The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-18
JAPAN'S PREMIER
 WANTS PAPERS TO BOOST NATION
United Japan" Is Object of Campaign That Is Now
 Being Waged.

Tokio, Sept 18-A plea for a
 United Japan in the present interna- tional crisis was issued by Premier Count Okuma, yesterday at reunion
 of the Japanese press to- which the
 foreign correspondents were likewise invited. More than any statesman in
 modern Japan Count Okuma sees
 power in the press. He is constantly taking newspa pers and newspapermen
 into his confidence. That is the way he adopts to reach the people, and
 Okuma believes above all things that
 the day has come in Japan when the people must be talked to. He is ever striving to find the pulse of the public. This was the second time Premier OI1uma had spoken to journalists
 since he decided to remain in office. His object yesterday was to urge sup phaistze the necessity of sacrifice for the welfare of the nation.
 ''In Germany" he declared, i've have an example of nation that has
 shown her power of national unity. N
 He went on: Tier militarism is un-
 desirable, but the concerted effort of Germany constitutes her, strength. Japan is now involved in a great in
 ternationaI war. which is affecting the politics and thought of the whole world. Amidst this great struggle, Japan must mantain her position as a
 power. In order to do this, we must
 unite our efforts, and we need sound leadership
 The policies of the reconstructed
 cabinet, the Premier said, would be
 the same as the old. He was more than ever convinced that it's policies were sound and we'll adopted to the
 needs of the time From the very outset it had endeared to effect re- forms in home politics. Unfortunately,
 as he thought, the manner in which
 Japanese elections are held is not ideal. This was due to the fact that the representative form of govern
 ment was still new to the majority of
 the people.
 The Premier continued: Happily the spread of modern educat tion has improved matters cons1d erab1y, and the nation is emerging from it's old feudal ideas and usages. The strug-
 gle for mere political domination is
 petty. This is what some of the ELatin-American countries are doing. For the sake of the common interests of the country, one must be prepared
 to sacrifice private gains, and unite in concerted action"
 Count Okuma said he wished to lay
 emphasis on the truth that the social factor was more powerful than the
 press. Its. leadership was indispehsa-
 ble in any concerted action. He con-
 cluded: We want the assistance of the press in fulfilling our mission. We
 welcome straightforward criticism, and if we find cur politics are dsap-
 proved by the general public. we can not and will not remain in office"
 The Doshikai party which holds l the majority of the governm ental forces in the House. of Representa- lives has adopted resolution pledg- ing it's whole-hearted support to the
 new Okuma Ministry. The resolution was proposed by Baron Kato, the .ex- Foreign Minister, who is the leader l of the party.
 The Seiyukaf, or opposition party,
 has pledged itself to hostility on the ground that the Okuma cabinet should be held responsible for the
 bribery scandal and orP the ground that by the withdrawal of his resig-
 nation Count Okuma "has destroyed the fundamental principles of the constitution.'' wi