The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-09-10
JAPAN.

1t would be we'll if a few essential facts
could be substituted in American minds for
vague concepts about Japan.
Japan consists of about four thousand is
/ lands, of which about 500 are inhabited The
rest are mere rocks. The five main islands
are Hondo mistakenly called Nippon)
which has an area Of about $500 square
miles and whose greatest breadth is less than
200 miles; Yezo, with an area of $4,000
square miles, Kiushu, 1900 square miles;
FOrmosa, $4,000 square miles, and Shikoku,
1000 square miles The area of the japan
csc empire is 259,671 square miles, or less
than that of Texas. The population is about
| 55,000,000, or more than half that of the
United States.
Japan is mostly mountains and valleys,
with numerous small plains. Extending
through 80 degrees of latitude its climate,
of course, is diverse. Sixty per cent. of the
population is engaged in agriculture though
only II per cent. of the area is under cult
walton. The farmer class is held in high es-
TEEN. Rice and fish are the principal foods.
irrigation is necessary practically every
where for rice. A considerable part of the
crop goes into sake, the national fermented
drink. Artificial fertilization is general The
land is held mostly by those who work it,
and the average holding is about one acre
The land tax is heavy, reaching SIS per
cent. after the Russo-Japanese war.
The national government is acquiring the
railroads, and already owns a large part of
them. The average passenger rate per mile
has been about 60 cents. The merchant ma
rlne is large, and is subsidized LACQUER
work, pottery, textiles and mining are prin-
clpal businesses, though the mineral wealth
OF the islands is in some respects deficient
The government is a constitutional mon
archy, formed somewhat on the German
basis, but trending steadily toward demo-
cratization.
The present constitution was promulgated
IN 1889. The premier presides over the
imperial cabinet. The government consists
OF the cabinet, the privy council and the
nine ministries. The mikado is more of q
hgurehead than is generally recognized and
IN the past the real power has been held
mostly by the group of "elder Statement"
This group has largely controlled the selec-
ton of premiers and has exercised much of
the imperial prerogative. The diet, which
meets annually and controls policies and ex-
pendltures that are not fixed by the consti-
tuition, consists of two houses. The upper
house is made up of peers, few men chos-
en- by the mlkado because of their services
to the state or their scholarly attainment
and a handful of the heaviest TAXPAYERS
The lower house is elected by male suffrage,
there being one member for each 1862
of population in 1914 The suffrage REQUIRE
u,
he show residence in his district Of at least
one year and that he pay at least $5 an
nually of direct taxes.
The political struggle to make the minis
tries responsible to the diet instead of the
sovereign has been Waged for some years
and the strength Of the movement has grown
remarkably. In 1908 the liberals obtained
an absolute majority in the house, a posi-
ton of predominance that no party or fac
ton had ever attained before In 1913 the
house passed against the Katsura ministry
vote of no confidence, and when the diet
was prOrOgued public demonstrations COM
PEELED the retirement of Katsura Admiral
Yamamota succeeded to the premiership,
but fell in consequence of the naval scandal.
That scandal connected japanese officials
with agents of German armament firms.
Count Okuma followed Yamamoto as pre-
mier.
Universal compulsory military service
prevails. The Japanese standing army in
peace time is not great, but can be sweled
rapidly by the addition of thoroughly train
ed reserves, and the total military man pow
er available in war is estimated at $780,
600 or somewhat more.
Freedom of speech and of religion is guar
anteed ShintOsm, Buddhism and Christian
ity are the principal religions, and there is
no state church.
The food riots reported last month in
Japan indicate, among other things, that
the Japanese are by no means unthinking
subjects, with no conception Of their rights
and no means of executing redress for
wrongs. There has been important and out
spoken difference Of opinion as to such vital
government projects as the throwing of
troops into Siberia.