Party Government in Japan.

Hastings Standard, Issue 51, 25 June 1896, Page 4

Party Government in Japan.

Up to the present, it appears political life in Japan has been of the principal feature which attaches to it elsewhere party Government. Plenty of people would see in this another of the many advantages possessed by the East over the West, but as so oftens happens in such circumstances the Japanese do not seem to know when they are well off. They have been tryintr for a long time to achieve that state of political civilisation which would give them at least two definite parties. There have been parties of a sort, but they have been merely cliques, destitute of guiding principles, and owing their existence to private ambitions or clan animosities. Japan's admirers, we are told, have long hoped that rrreat events would crystallise the divided "roups into parties similar to those existing in England, but though the desirrd consummation was frequently very nearly arrived at, some minor issue was sure to spoil the rapproachment, and set the various cliques by the ear. With the " arrival " of Japan as a Power at the end of the late war, the hour for the establishment of delinite party lines also came. The Shimpoto, a new political party, was formed, and at present it appears to act the part of a very vigorous < imposition. The basis af united action is patriotism' which means a strom r f reim party, and the new party, according to a Yokohama correspondent, relies f< rsup-ort on the hopes cherished by a large majority of the Japanese, at the end of the war, that Japan would take a prominent position in Eastern politics with the inevitable corollary of being of some consequence to those of Evrope. The martial portion of the population do not think that the recent action of their Ministers with regard to Russian advances in the Far East, particularly in respect to Corea, has improved Japan's position among the nations, and they are tV: - for" doubly ready to support a party which favours a vigorous foreign policy in preference tc following the devious ways of diplomacy, and playing the waiting game adopted by the Mikado'® present advisers. There is a probability, says our antbority, the Shimpoto will become more powerful than the Jiynto, the party which supports the present Ministry, and if the latter should happen to get out of power we may expect to see affairs in the Far East move rather more quietly than they have done of late.—Exchange.