Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-19
BY r. T. S.
sr..,.J rorrssuondan, Of Great Falls Tribune

Suecjal CORRESPONDENT OF nfeat ava 'i'oo""
Copyright 1871 The Great FAILS tribune
Washington. Dec. 1S.-Although she
NAV never fire shot in anger, the
fame of the battleship Mutsu VIII hVs
long after the names of the valiant
craft of Jelico and Beatty. that turn
ed the Germans back at Jutiand, are
forgotten. The Mutsu will be hanoed
down in history for the gallant part
she played in the naval battle at
Washington. when, escaping the
Hughes torpedo aimed directly at her,
she was allowed to live and reign for
goodly time as queen of the Pacific
It is not difficult to understand the
compelling argument the Japanese
made for this greatest naval vessel
quite apart from any question OF naval
ratios or the sacrifices the japanese
people have made to provide the money
necessary for the Matsus construc-
ton. The Mutsu to japan is more than
hattleship. She is a symbol. She
stands for the transformation OF Japan
| from backward isolated nation INTO
world power of the first magnitude
the treaty companion of the three
great white powers of the world today.
The japanese sentiment which at
! taches to the Mutsu may be better
understood when it is recalled that
| she is named for the great emperor
Mutsu Hito, who reigned supreme from
| 1867 to 1912, and who in 1858 over
threw the Shogunate, which had ruled
the country for more than 700 years.
1t was during the reign of Mutsu
Hito that Japan made her real prog
ress as n ration and that national
constitution was promulgated. Mutsu
Vera Of enlightenment" in Japan and
This funeral cortege in 1912 was wit
messed by 100000 people. The late
Senator Knox, at that time secretary
Of state under President Taft, repre-
scented the United States at the OBJ
seauies. The emperor Youshito, who
abdicated the throne recently in favor
of the regency of Prince Hirohito. was
the son of Emperor Mutsu Hito and
| Princess Ianigawara, one OF the eight
prineesses of noble blood who Joined
the household of Mutsu lIito when it
was realized no peace could be expect
!. ed of Haruko. the empress. To the
Japanese the Mutsu is a personality
and not mere thing of steel.
The new tariff bill, when it comes
from the finance committee of the
senate within the next days. will be
utterly and entirely hereft of sched-
ule X. 1t will confirm about every
| other letter in the alphabet, put n
will be avoided as scrupulously as
h ins gray graveyard in the dark Of the
moon. One would scarcely suspect
that the leaders of the Grand Old Re
publican Party are superstitious. But
| they are.
Men like Joe Fordney of the house
and Boise Penrose of the senate are
commonly known perhaps a as hard hard.
headed. If one could purposely grope
| for a word after the manner Of Mr..
| Balfour. he would hesitate after that
| adjective "hard" long enough to con-
vey to the audience the impression that
what he really was about to say was
''hard boiled"
Nevertheless, these old politicians Of
house and senate, and most of their
associates, as well, while they prob
ably would scout the idea that there
| is anything in superstition while they
might sit with equanimlty at dinner
OF is. while they might walk without