Japan and Militarism.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17128, 25 April 1921, Page 6

Japan and Militarism.

A surprising account of Japan as a pacific country free from militarist control is given in a statement in to-day*s cable news attributed, in the form in which it reached us, to a Japanese politician whom we never heard of. His name, we take it, is a mutilation of that of Mr lnukai, a former Minister of Education, and one of the leading politicians in Japan. Mr lnukai was one of the several prominent Opposition members who last November projected a new party whose aims were to be " the adoption of universal suffrage, tho "reform of the existing political parties, " and the establishment of a new cul"tnre on democratic lines." Ho was associated with Mr Ozaki, who in February last was leading a vain assault upon the policy of naval expansion. Since Mr Ozaki is a vigorous critic of the militaristic rule in Japan, we should assume that Mr Inukai's statement, given to an American paper, expressed, for peace-making reasons, what was the wish rather than the thought. The Japanese progressives may, and perhaps do, sincerely believe that the Japanese people are not devoted to the military idea, however strong may bo the levers of policy and government. But on that point there ie a very strong opinion to the contrary. The career of modern Japan has been too much like tihat of Prussia to make it easy to believe that the Japanese people dislike the militaristic policy of their rulers. And when we are told that "those acquaint- " ed with Japanese politics can readily "see that the Japanese militarists no "longer dictate tlhe politico of Japan," and that "Japan is ruled to-day not by "army men, but by civilians," we can reply that the very reverse is the case. If Japan's policy on the Asian mainland is not sufficient proof of this, there is the fact that nearly 50 per cent, of the total expenditure proposed in the last Budget is for the navy and array. It is not only English and American residents of and visitors to Japan who report, almost unanimously, that Japan is ruled by militaristic ideas, but some Japanese politicians and newspapers also. . On January 30th last Mr Ozaki, in a statement to Press representatives in Tokio, said that ''the prime cause "for Japan's isolation iB the impres"sion that has been produced in for"eign minds that Japan proposes to " do everything by dint of her military " and naval strength. In fact, it would " be futile for the Japanese authorities "to deny that Japan, is-militaristic." Japan, he urged, must remove that impression "by shaping her future line of " policy in an unmilitaristic manner." Japan's statesmen are constantly denying that their country is militaristic, but the facts are very difficult to circumvent. Last December Mr Hara, the Premier, contributed an article io the ''Diplomatic Review" with the purpose of demolishing the nation that a military party exists in Japan. Tho "Japan Chronicle," in commenting upon the Premier's article, outlined the history of Japan from the war with China last century to the occupation of Shantung to-day. For a non-mili-tarist nation, as the "Chronicle" remarked, the growth of Japanese power and territory was a remarkable showing. Some of the consequences of the policy have led to national unrest, "yet," the "Chronicle" points out, " so 'strong is the hold of the militarist "party that no Ministry can survive " which does not make concessions to " it. The Oltuma Ministry, whose mem- " bers when in opposition condemned " the proposed increase of the army by "two divisions, passed the measure " when it came into power. It was "the price paid for office. The Hara " Ministry, the civilian members of "which are believed to be in favour "of a pacific policy, find it necessary "to approve a Budget that allocates " more than half the country's revenue "to military and naval objects, and "maintains a force in Siberia, while it "is believed that Mr Hara is person- " ally in favour of withdrawal." If the statement in to-day's cable message which we attribute to Mr lnukai, is not mere eye-wash, it is an unwarrantably optimistic account of what may perhaps come true. There are few signs that the Japanese who wish to get militarism out of the saddle are making any real progress towards success.