The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-20


 Wire company
 Contracts during the week were place, Tor 100000 tons of blooms. bllets an, bars to cover the manufacture of pro
 
 interference from the genro and Inter. senfion from the Emperor himself Doubts arc expressed ns fo the capacity or the new ministry to live long, es. pecfnliy ns Ii Is without the sustain. Ing force offered by the presence ol Baron kato ns foreign minister, who was regarded as the resI head of the former cabinet.
 President Shimada of the house of rep. resentatives congratulates the state and the people on the reorganization Of the okuma government, especially in view of the coronation festivities. The personnel or the reconstructed ministry, he thinks. is all that can be desired under existing conditions
 pr. K. Ichiki who has been transferred from the portfolio education to that or home affairs, was A graduate of the College of Law in the Imperial Tokio uni- versity, and is an authority on domestic administration. He has no connection, whatever with any political party, and tn's Tact, Speaker shinada argues, will enable him to exercise his authority with out any party prejudice.
 Fall Had Been Expected
 Vice Admiral Kato. the new minister Of the navy, has held the office Of vice minister of the navy for many years, ana was chief of stan of Admiral Togo auring the Russo-Japanese war.
 Dr s. Takata, the new minister of edu- cation. held the post of president Of aseda university for many years
 MT. h Minoura, who became2minister of once held the office of wee minister of communications and is and chief editor of the Hochi. which Is the organ of the present gov 'rnment. He is man of many estima- oie Qualities. and is respected even by ls political foes.
 erred from the portfolio of commun1ca- ions 10 that of finance, Is well known IS an able financier
 MT. Shimada expresses regret that Count 0kuma has lost Baron Kato and Vice Admiral Yashiro from the foreign and naval portfolios, but comments the choice If Baron 1shii, ambassador to Paris, as foreign minister.
 With one group Count Okuma Is regard sd AS the Grand Old Man of the pres snt Japanese era Without him the po- 1tlcal situation would have become nope essiy complicated with incessant changes nat would keep the empire In constant 'tate of anxiety. With another group the constitutional issue involved Is held of s,i- oreme weight The premier is regarded US having violated constitutional usage rft I,t .zt.;.x (. iraw 1t. designations have been ordinari- J accepted. but in the present instance vas announced that the Emperor nim- ielf had 1ntervened and voiced his wish hat the premier remain.
 This Is most unusual step in Japanese fife. Heretofore, the throne has left po- itical matters to the genro, the idea being that the political life of the empire was not to be hitrenched upon the ruler It is a very delicate point; but imperial preference for any one cabinet has almost always been scrupulously avoided
 It was the exception made to this usage 1t the time of the third Katsura cabinet that caused the riot which finally resulted n the fall of the cabinet after only lew months of existence. The opposition 'aised at that time was based upon the necessity of keeping the throne from be- ng involved In political disputes.
 The imperial message given to Mar luis saionjl to use his influence to make he Seiyukai members support the gov ernment raised storm of indignation which culn1inated in a riot, causing loss 'f life and property. The katsura cab net was obliged to resign and the Ya- namoto ministry came into power.
 Bulgaria Is Threatening
 The semisofficial statements to the ef- ect that the throne did not wish to accept the resignation of the Okuma government Is criticized not only by op- position politicians but also by some who belong to no party. For this de- 'arture from established usage both the government and the elder statesmen are ield responsible. There Is already some opposition among the privy councillors n this respect. The matter will no doubt constitute a question in the House of Peers In the winter session of the Diet the newly constructed ca binet be still n office. The conclusion of these crit cs is that the OkuIna cabinet is actually itting on volcano.
 Count Okuma has no fears as to his position. When he had built his new abinet he gathered the Japanese news 'aper men about him and told them that here were two reasons why he changed is mind and remained in office with econstructed ministry. He said:
 One is the political circumstances both internal and external, which do not per. nit of ministerial change at this mo- nent and the other Is the gracious or Ter of his majesty that I continue my ervice. The war in Europe Is still in progress and it's state Is such that no me can tell when it will terminate. While Japan is not actually engaged, he is one of the belligerents. Needless 0 say, the difficulty of our diplomatic ealings from now till peace Is restored I Europe will be great Tn spite of adverse criticism in some uarters 1 do not see why our recent esotiations with China should be called failure. I believe the people share this few of mine and of my colleagues The cabinet has adhered to the pol " of not borrowing money for financial ecessities and has endeavored to root ut all the evils arising from the 'bor- owing policy as followed by ministries the past l believe this financial pol v of the government. too has been and ] stil approved by the majority of the eople.''