The Mankato free press., 1915-11-12
RULER OF JAPAN
GIVEN HIS OFFICE
Yoshihiio Was coronaied In
ancient Town Of kioio
PROGRAM WAS SIMPLE
But At That All OF the Country
Celebrated This Great
Big Event
Associated Press Dispatch. ]

confirmed or consecrated emperor of
Japan in Kioto. the ancient capital.
today. and in every city. town and
village throughout the empire, where
sOever, indeed. a Japanese was TO be
found, the event was celebrated I'm
some fitting manner. The Japanese
call the consecration go tairei," or
great ceremony. implying the greatest
OF all national ceremonies. When they
are speaking English they refer To IL
as the coronation.
The new sovereign neither sub
scribed to Oaths nor took hereditary
crown upon his head. No Clergyman.
priest or archbishop officiated as the
Intermediary between heaven and
earth.
Here the emperor himself is
supreme. Here the coronation takes
the form of announcing to the spirits
OF the imperial ancestors that he has
formally succeeded to the emperor
ship. that he has come into possession
Of the three divine treasures. and
that he has actually ascended tho
''takamikura" or imperial throne. and
from the throne he announces to his
subjects that he has been consecrated
as emperor.
No Break in Sovereignty.
There Is no break In the sovereignty
over the Japanese empire. When the
Emperor Mutsuhito passed away his
son. Yoshihito-On July 80. 19l3-im-
mediately acceded to the throne and
duly acquired the sacred treasures.
,-s.la .l,.,
was today consecrated, received his
ministers of state and members of the
court and proclaim his reign as that
OF ''Taisho' or Era of Great Right
eOusness" Mourning for the Empress
DOwager Haruko caused a postpone
Insnt Of the coronation ceremonies.
and today they were conducted with
out the presence OF the Empress Sa-
dako. eonsort OF the emperor, who Is
soon expecting TO present another heir
To the throne.
Opportunity For Study.
1t occurs TO me- said Premier
Count Okuma a few weeks ago to the
cOrrespOndent of The Associated
Press. that these ancient ceremonies
at KiOto will afford foreigners an OPP
pOrtunity to study the psychology of
the Japanese people" That, after all.
from the western standpoint. Is what
is making the coronation so wonder
fully attractive. The foreign observer
Is carried back into the ages, and he
Is having set before him a story OF
national existence, an explanation OF
an empires genesis that is beautiful.
dramatic and appealing, whether he is
10 class the tale as NEUROLOGICAL.
traditional or historically proven.
He Is able TO study the origin. GUS
toms and development OF the Japanese
as never before in history, for this Is
the first time since the reign OF
Iimmu Tenno. $500 years ago, that
the people Of Japan or representatives
of foreign powers have been permitted
10 participate I'm the ceremonies of
coronation. Before this. only the court
and fuedal lords and samurai were
there. This coronation, therefore, Is
the bridge between the old and the
new Japan-it is the official exodus
for the impenetrable feudality of the
past to the modernism and commence
ment of democracy Of the present and
future The first great step I'm the
modern political development of Japan
was taken by Emperor Mutsuhito in
1899 when he granted n constitution
TO his subjects.
impress Upon the Young Minds.
Every possible arrangement has
been made to impress upon the minds
of the young the significance of the
ceremonies. The part played by the
school children of Japan Is one of the
most impressive features OF the entire
coronation program, which will last
about a month. Special portraits of
the emperor and empress were dis
tributed and commemorative exer-
clses were held In every school
Throughout the empire; speeches were
made relating the importance OF the
coronation; Mt every school two trees
were planted I'm commemoration of
the occasion and flag procession of
children was held In every district.
At the precise moment when the En-
peror mounted the throne TO announce
his accession 10 the people. salutes are
fired by the army and navy-and in
whatever part of the world soldiers
and ships may be located. Throughout
the country cannon doomed. whistles
were blown. flags were flung to the
5reeze. aerial bomb fired, the national
hymn sung and cries of "banzai'
swelled upward.
Religion Occupied Its Place.
Religion occupied q prominent
place. American missionaries were
leaders in the movement TO hold
Christian services and in every
Christian church throughout the en-
pire. native or foreign. prayers were
said today for long and happy reign
Of Emperor Yoshihito. The Interna-
tional Bible Society OF America Is pre-
senting q beautiful Bible to the en-
peror In commemoration OF his en-
la.zz.llE...a