The Sunday Oregonian., October 02, 1921, Section One, Page 4, Image 4

TTTE SUNDAY OREGOMAX. PORTLAND, OCTOBER 2, 1921
POLICIES OF JAPAN
DICTATED BY ARMY
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING HOW JAPAN IS ARMING TO THE TEETH.
'FRIEND' IS SOUGHT
KIRSCHBAUM CLOTHES FALL AND WINTER. 19a
E
Destiny of Oriental Empire
Young Man Is Wanted as
Witness at Trial.
Lies in General Staff.
MILITARISTS ARE STRONG
VENIRE OF 40 EXHAUSTED
War Party Controls Foreign Affairs
A
rather Declares Intention to Stand
by Daughter Accused of Mur
dering Fourth Mate.
and Can Make or Undo Civil
Government at Its Will.
'X- - M
tX l V
SOUTHARD
V
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.
(Copyright by the New York Herald Cora
puny. All right ruerved.)
ARTICLE V.
' TOKIO, Sept. 11. The naval pro
gramme of Japan Is no mora ambi
tious than that wnich Is provided for
the development of the army. The
fact is that the mikado, the genro.
composed of the "elder statesmen"
and politicians, who still cling to the
archaic forms of feudalism, place
greater dependence on their land
forces as a means of national defense
than the do on their navy, of which
they are greatly proud.
The reason for this is that sea
power still remains largely an ex
periment, the value of which has not
been fully determined. For several
centuries, however, the tribal chief
tains, the warring Shoguns and the
leaders of the many clans, counted on
their warriors to defend not only
their personal Interests but their
trade with the world. In this respect
Japan has not changed a great deal.
The mikado himself depends largely
on his army, and the army dictates
the policies of Japan, both foreign
and domestic.
General Staff la Dictator.
To my mind the most Interesting
building at the Japanese capital is
the modest stone edifice, more typi
cally German than Japanese in archi
tecture, which shelters the general
staff of the Japanese army and gov
ernment. And not the least interests
' Ing man in the empire, in my way
of thinking. Is Field Marshal Uyehara,
the chief of the general staff, because
In the last analysis it is thij seasoned
warrior and 1 politician who really
controls the military destinies of the
land nf tha Hunflower and chrysan
themum. It is the general staff and
not the minister of war that ulti
mately formulates the decisions of
the cabinet and dictates the phrases
of the imperial edicts.
This fact has been pretty clearly
established during the agitation over
the Japanese policy in Siberia. Pre
mier Hara and other leading men in
the government. Including General
Tanaka, until recently minister of
war, as well as a large number of
the leading politicians and business
men of the empire have favored the
unconditional withdrawal of the Jap
anese military forces (estimated at
40,000, though there Is no definite
Information on the subject) in Siberia.
Evacuation of Siberia Vetoed.
The veto of this plan, which has
been advocated by the people of a
great many countries in the world,
notably the United States, was not
provided by the emperor himself, but
by the general staff of the Japanese
army, which is conceded to exercise
a larger degree of influence over the
titular ruler of nearly 100.000,000
willing and unwilling subjects than
any of the other agencies of his
government.
It is t'lie general staff that formu
lates and executes the military poli
cies of the Japanese government in
China, In Corea, In Manchuria, in
northern Saghalien and In Siberia. It
'is the general staff that really directs
the various forms of propaganda,
military, economic .and political, that
results in sporadic revolutions and
'tears the disorganized government
of China to pieces.
Militarists Apply Screws.
It is the Japanese general staff
that applies the screws to the people
in Siberia, Bast Mongolia, Manchuria,
Corea and Shantung to compel them
to grant to the mikado's government
"concessions" which virtually carry
complete control. Predictions of the
overthrow of the power of the mili
tary party in Japan have been as fre
quent as prophecies regarding the re
tirement of William Jennings Bryan
from politics in America.
Some day it probably will be over
thrown by the rising tide of democ
racy, which is showing remarkable
and unexpected growth among vari
ous elements of the population, now
clamoring for disarmament and the
adoption of more progressive, peace
ful policies than have characterized
the history of the sunflower kingdom
for several centuries.
Overthrow Eventually Will Come.
The military party may be over
thrown in Japan as a result of the
seething unrest among the people,
burdened with taxes to support an
army and navy out of all proportion
to the population and their legitimate
ambition for growth and expansion.
But the closest atudents of. conditions
and events that are not disclosed to
the casual eye agree that the time Is
not yet and that the collapse of mili
tary control will go hand In hand with
the renunciation of imperialism,
which la the only form of government
the Japanese know anything about.
The general staff and its ever pres
ent war policies will take care of any
effort to dispel the illusion of the peo
ple that the emperor himself is de
scended direct from the deity and to
question his authority or motives is
the apotheosis of sacrilege.
