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Show HOW JAPAN GOT HER MAGNA CHARTA By KTYO SUE INUI Department of Political Science, University Uni-versity of Southern California. "When the late Emperor Melji ascended as-cended his throne, he was only a young man of 1C. But he is accredited accredit-ed with having issued Japan's Magna Charta, an Imperial oath of five articles, arti-cles, which becamo tho forerunner of tho present constitution. It is a3 follows: fol-lows: "1 A deliberative assembly should be formed and all measures bo decided de-cided by public opinion. "2 The principles of social and political po-litical economy should be diligently studied by all classes of our people. "3 Every one in the community shall be assisted to persevere in carrying car-rying out his will for all legitimate purposes. All absurd usages shall be abandoned, aban-doned, and justice and righteousness shall regulate all actions. "5 Knowledge ,and learning shall be sought for all over the world for the purpose of firmly establishing the foundation of the empire." No reasonable person imagines that a child of 16 would have wisdom and foresight to make such a declaration i Nor did the masses of Japan demand a constitution In those days. A few self-constituted, and yet far-seeing leaders of Japan, caused the emperor to issue this in his name. There is one notable contrast between be-tween the ways in which western people peo-ple and Japanese have secured their liberty. In tho west it was through their own demand from unwilling grantors. ' In Japan it was obtained from willing and far-3eeing grantors to the unenlightened and uninformed masses. These leaders of tho early days of present Japan saw as far as they could through the pages of history. his-tory. The only difficulty with tho makers mak-ers of constitutional Japan was that they were not prophets. They did not realize the rapidity In which tho world was to progress. Little could they fathom the creation of a new Industrial Indus-trial order and the doctrine of colloc-,tice colloc-,tice . bargaining. Neither could they Imagine a new social order with manhood man-hood or universal suffrage. They cut well the garment for a new generation. genera-tion. But they wore not able to foresee fore-see the rapid growth of tho youngest member of the family of nations. |