Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-20
DEMOCRATIC FORCES
HOLD RE|NS IN JAPAN
Return of Count Okuma to Power q
Remarkable Shift in
Affairs.
New Premier Is 70 Years Old and
Buckles to His Job Of Reforms
With Ardor Of Younger Man.

IOhlO, april GV.-EVerythlng In Japan
today indicates. to use the words of a
leading Japanese newspaper, that
Japan Is in the midst of silent but
great struggle between the democratic
forces and the conservative and bureau
cratic machines" The return to power
of Count Shigenobu Okuma, who has
astonished his best friends by the rad
icalism of his utterances in the past
few years, shows that democratic forces
have won a signal victory for the mo
ment. 1t is not too much to say that
the recommendation Of Count Okuma
as premier by the few remaining elder
statesmen Of the empire was really out
of difference to the voice Of the people.
The elder statesmen, or genro. had
previously selected Viscount Kiyoura in
an attempt to keep the reins OF govern
ment in the hands of the bureaucrats
and reactionaries, but the protest from
the different groups in the house of
representatives was 80 strong that
Kiyoura was forced to abandon his task
Of forming a cabinet.
At the same time the genro who now
number fewer than half a dozen very
aged men, were severely condemned by
the press as no longer representing the
new Japan which desired that the gov
eminent should pass from the hands of
a few men into the hands OF the people.
Count Okuma himself had been a
member Of the genro. but his radtcalfsm
made him no longer welcome among the
bureaucrats and he resigned.
The astonishing feature of this most
remarkable chapter in recent Japanese
history is the shift from a man OF the
Kiyoura type to Count Okuma. The
latter has always 5oyfully preached his
belief that he will live to be LIS years
jocular. democratic nature Of the man
himself.
Announces His Mission.
When he formed his cabinet he called
the newspaper reporters into his Office
and said: Now 1 want you to give us
a fair chance. My mission is to remove
all the forces Of bureaucracy which have
impeded the progress Of constitutional
government, especially when it has join
ed hands with the so-called political
parties. I am going to be the captain.
The crew and passengers must trust the
captain. 1 have. a good deal to do. l
am an old sea commander, but II keep
aboard too long 1 will have to take back
my old declaration about living to be
125' The new premier is now seventy
six.
Count okuma said he wanted to get
rid of the evils of clan government and
clan favoritism. He wanted to stop
the friction between the army and
navy and establish harmony on queS-
tons of national defense. He would
stop all corruption. He was optimistic
about Japanese finance, believing 1t to
be on a healthy and sound foundation.
He would try to make it still more stable.
The people were heavily burdened with
taxes, but this was to be relieved by
reforms he had in mind
The new premier has gathered about
him striking corps Of ministers.
Baron Takaaki Kato. the foreign min
ster. is one of the ablest men in Japan
today. He has served in the Office be-
Great Britain. He is regarded as a
forceful diplomat and as the probable
heir to the premiership.
Most Interesting Personality.
But perhaps the most interesting per-
sonality in the new cabinet is Yukio
ozaki. former mayor of Toxic. and one
IF the leaders of the opposition in the
lower house. lie has been warning al
ways for a more representative gov
and he Is especially opposed
10 the domination of the army and
navy clans. He has just written a series
If papers on constitutional govern
nent. with such headings as Clan In
1uence in Lawmaking." How the
People Have Been Kept Under Con-
rol' and The Navy Must Be Cleaned
Before 1t Is Expanded"
He declared that the true constitu-
ionalists in Japan demand a fair field
md no favor. lat present" he said,
they are bound hand and foot in the
ron chains of laws and regulations
md conventional official ideas. while
heir opponents are quite free under
he protection OF the same laws and
The reformer concluded: "All intelli-
gent observers have recently noticed
great changes in the political psychol-
'gy Of Japan. but few see its true
.ause. The mobs. the demonstrations
md all kinds of excitement have but
,ne root cause. namely. the strong de-
ire and increasing struggle for equal