176 



The Review of Reviews. 



will also suffice to make manifest the customs and 

 manners bequeathed to you by your ancestors." 



While the Emperor's work and influence on internal 

 affairs are of great importance; the world is naturally 

 interested to know whether or no the influence of Japan 

 in world politics is for peace or war. We have heard 

 from Prince Katsura and from our own statesmen that 

 the Anglo-Japanese Alliance is one of the greatest of 

 forces making for the peace of Europe; but what does 

 the Emperor think, and what will the Emperor do ? 



To answer this it is only necessary to turn again to 

 the utterances of the Japanese Emperor on the all- 

 important subject of the future of his country ; in 

 these there is ample reassurance for the most appre- 

 hensive. And in reading the Imperial words, it must 



The New Crown Prince of Japan. 



never be forgotten that they are no impromptu 

 speeches or telegrams, such as we are accustomed to 

 from the lips of European monarchs or American 

 Presidents. They are something far more serious than 

 that, partaking of the nature of proclamations, for the 

 very position of the Japanese Emperor in the eyes of 

 his subjects is different from anything that can be 

 found in Europe. Besides his position, there is his 

 character to be considered, and also the powers 

 granted him under the Constitulion. It is no exaggera- 

 tion to .say that, as a monarcli, the |a|)anesc Emperor 

 stands |)re-eniincnt at the present monuiU. .'\nd he 

 has had to accomplish his great work of making Japan 

 what she is now without any of that preparation for 

 kingship which falls to the lot of Western monarchs. 



Everything was against him. and yet at the time of 

 the Restoration he gathered all the threads into his 

 hand, and for forty years has been the motive power 

 for progress in every department of his Empire. 

 Situated as he is in isolation, he is not able to touch 

 all the thou.sand and one details of national existence ; 

 but the broad lines of policy, the essential foundations 

 for success, are due to him. There is no. statesman in 

 Japan, however great, not even the wonderful Ito 

 himself, who does not acknowledge that he is but the 

 instrument of the Emperor, and that all his work 

 would have been unavailing had it not been for the 

 Imperial impulse. Speaking little, thinking much, the 

 Emperor of Japan is one whose utterances must carry 

 weight in Japan above anything else. By the Con- 

 stitution he is granted the greatest powers to enforce 

 his utterances, and to see that the policy he lays down 

 as the best shall be carried out. The Ministers of 

 State are responsible to the Emperor alone, and are 

 dismissed or retained at his pleasure. The Emperor 

 is the head of the army and of the navy. As regards 

 foreign relations he is also supreme. By the 

 thirteenth Article of the Constitution it is held that 

 the conduct of diplomatic affairs forms a part of 

 the Imperial prerogative, and lies entirely outside the 

 rights of the Imperial Diet. Thus the utterances of 

 the Emperor on foreign relations are those of the man 

 who decides those relations, not merely those of one 

 who suggests them. The following extracts from 

 speeches and Imperial edicts allow of no misunder- 

 standing as to the Imperial policy towards foreign 

 countries. In an Imperial proclamation of April 21, 

 iSgs, occurs the following: — "We deem it that the 

 development of the prestige of the country could he 

 obtained only by peace. It is Our mission, which 

 We inherited from Our ancestors, that peace should 

 he maintained in an effectual way. The foundations 

 of the great policy of Our ancestors has been made 

 more stable. We desire that We shall, together with 

 Our ijcople, be specially guarded against arrogance or 

 relaxation. It is what We highly object to, that the 

 people should become arrogant by being j)urfed up 

 with triumph, and despise others rashly, which would 

 go towards losing the respect of fore/ign Powers. 

 Since the development of the nation can be obtained 

 by peace, it is a divine duty imposed upon Us by Our 

 ancestors, and it has been Our intention and endeavour 

 since Our accession to the throne to maintain peace 

 so as to enjoy it constantly. . . . We are positively 

 against insulting others and falling into idle pride by 

 being elated by victories, and against losing the con- 

 fidence of Our friendly states." 



.And so there is another " Policeman of Peace " to 

 aid the British Navy in the world mission. The new 

 era in Japan which commences with the accession 

 of the new Emperor has recei\ed the name of Taiaho, 

 or '■ great resolutions," and wc do not hesitate to say 

 that the work and the continuing influence of the late 

 Emperor will go immensely towards the great resolu- 

 tions of his .successor. 



