Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11
BY THEODORE e. BURTON.
Former Senator From Ohio.

fuence in Japan rests with
men over eighty years old. In China.
when the legislative assembly first
met. it developed that there was no
provision for temporary presiding
officer. and by unanimous consent the
oldest member was selected.
There are a half dozen grand old
men who have been in the front rank
among the makers of modern Japan.
First place in prominence must be
assigned unquestionably to Prince
Yamagata. eighty-two years of age
on April %.
Among public men of recent years
Bismarck alone held place of sim
liar eninence in shaping the desti-
MES of his country. Fighting for the
emperor against the Shogunate in
1868, Yamagata became lieutenant
general and minister of war nearly
fifty years ago. He has been chief of
staff and held various cabinet posi-
lions. such as war. home affairs.
agriculture and commerce. justice
also, and has been twice prime min
lister. He is now the leading member
of the Genro, or elder statesmen.
president of the privy council. rank
ing field marshal and member Of the
house of peers. The whole official cir
Gle Of Japan. military. naval and civil,
ewarms with proteges of his. To his
credit it must be said that this stout
old warrior and hero of many con,
f1fcts favors peace and the Industrial
development of Japan. though always
insisting upon strong army anu
navy for DEFENSE
Matsukata and His % Children.
still older than he. and also MEM
Der of the privy council since l9oS
and one of the elder statesmen, Is
Marquis Matsukata,. prime minister
lis achievements as finance minister
and in the establishment of the gold
standard He has been called the BIS
marck of Japan. In stature ne Is 2
giant among his countrymen. II Is
related that when asked the numoer
of his children by the emperor, he
replied that he must make an enum-
Grafton. Twenty-Five was the answer.
Six of his sons are regarded as
worthy Of biographies in the Japanese
srwho's Who" The marquis was quite
cosmopolitan in selecting coi!eges LOT
prominent graduated at Yale. another
studied at Harvard. third at the
University of Pennsylvania, stiil an
other at Brussels. and two others IN
England and Germany.
Next to these may be mentionea
as well as minister of finance ana OF
foreign affairs, formerly pronounced
liberal to whose change of front re-
garding homage due to the emperor
reference has been made IN anotner
of these articles. He was the Iounoer
waseda University. the leading rival
of the Imperial University. NOW
eiehty-two years of age and with
leg shattered by bomb, ne makes
the jocular remark that he expects TO
live to be $50.
ter fifty years ago, but turned aside
from politics to finance and 1ndustr1at
enterprise. He has been called the ).
p. Morgan of Japan, and his ADVICE is
ings. Friendship for America is with
him almost a passion. In his once
there are two elegant silk flags. that
Of Japan and the Stars and stripes.
placed one against the other. He has
been a constant advocate of co-opera.
tion between Japan and the United
States, and has urged joint invest
ments on the continent of Asia. Thick
set and broad shouldered. of re-
markable physique. his more than
eighty years rest Ngnty upon mn;
Last September he earnestly discussed
from II one morning until in the
afternoon the question of relations be-
tween the United States and Japan.
and at o'clock in the evening at
tended dinner. where he displayed
the freshness and vigor OF young
man.
Okura Another Grand Old Man.
Baron Okura, another Of the grand
old men of Japan. recollects vividly
coming from the country to Toxic,
then called Yeddo. in 1855. and see
ing Commodore Perry carried through
the streets in palanquin. He Is one
Of the wealthiest men Of Japan, the
head Of a great trading organization.
and was the pioneer in the introduce
ton of the electric light. He gath
cred an art collection in which Japan,
ed, the finest of it's kind in the world
and valued at $5,000.000. which several
years since he donated, with an en-
dowment, to the City of Toxic.
Last of the big six is Marquis Sal
onji, a general in command Of the
forces in 1868, but since then Journal
3st. diplomat cabinet minister and ell
der statesman. He alone of the elder
group studied abroad. spending ten
years at Paris. Later he was ambas-
sador, both at Vienna and Berlin, and
is thorough student of political in
stitutions. One of the delegates to
the peace conference. he delivered an
address on his return, which for
friendly relations with other nations
deserves most cordial approval in the
United States
Younger Group I'm Japan.
It is characteristic of the younger
group that most of them studied
abroad and brought home with them
an infusion of occidental ideas.
First among them should be men
toned Mr.. Hara, plain Mr.. Hara. an
untitled commoner and the first pre-
rnier from outside the families which
have furnished the ruling class. His
overthrow has been threatened. for 1t
is indeed difficult for prime minister
radical element demanding drastic
changes as we'll as the militaristic and
bureaucratic forces. Whether premier
or not his influence will be potent. for
he Is a shrewd politician and skill
full leader. He asserts that one OF his
principal aims is to render the civilian
authorities superior to the military
both in the colonies and at home.
Associated with him in the cabinet Is
Baron Takahashi. minister of finance
once a teacher. later banker. promi-
nent in negotiating loans and in finan-
cial trasactions for many years past
He became closely associated with
Jacob Schiff. to whose care he in
trusted his daughter on the occasion
of Mr.. Schiff's visit to Japan some
tasks is to explain why the admins
tration does not remedy the high cost
of living
Another member of the privy coun-
ell is Baron Maxine. diplomat and one
of the most intelligent and able pub.
lie men in Japan. More than forty
years ago, when only seventeen years
OF age. he was undersecretary in the
foreign Office and has been associated
with the government as minister al
home or ambassador abroad practi-
cally ever since. With Marquis SaionJ