The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-21
JAPANESE STATESMEN ELECTIONEERING FOR OFFICE
il C. Clarke Tells of
Parliament and Poll.
tics in the Mikado's
nd--AllA Are Liberal
a., Iu.rpH L. e. CLARKE.

n, .Iu.IPH I. 4. CLARKE.
,AIt, Ia ;he throes of a general
g.. NJ d'cs not present the
, ~ excitement which marks
y O.. .Adrvnnial struggle in the
united : ..~ The ava is a more
,ar.ona. I'D individual one than with
rs although the batteries II the
n,rty .,.aus keep ny a pretty lively
msllaI, " political shrapnel. Most
dthe greater native papers are how
.yer independent. those OF the
srr.,. CIRCULATION. such as the
r,lio .t,lt. or Morning sun, with "A
circulation u 100000. being strongly
sationalist.. ana avoiding strict party
Ines.
In .nAac.c.ug the votes much will
d,penl "a ;nc personality II Count
osuma, .., Prime Minister. who from
,he day his return ~ Ipwer from "a
long retirement a year L has CON
uruouS.y spoken in public - large
rther!nL> al over the country. He
. most ~. Mt orator. adapting his
,dIrrss,s g, the topics ~ the hour
with tE, greatest ingenuity. AS his
public s,rt .ce g,rs back to the
restoration II hf,y-seven years ~.
and 81, has been notable in the various
. Mnls,res since, notable even in the
year. II hrs retirement from public
office. h- i listened to with the
creates. interest and sympathy wher-
ever he Z 'es.
Now chat the emergency created hv
Tie navy scandals has passed. and tie
prty Of the majority IN Parliament
Ia, taken courage t. challenge his
had. Count pKgma's. task II turning
mat majority iatc - minority AZ I'll,
coming election j. a large one. but he
and his supporters. including some
s%r.fiar, -roups. are fun Of hoie
Coln, Okuma's position in the wLr
with Germany, his stimulation Of the
campaign a; kiIo-chuw and IT, tn
umpAant c Inclusion are al. factors on
lis side HIS Foreign Minister. Baron
Kato. shares this credit largely. ami
Admiral Yash.ro. his Navy Minister.
Won much applause for his firmness
10 less than his discretion in dealing
with the scandals smirching some
trusted officers Of the navy.
This time. too. Count Okuma has a
distinct issue on which T. challenge
hi, opponents. the n on which the
Emperor lately ordered the d.sSp.u-
ton. namely. shall there be two div
SONS added to the army? Ordinarily
Il nigh; be a question II the voters f.
time Of close financing or a time OF
peace would sanction any increase OF
governmental expense. but to-day.
with war 10, Yet over. il is likely 10
appeal powerfully to The electorate
for an affirmative answe
Foreign policies. including the queS-
,ioG If the anti-alien land law OF
California. the English alliance and
the attitude toward Russia and China,
will. doubtless. have a very large place
in the d.scuisiuns National finances
and education vii also figure. but no,
ibsorbingly.
Which i the Conservative and
which the Liberal party" l asked If
a japanese friend in Toxic. a man
particularly wise in things po!!tca'.
but not al al. verscd in things co..
acm.c in Japan or anywhere else.
They are al! Liberal" he sad WIZ
an en!gNa.C smile and an outward
wave of The hand.
And then he explained:
Japan came OF the political
darkness OF the Shotgun era IN 1865,
really as the outcome Of a revolt OF the
diimioS ~ :eudal lords against the
T'kucaw. shogunate, but the people
who been tasting the wine o:
tducat.J.al enterprise and imbibine
The Sp..!, o.: Western !ndustr.alism
follow ~ on the opening Of Japan tC
0cc.dra,-. trade in 1853 by Commodor'
Perry. faced definitely forward. Tht
young Emperor had been brought by
he revolution that overthrow the
Tokur4wa Shotgun from kioto. the old
capital. 10 Toxic, the new capital. Al
llpa' ;e'' r', only that :; had f,urt