Evening star., 1924-02-14
Oxford Club, Razed by Fire,
Among Britain's Most Famous

matter how much abreast and even in
advance they may be Of our western
civilization. When there is a railroad
accident anywhere on the network Of
railroads which criss-c the islands
ton considers 1t his duty to rip open his
abdomen according to the most approved
Of ancient rules of hara-k kiri, or dIsem-
bowelment, practiced since time imme-
mortal by his ancestors: lucky. indeed.
when he does not endeaver to atone for
a misadventure for which he was in no
way to blame by throwing himself un-
der the wheels Of locomotive.
Japan, now some eighteen years ago.
when a Japanese warship ran upon the
rocks on the Manchurian shore and
was called upon by several Muscovite
cruisers which bea end upon
der. the flag was nailed to the mast and
then the officers and men by way Of
squaring themselves In the eyes Of their
ancestors made their atonement for the
the sailors before the mast blowing their
own brains out or those Of their mess
mates while the commissioned officers.
being men of petty noble birth, with one
accord barred their stomachs and dis
emboweied themselves in true old samu-
raj fashion.
\ X X
Shortly before Christmas when an
unsuccessful attempt was made at
Toxic by a crazy student to assassi-
nate the crown prince. who was also
the prince regent, the entire Yamo-
moto cabinet resigned and persisted
in refusing to continue In Office, al
though entreated to do SO by the
crown prince. Count Yamomoto and
they were responsible for the outrage,
and that such a thing should not
have happened, and could not have
happened, II the government had been
doing its work properly and efficient
ly. 1t persisted in the view that hav-
ing failed In its duty il was unworthy
therefore Of further confidence, add
ing that, moreover, this failure on
it's part to adequately protect the
heir apparent was nothing less than
a crime of the deepest dye, as the
person Of the prince regent Is sacred
and divine. This contention was
thoroughly. understood and appre-
ciated by their countrymen, and Wis.,
formed a cabinet composed exclu-
sively of members OF the house of
lords. This aroused the members OF
the Lover house nes,;vs ana ,rv OF 'as
stitutional. and a fight which many
believe will eventually culminate in
a revolution has started against the
premier, Viscount Kiyoura, and the
house Of lords. The popular party
adherents in the upper chamber Of
the national legislature. including
Viscount Takahashi, former prime
minister and one of the most emil
nent financiers of the empire, who
bility and descended into the role OF
commoner, IN order to give free
vent in parliament to his views about
the unconstitutional action Of the ad-
ministration. The ex-viscount speaks
personality and does not recall his
life In America with unmitigated
pleasure. For he spent many years
here, held virtually as a slave by the
western American who had promised
created a great sensation in Japan.
It was the first time that any such
thing had taken place and there
tion Of a peerage Other peers have
joined the ex-vlscount Takatash in
abandoning his hereditary honors.
and there has been for instance the
Marquis Of Tokogawa (formerly the
feudal lord OF Nagoya and head Of
one of the branches of the historic
house Of Tokogawa, which through
out 400 years monopolized all the
temporal power In Japan, leaving
the imperial family with merely the
ecclesiastical honors), who, denounc-
ing the Kiyoura government of peers
as unconstitutional. insisted that the
attempt to administer the empire by
such means could not fall to bring
out q bloody revolution.
That tho condition Of affairs in
the great island empire of the orient
is very critical and that a popular
rebellion is on the cards Is generally
admitted by those who know Japan
well. But It will be = revolution
not against the prince regent or
against his throne, both Of. which are
regarded a. semi: i:divine and. there
fore, sacred, but It. Will be. an aris-
ing. against the KAyoura ministry
and against the house Of lords and
is certain to spread.