The New York herald., 1922-01-15
Passing Of the Makers Of New Japan
Yamagata Organizer of the Army, Nearly the Last of
the Young Men Called the Fifty-6ve Creators.
By WILLIAM ELLIOT cRIFFIs Pioneer Educator japan.


What and who led Japan out Of
medieval hermitage into modernism
Some Americans think that we did II
all. In reality Commodore Perry only
touched the button. The rivet heads
were just ready to fly when he arrived.
Instead OF explosion there was formed
new resultant of forces that first
brought "the hermit In tho market
place." verifying a native proverb. and
then made Japan a world Power.
Passing over 160 years of intellec-
tual preparation through the Oyomei-
ragmatic-philosoph apart
from all events the work of success
sion OF teachers explains most. Against
the impersonality OF the feudal system.
already thousand years old. stand In
relief mighty personalities. greater than
the figureheads Of rank and office. We
name out of the fifty-fve creators of
modern Japan. only three. Yoshida.
Yokoi, Verbeck.
As early as 1850 Yoshida urged mod
ern reform Of the military and national
defenses against European aggression.
In 1853. with blistered hands from un-
accustomed rowing. he stood at mid
night on the deck OF the U. 8. s. Mis-
sissippi. knowing only one English word.
America"
Perry. as IN honor bound, delivered hin,
up. Sentenced to domiciliary conf1ne-
ment. Yoshida made his house uni
versity and taught Ito. Inouye. Yama-
gaia and others. Later. decapitated at
the blood pit ON a charge of treason
treason which was really reforru-he
left a score Of other heads In life and
action.
Yamagata chose the soldiers and the
other pupils the civilians career. Yokoi,
after educating a generation Of intellec-
tuals and men OF affairs, sent his
nephews to America. twin van leaders
OF mighty host. OF Ito and Inouye
we know.
In brilliant cavalry charge against
the reactionary army from Yedo Yama-
gaia won. After tasting bombardment
at Shimonoseki in 1864-by 1900 men,
fourteen ships Of war and 240 guns. Of
four nations. Great Britain, France
Holland and the United States--the
Choshiu clan made coalition with Sat-
suma, Hizen and Tosa. They captured
Kioto and then had the god in the box,
the deus ex machina, the boy MIkado
to legitimate their claims and take over
the new treaties, with also the profits
Of foreign trade.
| While Yamagata in the civil war sub.
dued the castles Of the northern barons
with brilliant Scott's tactics and mod
ern American rifles and cannon, Yoko
sat In council in Kioto, helping these
young fellows to create q modern gov
ernment. such as Townsend Harris hao
warned them they must soon have
Oxuma, verbeck's star pupil. was among
the first in the Office or Foreign Affairs.
So out from the sacred seclusion OF
the Ninefold Circle of Flowers. as Kiotc
was called. in tho face Of the determined
resistance of old time knights. the MI
lsado was brought to Yedo. now called
Toxic. or Eastern Capital.
Then entered the army OF allen ex.
perts from many lands, the writer be.
! ing first to arrive. Up went the tele'
graph and down was laid the railroad
In chimneyless, charcoal burning Japa'
nese cities rose forests OF tall chin
neys. The coasts blossomed with bea
cons and lighthouses. Out from mines
abandoned because of inrushing water
after dynamite and steam pumps hat
begun their work, gushed floods Of slusf
and rose mountains of Stag. Ten thou
sand hammers sounded the chorus o.
the shipbuiider's triurphs. An Aneri
can missionary invented the 1inrikisha
Another proposed an embassy round th'
world. The first of more than So,00'
public. private. trade and vocationa
schools opened their doors.
| In vain the Ruskins protested. Flu
tilely the wearcrs Of swords and silks
non -taxpaying knights Of the old orde
who could bully tho common people ant
| for fun shear off beggars' limbs o
heads. got up their rebellions. The nev
men Of the new Japan persevered. Ito'
motto. Get 1t done and let them growl,
was followed.
Now came the turn Of the reforner
to let the sword fall In one case MIN
reactionary rebels. two ex-studcnts from
America among them, lfnelt at the bloo'
pit.
But what, in 1871. were the younI
men. afterward Elder Statesmen. thel
with no national army. navy or treas
ury. to do with the 500 castle lords an
a half million non-taxpaying knight
and pensioners? What but abolish tn