The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08

| Ht NISlIOIS W tIc SIdSSlSdl dSSOClt
ham-Southern college at lunch
tween the United States and Great
Britain, and that Japan would act In
harmony with them"
Having disposed of this. I asked
the premier of Japan the question l
| had come to propound: Would he be
| willing to participate in another con-
ference for still further reduction Of
naval ornaments and also of military
force?
The sailor statesman gave the mat
ter an instant's consideration, then:
1.-THE naval appropriation has been
made for the year, and that shows
that we have begun already. There
is point that can be reached in re-
duction when it becomes a doubtful
question and difficult of accomplish
ment. If Japan is invited to such a
conference, she will not hesitate to
accept and discuss the matter, if
| there Is a way out for further reduc-
ton in armed forces. Japan will
gladly join with the nations in any
discussions toward this end"
He Foresees Women Voters.
The premier considered the next
question most seriously. I had been
told that rarely If ever had he given
native, on political or other subjects.
/ was prepared for flippancy; instead
[ found a serious consideration of the
question: when will the Japanese
women become active in politics and
i hold public offices?"
| II think it will come, and may
come soon" was the surprising an
swer. Already a certain section Of
women are claiming recognition, and
it is Inevitable that in the future we
| shall Have women In franchise and in
politics."
DO you think it will be a good
thing?"
That is not the question" said the
leader of Japan. whether it will be
good OR whether 1t will be bad. it Is
going to happen. 1t is natural with
the changing times 1t cannot be
helped. We shall adjust ourselves
to it."
There is a charming little Baroness
| Kato, who belongs to the old school.
She is not foreign trained, nor does
she speak English, and l wondered
I what her answer would have been
to such question.
If anyone doubts the rapid develop
ment of the democratic idea in Japan
and the swift transition in a few
years, the above speech of the pre-
mer will cause him to stop. look
and listen
| O O o
The Forces Behind Him.
In order to understand the full sig
| nificance of his remarks little
| memory canter around the Japanese
! political ring may be useful
| When Premier Hara was assassi-
mated, all international power cen
tered upon Baron Kato, who headed
the Japanese delegation to Washing
ton for the Conference on Disarma-
ment. The other members of the dele
| cation were Prince Tokugawa, presi-
| dent of the House of Peers (and the
! last of the great Shogunate), who
| was obliged to resign on account of
| illness. and Baron Shidehara. the
| Japanese ambassador to the United
States, whose place was taken by
| Masumao Hanihara, now vice MIN
| lister of foreign affairs.
! Premier Hara felt that Japanese
| affairs were in the best of hands at
| Washington under Baron Kato. and
| when the hand of a misguided youth
terminated the Hara administration,
| Baron Kato became the virtual as
| well as nominal shaper of Japanese
| policy
With the fall of Takahashi gov
| eminent last May, great step was
! made in breaking through hamper.
| ing traditions and electing Admiral
Kato as premier.
| He is a member of the naval party
! and therefore conservative. He was
trained along English lines, whereas
| the military party has of late years
received its training along German
lines.
kato Braves Resentment.
Admiral Baron Kato advocated the
| five-power treaty for naval disarma-
| ment, in spite of the strong resent
| ment by some against his liberal at
81; lit
This position was Endorsed by his
| appointment as premier. How far
has he really made good on his plat
+, form?
There is no doubt that he has
struggled against great odds in at
| tempting to put into effect naval
| reduction program, as well as mill
| tary reduction, botn of which receive
the hearty endorsement of the people
but have the powerful alignment
against them of the two big parties,
| the military and the naval
Material reductions have been
made according to the current budget
which put the next fiscal years
| total of both revenue and eXpendi-
| ture at 1850, 100000 yen ($651, 900 0O)
or a decrease Of $56.5O0.00O as COM
pared with the previous budget
New appropriations contained $21,
900. 900 for the revised sinking fund
! system, $5,500.000 for increased rip
arian expenditure, ana a $4,000, 900
i increase in the state educational sub
sidy. The reduction or abolition Of
taxes reduced the state revenue by
$1,000, 900 while the money saved by
the limitation of ornaments and by
administrative REIMBURSEMENT was
given as sS5.5O0,Q00 and $32,6oo, 900
| respectively.
! o o O
Radicals Displeased.
The public press complained that
the budget was drawn up largely
along military lines and that re-
| trenchment was not effected on a
sufficiently large scale. The war Of
flee and the navy department appro-
priations constituted a little over a
third of the whole.
The wealth of Japan is one-twelfth
! that of the United States and her
! army expenditure last year was. pro-
portionately, nearly 200 per cent
larger.
While the outlook is not satisfac-
tory to a radical Of the Diet like
| d. Tagawa, who even goes so far as
| to advocate self-government for Ko-
rea and Formosa. it at least shows
| that the Kato ministry is rolling Its
| tub" in the right direction.
In passing. one might pause to