Show i I v v Gre Great t Problems ms Disc by Authorities A NEW NEW DAY IN JAPANESE POLITICS By Yusuke Tsurumi Leading Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese Liberal Ten million more Japan Japanese 8 lire are entitled en tn entitled titled d to vote early In 1928 1925 This change bange m means that Japan is la becoming tiers More like Ike western rn democracies Thc These The e new voters voter want p peace ace and harmonious International in international In In- relations relation The Tho policy of ot Japan lapan toward Manchuria Mr Tsurumi declares will be formed accordingly On the great groat question ot at Z war and pea peace e I wonder how man ninny many people In America realize the full significance sig sig- sig of the tho Impending political ev nt In Japan Japan Japan-I I mean the first general election on the basis' basis of universal manhood suffrage Japan passed d tt new election law In 1025 1925 and added ten million new voters to the three millions of ot old Voters and these thirteen million voters are going to vote some time early next year This means the usher usher- usherIng usherIng Ing in of a new day In Japanese politics Japan In the past has Keen een considered considered con con- more or less as a. a country where a few people ruled and soy gov But with this stupendous Increase of ot voters coupled with the changing psychology among the voters Japan as a political unit Is getting more and more like England England En En- gland America and France No statesman of Japan can formulate a policy Internally or internationally ally without considering the public opinion of the country countr which Is made up mainly of the middle and laboring classes POPULATION PROBLEM Now the greatest problem before beCore these newly emancipated forces of democracy In Japan is the problem of oC population In these sixty years the population of Japan proper In Increased Increased increased In- In creased from two thirty-two tp to sixty millions approximately doubling This was due to the success of the political and economic policies of the modernized government i In the years since 1868 The Tho new capitalIstic capitalistic cap cap- system enabled us to support sup sup- port ort more people An And the fresh vigor or o of a young nalo nation Japan pan pani i r i it responded to the call of the new age During the World war Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese industries expanded at a a. great pace with a corresponding increase of population as a result With the ending of ot the war came a period of ot depression for Japanese industries and it was from front this time that Japan began to feel the pinch of oC population With the closing down of Industrial plants many workers began to lose lone their Jobs Unemployment became a se serious serious se- se rious problem and there gradually arose discontent with the present capitalistic system The tendency of ot Japanese labor to come under the leadership of radical theorists has been due to this discontented frame of mind among the workers as well as among the tho peasants This Is the new problem that Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese statesmanship had to to face I think the only satisfactory way of meeting the situation is to Industrialize Indus the country But industrialization indus Indus- of a country is not a simple matter maUer It has many aspects not only of internal but of International international international inter Inter- national dimensions The Tho problem of raw material that of ot new markets markets markets mar mar- and that of tariff all tend to the reshaping of Japans Japan's relationships relationships relation relation- ships with foreign countries Thus the pressure of 01 population Is compelling Japan to industrialize I herself This industrialization in turn Is forcing Japan to reshape her whole foreign policy tho the most outstanding feature being belg friendship friendship friendship friend friend- ship with China The Japanese p people ople as a whole have been sympathetic sympathetic sympathetic sym sym- pathetic always with the legitimate national aspirations of ot China ItIs It ItIs Itis is quite recently that Japan her herself ier- ier self passed through this process abolishing extraterritoriality in iii 1899 and winning back tariff autonomy autonomy autonomy au au- au- au In 1911 1011 This popular sentiment sentiment sen lien is mose eloquently expressed In the newspapers of Japan NEW ERA It is these masses that the new election law has enfranchised And they are going to express themselves themselves themselves them them- selves in political for the first time in Japanese history Politics are the same all over the world No public man can be blind to the results of elections Therefore Therefore There There- fore Core the foreign policy of ot Japan Japa particularly her China policy willbe will willbe willbe be more and more influenced by this consideration of election re re- re suits The keynote of Japans Japan's Industrialization industrialization industrialization Indus indus- is how to acquire raw materials for her her- industries how to expand mark markets ts for her manufactured goods and how to acquire foodstuffs in exchange for her goods These three economic es essentials es- es are found mainly In China and nd particularly in Manchuria Only by peaceful and friendly methods can Japan meet her own acute problem of increased lation And this is Js more and more taken cognizance of by the people at large Consequently the tIme new ne democracy ot of Japan will favor wholeheartedly the open open door door poll poli y with equal op opportunities opportunities op- op In Manchuria so that the Immense natural resources of th the territory can be opened up for forthe forthe forthe the benefit not only of Japan butof butof but butof of the whole world Manifestly the he best method for attaining that end will be peace and a harmonious relationship among the Interested nations nation like China America Japan England and Russia POLICY OUTLINED It is with this view that my father law father law In-law Viscount Goto Gob is making his trip to Russia this month Ills his policy In Manchuria ever over since he the first president of the South Manchuria Railway company in 1906 1006 has been the maintenance of the open door and of equal opportunities It was he as president who bought Baldwin Baldwin Bald Dald- win locomotives and Pullman cars ears from America so that the prest present nt South Manchurian railways s look more American than anything else It was he lie also who covered all south Manchuria with western hotels hotels ho ho- so that foreigners can travel there with so O much comfort Now the invitation to American capital to invest In Manchuria and the consequent spread of true knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge about this part of do o away I hope with the apprehensions apprehensions and misgivings entertained enter enter- tamed In China in America anti and In Europe that Manchuria is a danger danger dan dan- ger spot of the far east The new democracy of Japan stands for peace and the policy of at Japan toward Manchuria will be formulated formulated formu formu- accordingly ly Copyright 1928 Cosmos Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper News- News paper Syndicate Inc |