The Ordway new era., 1915-07-09


AKu There has been a little
discomfort at the "compro-
-, mise" with China. This
was bound to be SO in the most war
like nation on earth. But Japanese
who are better informed know there
has been no compromise. Group V
may have been left for later discus.
sion." but the Japanese leaders will
exact every demand embodied In 1t
from time to time.
Thus Okuma. the one-legged grand
old man of Japan, sees his great idea
coming to fruition. He knows the
Japanese people will willingly spend
their blood like water. All Japan has
needed for conquest Is money. Japa.
nese strategy is not Of the year or the
millennium. Money. but not enough.
has come out of Korea and South
Manchuria. Money-money for bat
tleships and siege guns. for sub
marines and aeroplanes-will now
now from China into Japan.
Centuries ago untutored Japan
made conquests on the mainland and
adopted Chinese culture. Sixty years
ago she threw OF the culture Of Japan
for the efficiency Of the West. Now
she will go step farther and with
Iron hst impose western efficiency on
China.
Modern wars are fought with fac
tories. With 40O.0o0.O00 Chinese la
boring to supply munitions Of war in
her rear, sixty millions of Japanese
will present the front of their warrior
nation to the white race and tell It
to get out of the western Pacific
and some day will tell the French to
get out of Cochin China and the Brit
ish to get out OF India.
These are the aims Of okuma. They
are not hazy national aspirations. but
active policies that Japan Is working
every minute of her time to carry out.
okuma proclaimed them openly and
loudly when he was Of the party Of the
opposition. On this platform Of mill
tarism he won his campaign in the
spring of 1914 and ousted the Yama-
motto party. For year he has been
in control and his hold is stronger
than ever. sEia
Being at the head Of the nation his
words soften. He exudes honey to
Great Britain and sends messages
breathing the spirit Of peace to the
United States. Japan ID not deceived.
They have long seen these two ir-
reconcilAble. currents Of expression
flow from okuma's mouth-and they
know which one to believe. They be-
lieve only the one which accords with
the spirit of the samurai. the "two
sword man."
In Japan beth the mobiles and the
commoners are militaristic. Okuma
IL a noble. but he has chosen to lead
the commoners. Perhaps this is be-
cause he came from neither OF the two
leading clans which for many years
controlled Japan. but of weaker
| clan. the HiEen. Throughout his life
he has fought against the clan sys-
monarchy, now for years strongly es
tablished. ,sI
At seventy-seven. Okuma 10 still
fiery and energetic. He was boy OF
| twenty, living in small Japanese
town. when the visit of Commodore
| Perry and the granting Of treaty
rights to foreigners by the Shotgun set
| all Japan to talking about the red
l haired barbarians. Okuma had a
great curiosity to learn about the
world outside Japan. He heard OF an
American missionary. Doctor Veer'
beck, and went to him secretly-not to
embrace Christianity. but tc learn.
First of all he learned to read the
L he
| document the devoted missionary pos.
sessed. the Declaration Of Indepen.
dence. -
His soul was set on fire. When
seventy years old. he said: "The read
| ing of the Declaration Of independence
when was a boy made such an i'm
preston upon my soul that the doc.
| trines proclaimed by 1t have ever
been my guiding rule in life." Thomas
Jefferson became his model and he
studied everything he could find about
the American statesman.
In his youth came the great Jap
anese civil wars between the mikado's
party and the old feudalists. Okuma
left school and plunged Into the thick
of the fray. The mikado's party, hav'
Ing adopted western military tactics
won its battle, and the mikadc was es
tablished as supreme in Tokyo. Oku
ma was put in position in the office
Of foreign e~.sfs. = Z
| The intricacies Of Japanese politics
In the last half Of the nineteenth cen
tury are difficult for an American to
understand without long study. Sufh
cient to say that Okuma was in the