Evening star., 1925-12-06
Ideals of Democratic Government
Are Fast Rooted in Soil of Japan
continued from Third Page.l

continued from Third Pagel
may not be SO spectacular as in the
West. Nor may the new woman of
Japan be as dramatic as her sisters in
America or Europe. iet the educate ed
and intellectual women of Japan think
and reason about public affairs and
about the problems of state and so
Cicty much as their Occidental sisters
do. In recent years the wives Of some
candidates for membership in our
Diet have been active aiding the cam
pdlgnS of their husbands
Sentiment for Suffrage
In the past few sessions OF the Diet
there have been proposals for woman
suffrage. When manhood suffrage
WAS being discussed in the House Of
representatives last year, = member
at the opposition party proposed an
amendment extending suffrage to
women. The amendment WAS de.
fr:tted, hut il was at least an indica-
son chat tho enfranChisemcut of woul-
Ga had begun to draw serious itten-
tlun. Vt he last session Of the Diet.
March 10 was designated "Woman's
day when sympathiZcrs Of the suf-
fraGe movement III The Lower House"
IresYnt"d Il number of resolutions for
he repeal Of laws discriminating
I@alHSt women.
Let me now say a few words on the
labor movement in Japan. In the past
two or tbre. decades many Labor or
saui&Itluu~ have come into existence.
and they NOW occupy an important
place in the uuW order Of our economic
life. The labor movement is not OF
sudden growth. A> a matter Of fact.
labor unrest in The modern sense be
san to make itself felt toward the end
al the nineteenth century. Soon after
the var with China. in 1895, strikes
We're reported in various parts OF the
country. The agitation. however was
unorganized and isolated. The rail
road workers Strik. of 1906 was the
first strike whose magnitude de
randed national attention.
I.OO0.00O Workmen.
The number Of workingmen in
Japan Is roughly estimated ut 4.000
ooe, OF which only l5o,o belong
L tabor unions Labor leaders believe
t..tt this number will steadily increase
nnN That the workers are given
suffrage. pf III" numerous labor
t3Iuus now existing. the largest is the
Japanese Federation uf Labor, which
started its career i'll 1872 under the
name of Yu Nj kai, or Friendly So
CietE.
The wartime prosperity, W;th high
wages Tor WorkinGmen. proved q
great aid to the cause Of organized
labor. IT enabled the labnrerS 10
finance various movements in their
interest. II afforded them q period of
respite from the struggle for exist
"nce, and enabled them to look around
- see wher" they stood II made
them conscious aS never before that
they were an essential factor in tho
"c"nnnir order, aud with this con
>CiouSueSS came a. desire for Il
~tfonSeF organization in order 10 bet
ter their position.
Slowly but steadily they are forging
ahead, thes" patient, quiet toilers Of
Japan, and are making their Influence
felt IN the Shaping of our economic
policy. Naturally they have been
stanch advocates Of the manhood
suffrage law. Their leaders look upon
II as a stepping stone in the progress
Of the working class and they are now
striving TO organize Il political labor
party.
Little Glass Distinction
Since the restoration OF Meiii very
little class distinction has existed in
Strial