The Washington times., 1915-04-21

the several gentlemen who have just
been elected to parliament on no party
platform, but upon the mere declara-
ton that they will support Count
Okuma's ministry. They are grouped
In the election lists as 'okuma sup
porters, and constitute quite a group.
The Chief Parties.
1t is hardly worth while under such
circumstances to attempt a differentia-
ton Of the various parties. The leading
government organization Is the Doshikai
the constitutional government party.
II is reported, however, that some OF lts
leaders are already planning q deserioii
and the organization Of a new party. IL
IL Is done IL will be on personal GROUNDS
and nothing else.
There Is talk that the government VIII
attempt to head OFF this movement py
some kind of active repression OF the
leaders of 1t. despite the fact that they
have just been elected as Doshikai
There is another little party, called
and ubiquitous -ozakl, formerly mayor Of
Tokyo, who was needed In the Okuma
ministry but declined to go along with
| the Doshikia organization and so found-
ed one OF his own.
This general election was held. tech
nically, because the Soiyukal had ma
| jority in the last parliament and de-
| fcated the government on the proposl-
ton to increase the army by two d.
visions.
This was q popular cry OF opposition.
For Japan Is hard up. there Is no doubt
Of that The war IN Europe has MT TINS
country quite as hard as 1t hit the
United States and In much the same
manner.
Industries of Nation.
The chief Industry of Japan Is silk
France is one of its chef markets for
s!k The war has had just the Same
kind OF effect on the japanese silk mar
ket that 1t had on American cotton
and the Japanese government has beer
wrestling with the same kind OF cry
for help from the silk producers thai
| our government has had to deal with
from the cotton men OF the South And
| this government has not made any more
| effective response to that appeal thar
ours did to the cry of the cotton men.
Moreover. one OF the special lines oi
profit III Japan is furnished by tho
tourists. who in ordinary years fiocf
through these treaty ports. Some idea
of the disruption OF that trade may b,
had from the fact that the register o
one of the principal hotels OF this sec
tion shows a page beginning witt
the bottom with March le. When Il
takes thirteen days to All single pas'
OF the re gister Of that hotel 1t is not {
case Of bad business, 1t Is case o.
no business at all.
tnder these circumstances opposition
10 the government based on a demand
for economy was mighty popular. ano
the adverse vote was secured. Coun
And in the campaign that has just end
cd he adroitly outfanked the opposi
ton. The two division question wa
completely sidetracked.
Materially the diplomatic situation
with China. growing out OF the Jap
anese demands on that country. fur
nished an excellent substitute for thu
two proposed new divisions of the army
But in the main the campaign argu
ments were about other matters. Thu
impression has been created skillfull!
that the demands on China are stiff AM
far reaching. But the foreign Office ha
been able TO maintain such mystery ant
secrccy' about them that nobody seem
10 know really what they are. AM
they may easily turn out to be Gar les!
drastic than has been imagined.
Purely Personal Appeal.
A tremendous effort was made t.
force them to conclusion before til
election. but that failed, and then re
sort was had to the purely personal ap
peal by Count Okuma and the member
OF the government
Now the government Is OF course, jus
titled In contending that IT has beel
sustained by the country, both as TO tn
two divisions and as to Its demands o.
China. The general expectation Is, how
ever. that there will be no immcdiat
effort for increase OF the army, al
though that may be renewed at mex
winters session.
1t ls also expected that the Chimes
negotiations will be concluded soon. an
that the result will be announced an
fully explained. That situation Is be
coming more acute in one sense be
= cause Of the growing boycott on Jar
, anese goods by the Chinese.
China Is Japan's chief customer. an
; a boycott of that kind can be made c1
tremely effective. Coming at tim
when JaDanese industry Is sufferin