year. he
IS today at SO one of the most ardent
democrats in the land. At 10 he was a
volunteer general in the fight for the
restoration. and in the same year was
of province. The two sue
MIN so pronounced a democrat that
the newspaper which he founded upon
ms return barely escaped suppression.
Under ItO's personal influence. which |
began in 1882. he became a practical
a theOrist
minister A
Germany were posts he held in the pre-
days Since then he has /
leld. many cal inet places and was pre- 1
nier twice. besides succeeding prince !
Ito as head Of the Seiykai party His /
reSlgnat ton last December was in pro- /
Test Of the blocking of his plan for !
financial reform and constitutional 1
rights. SaiOnjiS great fault lies in lack /
IF initiative and sustained earnestness
Il is believed that he could have 4
siaaShed the opposition to reform into /
ribbons, but instead he resigned New /
7rthelesS, II Is recognized that he is 4
ahead Of his time.
YamamotO. the New Premier.
Admiral count Gombie YamamOtO, j
man, pioneer graduate Of the naval /
academy. and at so is rather an I'M /
known factor in politics. He is not a
party man and the nearest he has been /
% big politics has been the ministry of 4
he navy, a position he filled most ad- /
n1rably regardless of ministerial 4
manages from 1898 to 1905 He IS a
ull admiral, has travelled around the /
world twice and is a member of the /
supreme council of war He favO-s a 4
greater navy, which is popular issue |
I dnagata influence. He IS not eX-
1ected to advance the peoples prOpa- /
Fanda very much On the other hand, I
he may not adODt a repreSSiVe policy
The other YamamOto, the retiring /
minister Of finance, is Of quite a diff
.erent type He is an educator and !
lnancler- not poltlclan, and is 90 /
ears old His appointment to Salon
is cabinet in 1911 when he was gov
'rnOr Of the HypOthec Bank of Japan.
vas great surprise. He had been
member of the house Of peers for years.
tut never politically active He started
he drastic retrenchments which the
situation demands and did more than /
my other man to open the eyes Of the
Japanese people to the extreme danger
which faces the empire. He is very I
popular in Japan Just now and may
be premier some day.
Prince Oyama, a War Hero
Marshal Prince IwaO Oyama. al
b0ugh a nephew Of the great SaigO /