Evening star., 1920-02-08
GOVERNMENT IN JAPAN
CENTERS IN EMPEROR
Constitution Based on Germany s-Party
Rule Does Not Exist-Army-
Navy Influence Great.
RY THEODORE f. BURTON,
Former senator From Ohio.

ME government of Japan is
paternnl more autocratic in
the pow"r of her emperor and
ruling class than any of
prominence now existing. The sys-
tenn of bureaucracy is firmly estab-
lished end as Cominant as that OF
Germany under the kaiser. A cabi
net was instituted in 1868 1t now
has nine members. There is a diet or
congress. first convened in 1890. con-
! sistlng OF house of peers with 313
members. which is similar to the Eng
! lish house of lords before it was shorn
of its powers: also house of repre-
| sentatives of 3S1 members, chosen
every four years.
Neither the diet nor the cabinet has
the influence which belongs &c similar
bodies in popular governments. The
ministers of war and of navy must be
selected from officers of these respec.
tive branches oe the public seryice.
and usually the wishes # the military
element have prevailed in shaping al:
policies, both domestic and foreign.
These conditions are not without
abundant reasons. In the present and
each of the last two decades Japan
! has engaged in successful wars. That
of 1S9495 determined the relative
positions of China and Japan in the
far east. That of 1904-O5 between
Japan and Russia involved the very
existence of Japan against the en-
croachment of Caucasian power
which was seeking to extend it's
sway, and already had far surpassed
all other countries in the area of it's
possessions, both in Europe and in
Asia. For the first time in centuries
an Asiatic power defeated a Euro
pean. The war of 1915 drove Ger
many out of China and gave Japan a
further hold on that country.
The opinion is general in Japan
due to the prowess of her army and
navy in these contests and that to
maintain and improve her place in
the sun she must rely upon these
essential sources of strength. This
involves an almost universal feeling
of gratitude to soldiers and sailors as
a class, and to individual heroes as
| we'll. In addition to this formidable
| array of obligations to soldiers in
! foreign wars there is another set of
obligations to a considerable num-
| Der OF survivors who in 1867 and
| later years took part in the over
throw of the shoguEate, a feudal
oligarchy which entirely overshadow-
| ed the authority of the emperor. The
| restoration Of the emperor to power
inaugurated new form of rule
| which all now recognize as essential
| to greater japan.
| German influence In Japan.
| Japan has a constitution which
many have eulogized, but it is pal
pable mAnomer to compare it with
! institutions in the occidental world.
+! True. under a benevolent emperor and
! a well meaning bureaucracy the wel-
fare of every rank of society may
be safeguarded, and, as stated by a
leading member of the house of rep
T, resentatives, with the consent of the
l
| tablished. These. however. would be
| gifts of grace from the powers that
| be and not rights to be asserted un-
! der popular rule.
1t will be profitable to examine the
circumstances under which this con-
| stitution was framed and it's leading
provisions. In pursuance of promise
of a constitution by the late Emperor
Mutuhito a commission was appointed
| in 1882 to visit foreign countries and
study their institutions. Prince Ito
| one of the ablest Japanese statesmen
took a leading part in determining its
provisions. In preparing the instru-
ment while he visited the United
States, England and Belgium. his
longest stay was in Prussia. and mis-
most careful attention was given to
the suggestions of Otto Won Bismarck.
| Bismarck by this time had realized
| the growing difficulty of securing ma
jorities in the reichstag and was more
than ever axerse to lodging power in
| the legislative branch.
!: A drafting commission Was convened
| at Toxic in 1884, which was attached
| to the imperial household department
and conducted its deliberations in Sc
cret under strong reactionary influ-
ences. The constitution was not made
effective until 1889. The result of their
action. as stated by Mr.. Uyehara. now
a member of the Japanese diet, was a
document embodying Japanese tradi-
tional political principles under the
cloak of representative institutions.
Prince Ito in his commentaries on the
constitution says: "The sacred throne
of japan is inherited from the i'm
perial ancestors and is to be be-
oueathed to posterity. In it resides
the power to reign over and govern
the state. All the different
legislative as well as the executive
mowers of state by which he reigns
over the cohntry and governs the peo-
n,e are united in this most exalted
parsonage"
Theoeratic Government.
The constitution of Japan begins
with the declaration: 'The empire Of
Jauan shall be reigned over by line
of emperors unbroken for ages eter-
nal" The following are among pro-
visions in the first section: "The en-
peror is sacred and inviolable"; the
emneror exercises legislative power
with the consent of the imperial diet"
He has also supreme command of the
army and navy and determines the Or
ganization and peace standing of each.
1.-The emperor declares war. makes