Evening star., 1915-07-11
the always difficult and may path of
empire in the orient.

the always difficult and may path Of
empire in the orient.
~
At first the group of genro was COM
posed of the real makers of modern
Japan-Ito. Yamagata, Saigo and Ku-
roda. Later, when the great Saigo and
the still greater Prince Ito, and the
marvellous power among the Japanese,
Kuroda, died, the emperor chose In
their places Prince Oyama, Marquis
Inouye and Marquis Matsukata. At
present the genro Is composed of two
princes, Yamagata and Oyama. and two
marquises. Inouye and Matsukata. Only
four. but they WELD more actual power
than any other group or organization
or party or parliament.
The aristocratic. autocratic and "clan"
nature of the Genro has often irritated
the younger element in Japan. which
strives hard and even desperately for
"constftutionalism." In March of last
year, when the emperor and empire were
gravely concerned over the serious cabi-
net crisis. a revolution being freely dis
cussed as probable, some Of the more
advanced journals in Toxic denounced
vehemently the state of the country,
due, as they declared. to the survival Of
feudalfsm and clanism. which still made
1t possible for two princes and two
marquises," all Of them too aged and
moss-grown to understand present con-
ditions, to choose a government for
one of them decrepit. and the two mar
quises, both Of them descript. did select
the next ministry and put 1t in power
over the furious opposition Of the press
and people Of the empire.
The new spirit Of criticism. which has
not hesitated to discuss even the invio-
liability and sacredness of the throne it.
self, shows itself even in SO conserva-
tive an authority on things japanese as
the Japan Year Book In dealing with
blink at saying:
candid a statesman to favor wirepullfng business
Of any sort, but the case seems to be somewhat
With the od Tbs ppsee nss bep %
paternal toward his numerous adherents that
ss s the be
Of the marquis impels him to interfere when
ever he fancies that his interference would be
for the country's good
The most startling attack upon the
genro, however, was made by the pres
ent premier, Count Okuma, in 1914.
when he himself was being considered.
even demanded, by the whole country
for the head OF the new ministry.
It was we'll known that the elder
statesmen opposed Okuma. They had
always opposed him. ever since the be-
sinnings of the constitutionalist move
ment, started by Okuma and Itagaki
back in the seventies of the previous
century, and Yamagata had been his
sworn political foe from the first ap-
pearance In politics of the Sage of
Saga, now the Sage of Waseda. When
the Yamamoto ministry and govern
ment, which was a political abortion
and hopeless from its inception. was
finally overthrown in the wild disor-
ders of the spring of 1914. the elder
statesmen announced that the govern
ment could not be handed over to the
people or to a man Of the people. like
Okuma, who was the only logical lead
er of the hour. The power must be
kept in the hands Of the clans and mo-
bles.
Only three Of the genro-Yamagata,
Oyama and neutrality-suspicious. set
up a figurehead ministry. which was
composed of all the worst elements In
the clans, militarists and aristocrats.
It seemed pure defiance Of the .'mob''
which then surged In angry mood