Evening star., 1922-02-26
DIGEST OF FOREIGN PRESS
: the frs

600 occupation expenses for the first
year in French stock.
THE era of state finance recon
struction had begun" he continues
"Rothschild's Bank alone had nego-
tiated loans between 1915 and 1876
with the five European great powers
for 1.250.900,oo0 francs.
What Ouvrard had foreseen came
. to pass. France was able to consoll,
date the whole of her war debt and
free herself from the burden of a
long occupation; the allied powers
were able to satisfy their most press
ing financial necessities and start re-
, constructions: the stock exchange re-
followed by the fresh business life;
through the holy alliance a modera-
ton Of the hatred toward France was
brought about by the fact that the
community of former enemy powers
and their citizens, the English ship
owners. the German business men,
the Russian landowners, now possess
ed French stock and were consequent
ly interested In the prosperity OIL
their former opponent.
Just the last point was perhaps
the finest in the whole Of Ouvrard's s
combination.
And today, just as a hundred years
ago and as ever in history. the world
needs individualities who try to
solve problems by new or long-for-
lar way.
Prince Yamagata, Maker Of Japan.
LoNDON.-The Toxic correspond
ent Of the Times telegraphs the fol-
lowing concerning Prince Yamagata's
career:
"The scenes which have attended the
closing days of Prince Yamagata's life
have served to reveal the hold that
this outstanding figure Of Japanese
modern life has upon the nation. The
story has often been told how Yama-
gata, when Commodore Perry's black
ships arrived of the coast, placed his
sword between his teeth and swan
out to attack the hated invader single
| handed. This story is apocryphal,
doubtless, but it strikingly illustrates
F; the character of the man who. per-
haps. was the chief directing figure
of Japanese policies for over a period
| Of half a century, and. owing to the
peculiar position OF the country
| during the Meiji era. was. with such
| men as Ito and Inouye. the sole di-
, recting brain under the emperor.
when Yamagata returned from
, his European tour in the early
70's he made one recommendation fol-
| lowing what he saw in Europe
namely. the adoption of universal
military service. This was the be-
| ginning of the huge military machine
! which exists today and of which
Yamagata was repeatedly chief of the
| general staff Discipline was inbred
| In him, and this instinct made him
| impatient of so-called representative
government and extremely contemp-
| tuous of parliamentary institutions.
| 1t is not an easy task to assign to
Yamagata his just place I'm the trans
! formation of modern Japan. but one
| may assert that no serious political
move has been made in recent times
| without YamagRta's consent
| 1--WE are not longer in the Meiji era,
when 1t would have meant destruc-
| ton in Japan for statesman to be
guided by the national sentiment in
| his relations with foreign powers.
| But nothing was more natural and
| appropriate in Japan than the pre-
! eminence Of statesmen OF the type of
| Yamagata. They are the makers of
i Japan: in their hands had lain the
| power that very few statesmen of
any country had wielded-a power
| almost uncontrolled. 1t Is in accord
| with the best sentiment of the Japa-
| nese people that the wise and eN-
perienced should be heard. and who
4 was wiser and more experienced than
| the soldier who for sixty years play
| ed q manful part in the great battle
Of Japan for the right Of national
! indspendence?