Evening star., 1941-04-02
japan Puuses


Premier Konoye's appointment OF
a big businessman to seat in his
cabinet has considerable significance.
1t reinforces the conservative minor
ity already in office typified by Baron
Hiranuma, who holds the post OF
Home Minister. The new appointee
is Masatsune Ogura, chairman Of
the Board of Directors of the Sunni
moto interests. This Is one of the
"big four" family trusts which so
largely dominate the financial and
industrial life of Japan. Only Mitsui
and Mitsubishi outrank 1t in impor-
tance.
These great combines are an out
standing feature of the peculiar evo-
luton taken by modern capitalism
when Japan emerged from feudal
isolation and Systematically remod-
eled its national life along Western
lines. In old Japan, the merchant
and the money lender played humble
roles, much as they did in Europe
during the Middle Ages. The noble
man and the warrior deciSively out
ranked them in power and social
esteem. Westernization raised these
hitherto subordinate classes to
wealth and influence. Naturally,
they adopted the liberal economic
outlook which then prevailed in the
Western World, and they have tended
to support a foreign policy of peace
full expansion along economic lines
and have opposed militaristic ad-
ventures, especially when these
threatened to embroil them with the
capitalistic western powers.
However, japanese big business
has had to face two powerful opposi-
tions which have threatened to un-
dermine it's position or even extin-
guish it altogether. Under veneer
of Western parliamentarism, Japan's
political life remained basically ira
ditional, with its supreme Divine
Emperor and it's military clans which
controlled army and navy, and pre-
dominated in foreign policy. Indeed,
big business itself retained the clan
family pattern which characterizes
Japanese society. This concentrated
Japan's new wealth in relatively few
hands. The rest of the nation was
not genuinely converted to Western
economic liberalism. When Japan's
domestic difficulties grew acute and
it's international situation became
serious, a reaction set in, both from
above and from below. The spirit Of
old Japan was aroused, and a solu-
ton was sought in accordance with
tradition rather than along Western
lines.
This reactionary mood welcomed
the ideas spreading over Europe with
the Fascist and Nazi revolutions. The
upshot was the peculiar brand Of
totalitarianism formally established
in Japan when the present Konoye
cabinet took Office and joined the
Berlin-Rome axis. Big business and
finance are today strictly subordi-
mated to national ends. The motto
is public service first" and liberal
istic profit seeking" is officially con-
demned
However, in practice, the revolution
has been far from complete. Private
property has not been abolished,
profits are still permitted and big
businessmen continue to manage
economic affairs. Premier Prince
Konoye is not an extreme reaction
ary. His record reveals him as a
canny opportunist, and appointments
like those of Ogura and Hiranuma
show that he has not finally COM
mitted Japan to the totalitarian side.
Recent events, such as the about
face in Yugoslavia, the important
Italian military setbacks and the
stiffening attitude of the United
States, must have reinforced his ma
tive caution. This should tend to
strengthen the hand of the liberal
and moderate elements in Japan.
Though a minority, they still exist.
And Premier Konoye is hardly the
man to ignore them at so critical a
moment. In fact, the Ogura appoint
ment shows that he is giving them
slightly more to say.