Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-16
BEST FRIEND OF u. S. IN JAPAN
LOST IN SF1IBUSAWA'S DEATH
Imported Ideas of West and
Welded World
Influence.
Founded First B anking
House in Island
Empire.

On Tuesday last Viscount Eiichi
Shibusawa died at Toxic, Japan. The
announcement of his passing probably
had little significance to the average
American reader. But when it is said
that he was the J. P. Morgan of Japan
and the unofficial liaison link between
Japanese a-d American diplomats
financiers and business men during
three or four decades, his Importance
becomes more apparent.
A short and stout, compactly built
little man with round, bullet-Shapeo
head small and good-natured eyes, q
multitude of wrinkles and an lntalllbly
cheerful smile, ViScount ShibusaWa was
81 years old when, at an acutely crit
ical moment in the history OF his coun-
try, death finally closed his long career
Born on February 10, 1910, at the
village of Saitama, his parents were OF
the ariStocratic merchant class, not
Well-to-do in the material meaning OF
the term but deeply imbued by ancient
ideals and motivated by high primitive
conceptions of honorable conduct. Tho
lad was not eXtravagantly educated
Taking service under the declining To-
kugawa Shogunate, he was Ia years ole
when the American Commodore Perry
sailed into Uraga in 1854, discovering
Japan. Perry'S appearance was the
central fact in ShibuSawa'S life. The
American signifed to the half-grown
youth scheme of existence from
further acquaintance with which
precious additions might be made to
Japanese civilization as Shibusawa
knew it. The boy discovered the
West. He became an importer" OF
Western ideas. He was one of the
earliest advocates of the social, eco
nomic and political changes out OF
which modern japan has evolved.
But his own political career was OF
brief duration. He was for period
Vice Minister of Finance at Toxic, but
returning from a trip to France in
1868 he resigned this post, explaining
that he had no wish to be "a dictionary
in a government department" He had
glimpsed the fact that he could accom-
plish his ends more effectively by prac-
ticing a personal independence not
feasible for an official of the state. He
organized the Kawase Kaisha, the first
Japanese banking company.
But such an enterprise was not at
all appreciated by the extreme nation
alistic elements of the country. Money
dealing had hitherto been a personal
sort of business. Respectable men did
not cooperate in finance. Further
more, there were many who did not
wish Japan to expand. They opposed
Western methods. ShibusaWa'S inSti-
tuition was not popular. For many years
he made little progress Bnt gradually
he was able to build up his business
until by 1900 it had assumed gigantic
proportions. He was created a baron
in that year. In 1920 he received from
the Emperor his title of viscount.
Four firaec ChiIt1coII,o Iricifad "a
United States. He was here in 1902
on mission of finance and peace.
He came again in 1909, on which occa-
sion he made a pilgrimage to the
grave of Commodore Perry at Newport,
r. l., and wrote little poem in Per-
rvs honor. In 1915 he came with an
official delegation and was received by
President Wilson. His final visit was
in 1921. He had many American
friends
Affected Modern Styles.
At home he was distinguished for
his great wealth, his modernism, his
charity and his advocacy of interna-
t1onal peace. He was the richest in
dividual in Japan. He affected mod
ern styles and manners. He gave gen.
erously to educational and social
causes, and was a patron of the arts
and sciences. He had a sincere affec-
ton for the West, and disliked lingo
list propaganda regardless of its origin.
To the japanese he was the peo-
pies foreign minister" To Americans
he was the best friend the United
States had in Japan" Moderate in all
things. he appealed to all parties as
"a man of sense" and "a man of pro-
found kindness and gentIeness." 1t
was his function to pour oil on trou-