Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

trenchment was not effected on a suf-
ficiently large scale The war office
| and the navy department appropri-
atoms constituted little over a
third of the whole
X x x
THE wealth of Japan is one
l. twelfth that Of the United States
and her army expenditure last year
was. proportionately, nearly 200 per
cent larger.
While the outlook is not satisfac-
tory to a radical of the Diet like d.
IagaWa, who even goes SO far as to
advocate self-government for Korea
and Formosa, it at least shows that
the kato ministry is rolling it's tub
in the right direction.
In passing, one might pause to
wonder how much of a shake-up in
economic conditions would follow the
relegation TO private life of a large
| number of soldiers and sailors In
Japan the economic pressure is great
! and women are going into industry
increasingly.
But why worry about the other
mans burden, one may ask? Because
Japan is a big political factor today
and is by no means being lost in the
international melting pot.
So far as possible, the provisions of
the nine-power treaty, as We'll as the
lve-power treaty, have been followed
out. Nippon is getting out of Shantung
and is out of Siberia. The diplomatic
relations between Japan and the United
States are proceeding along the lines
of mutual understanding and agree
ment, and if some unfortunate accident
does not remove the present far-sighted
and clear-visioned man who is guiding
the Japanese ship of state. the good
effects of the Washington conference
will DE felt even more in the interests
of international harmony and under
standing.
Japan's business world is fully alive
to the necessity for a constructive, in
dustrial and economic adjustment. Its
national activities are in a state of vio-
lent transition from an agricultural to
an industrial basis. and a broader edu-
cation is giving new Japan (the man
and the woman in the street, an inter-
national rather than an insular national
point of view.
Even as the clutch of the elder states
| men has relaxed through change and
death, the clutch of the two great mill
tary parties must be removed from the
! throat of Japan's prosperity.
This will be changed by the volume
, OF public opinion. which more and more
is forcing its will upon the ancient pre-
negatives of the ruling class. Japan is
becoming democratiZed in spite of it's
| imperial family. which presents a
curious anomaly as there is no hint of
popular disloyalty. This is doubtless
due In part to the fact that the en-
peror has always been concerned with
| the welfare of his humblest subjects,
and there are many indications point
ing to an ultimate adjustment between
ruler and ruled, such as has been effect
ed in the British empire.
Y X X
4 r no time have the actual political
"A policies been so directly vested in
the premier as today, and Baron kato.
by virtue of his equipment, training
and background. has been driving the
unruly forces forward with a strong
hand.
The other two great parties in Japan
are the kensei-kai and the Kokumin-
to. These last are the liberals and
new men," as the socialists prefer to
be called. Not having been member
Of either of the political parties, Kato
has been able to effect a coalition, al
though the press insists the premier
favors the Seiya-kai.
Powerful Inducements are svirling
around hin-military. naval and social
istic. One may hope, for the people of
Japan and of the world, that the pre-
mier will not be like the young man
who was discovered by friend alone
in a big hotel When asked why he
was so sad, he said he was on his
honeymoon; that he hadn't enough
money for two, so he was obliged to
take it by himself.