Evening star., 1925-12-06
DEMOCRATIC IDEALS DEEP
E. ROOTED In SOIL OF JAPAN
Ambassador Matsudaira Traces Events
Leading to Birth of Constitu-
tiOnal Government.
BY TSUNEO MATSUDAIRA,>
Japanese Ambassador to the United
States.

Ni1E United States and Japan
are both fortunate at the
present time in the fact that
Il there is no issue in interna-
tional relations which is likely
10 require from either of them "a set
Hefnent beyond the ordinary scope a<ii
ablllty of diplomacy. For that reason
YOU will probably expect of me this
evening no lengthy discussion of what
ls popularity called The Situation on
the Pacific" There is nothing new
that l can add to what I have already
said on that subject. l have therefore
decided to take as my theme for this
occasion the democratic tendencies in
Japan; and | hope that l shall be able
to show you how valuable this de-
Velopment is, in spite, of course, of the
pitfalls inherent in democracy. I wish
particularly to present certain his
torical facts which. / hope, will so to
show that the ideals back of our con-
stftutional government are not entire
lE OF foreign origin and that demo-
cratic principles are to no small eX-
tent Indigenous to our own soil and
are substantially rooted there.
Essentials of Democracy.
1t is not my purpose to enter into
any philosophical discussion on demoC-
racy; am using the term in the popu-
larly accepted sense. \ democratic
government conducts domestic admin
lStration and regulates foreign affairs
IN accordance with public sentiment
and Is not meant to cater to certain
classes, cliques or interests. De
mocracy preSuppoSes the absence of
caste and the equality of rights and
opportunities among all people. At
least these are essential features of
democracy.
With this view. | am going to speak
about the development of democracy
in our country. There are some peo-
pie who are under the impression that
democracy hardly exists in an empire,
especially in one like Japan. but the
mere fact that country calls itself
an empire or a monarchy does not
mean that its ruler or its government
is arbitrary, autocratic. or even ariSto-
cratic. In our modern times, with the
constitution guaranteeing the rights
of the people and restricting the power
OF the government. an empire is often
as liberal as n republic.
With us the growth of democratic
ideals and institutions has been grad
ual and peaceful. Some of our his
torians believe that such ideals have
long prevailed in Japan, that our SOW
ereigns from the earliest times have
been imbued with a desire to promote
the welfare of the people. and that the
relations between the court and the
people, even before the advent of the
modern constitutional regime, were
characterized by harmony and cordi-
ality. Such historians point to an ar
ticle in the constitution of Prince
Shotoku as an evidence of the demo.
cratic ideals which obtained in our
country as early as the beginning of
the seventh century.
An Enlightened Prince.
Prince Shotoku was regent to the
Empress Suiko. who ruled from 593
A. ID. to 62S a. d. He was "a scholar
OF the Chinese classics and convert
to Buddhism, the new religion which
had just begun TO impress itself upon
.Iapan'S national life. Not only was
he a cultured scholar. but he was an
ardent student of the political theories
and institutions then prevailing in
China.
In 602 this enlightened prince pro
mulgated a constitution of II articles.
Although some of our historians call it
Japan's first written constitution. the
document was, as Il matter of fact. an
embodiment of Confucian politico-
ethical principles somewhat affected
by the huma anitarian ideals of Buddh-
ism.
The seventh article of the consti-
tuition runs:
THE duties of men in the govern
ment must be assigned according to
their abilities. When wise men serve
the state the people are happy, but
when the unwise are in office the peo-
pie must suffer. If wise officers are
chosen, public affairs are well man
aged, the community is free from
anxiety and prosperity will prevail.
The important affairs of state should
he determined not by arbitrary will
of the few but in consultation with
the many
1t may be too far-fetched to call this
the origin of Japan's democracy, but
it shows at least that the sovereigns
of Japan, even in ancient times, at
tached great Importance to the will
of the people in the administration of
the country.
Birth of Feudalism.
With the progress of time, however,
various changes took place in the form
of government and social structure of
Japan. The powers of the state
passed into the hands of various
powerful families or cliques, and
nepotiSm was practiced more or less
by each of them. These civilian fam
lilies were in turn replaced by military
clans. under whose growing influence
Japan'S feudalism came definitely into
existence. During this period, which
extended over nearly 700 years, we
see the Emperor reigning over the
country in full enjoyment of the re-
Spect and confidence of all classes of
people, while the all powerful mill
tary chief or chiefs ruled the country
under authority delegated by the En-
peror. The title of such chief was
shogun. which meant commander-in-
chief of the armies. The shotgun
dynasties rose and fell, each succeed
ing shogunate exercising sway over
the realm.
The last period of the shogunate
was that of the Tokugawa family,
which lasted for 26S years. The gov
ernment of the Tokugawa Shogun had
its seat in Gedo, now called Toxic
and conducted the administration of
the whole country. The city of Yedo.
with its surrounding districts, as we'll
as many other important Provinces
was directly under this government,
and the rest of the country was divid-
ed into fiefs ruled by feudal lords.
who were either vassals or relatives of
the shogun. Each tief resembled a
small kingdom, governed by its lord,
who was subject to the overlordship
of the TokugaWa shogun. Such
regime was a negation of democracy
and the voice of the people was seldom
needed during this period.
L. s. Influence Seen.
However, with the opening OF Japan
to foreign intercourse at the instance
of the United States, some 20 years
ago, the people felt the need of being
placed under a political regime in
which the popular will should be
taken into consideration in the govern
ment of the country. and they rallied
round the imperial banners with con-
hdence in the wisdom and consider