Religion Mixed With Patriotism.
It Is from this situation, which in
volves a curious mixture of religion
and patriotism difficult for the occi
dental mind to comprehend, that the
general staff derives its power. It
constantly flaunts the slogan that no
sacrifice is too big for a son or daugh
ter of Nippon to make for the em
peror, over whom, as said, the military
party exercises complete and almost
exclusive control. So it is that the
final authority over the policies of
Japan la practically vested in the
military party, which means the gen
eral staff.
The ambitions of the diplomats and
of the civil officials of the govern
ment are always subject to the vise or
veto of the technical board of control
In the army. Its attitude toward these
branches of the government, which
are co-ordinate only in theory. Is thus
described to me by one of the most
progressive of Japanese .leaders who
is hopeful for less reactionary condi
tions than now prevail:
Ceneml Staff All-Powerf nl.
"The power of the general staff
cannot be overestimated. The only su
perior authority it recognizes is the
genro, which is composed of the
'elder statesmen' of the empire, tra
ditionally reactionary. The general
staff of Japan is quite as powerfful as
was the general staff that Induced
the German kaiser to make war upon
the rest of the world. The Japanese
general staff controls the mental proc
esses of the emperor to an even great
er extent than was true in Germany
in 1914. It. In turn, controls the cab
inet. The minister of war. instead of
being the master of the general staff.
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ry t.v- - y 1 , z.
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Iff.-'Mtiff
1 wi, .
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eWM.. . : ': ' s3W;iWvvfleiiW
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Top Part of Japanese army In training. Below Larsrest shipyard In Japan. Insert Louts Selbold, who Is in-
vestlKatlna conditions in Japan.
is its servant. It says to him, 'You
provide us with the recruits, war ma
terial and Supplies, and we will de
cide what to do with all of these
things. It Is not for you to say.'
"That is precisely what the general
staff, with the consent of the emperor,
told Premier Haras cabinet a few
weeks ago when the wisdom of de
ferring to universal sentiment regard
ing the military activities of the gov
ernment In Shantung and Siberia was
broached. In other words, the gen
eral staff told the government to
mind Its own business, which It did
not consider to be of a military char
acter." Civil Government Controlled
It may appear unreasonable to the
western mind to assert the power of
the general staff to dictate the condi
tions under which the civil govern
ment Itself shall go about its business.
It is the fact, however, that it Is
equally within the province of the
general staff to bring about the fall
of any administration that defies Its
ambitions. Under the Japanese law
only a military man of supreme rank
Is eligible for the post of secretary
of war, and a naval man of rela
tively. equal rank for minister of the
navy.
All of the other members of the
cabinet may be selected from any
walk of life, but those of the army
and navy are kept within profes
sional hands, and no other officials of
the government enjoy such intimate
personal relations with the emperor
as the officers of the two armed
branches of the government who are
assigned to intimate attendance upon
his imperial highness. I am assured
on their competent authority (because
the mikado is not so accessible as an
American president, or even English
king) that even when Premier Taka
shl Hara and Count Tasuya Uchida,
minister of foreign affairs, confers
with his highness it is Invariably in
the presence of the general staff, who,
as said, take orders from the genro.
Cabinet Is Never Secure.
" Pretty nearly every well-informed
man in Japan knows that it is within
the power of the general staff to
bring about the fall of a cabinet. The
process is admirably simple. The
general staff directs the minister of
war to resign. The premier, who is
limited as to choice in the selection
of a successor, tenders the vacant
portfolio to one of the half dozer,
marshals, generals or lieutenant-gen.
erals of. the army. He is met with
polite refusals and is finally com
pelled to admit his inability to com
plete his cabinet. Such an admission
In Japan is tantamount to withdrawal
from public life, and some other pre
mier more susceptible to the dicta
tion of the genro and the general
staff is put in his place.
There can be no question but that
the Japanese army has been and I'
maintained at a high degree of effi
ciency. It is probably the best dis
ciplined and equipped army In the
world. It recognizes but one au
thority, the general staff, which is
composed of the keenest observers
of military developments throughout
the world. Even now the technical
men In the general eiaff are working
out a plan to bring about a thorough
remodeling of the army, based upon
the lessons learned in the world war.
The extent of these plans is most
carefully guarded.
Even the numerical strength of the
land forces Is shrouded In more or
less mystery. - The peace strength is
given as 27a,731, of whom 16,045, are
officers, 28,369 non-commissioned of
ficers and 228,317 privates. These
figures, however, are believed to be
incomplete in that they do not in
clude the onits attached to colonial
and other government undertakings
in Shantung, Corea, Manchuria, Si
beria and Saghalien. The most defi
nite estimate of the total "peace
strengtn" of the Japanese army is
around 00.000, with a sufficient num
ber of reserves available for war
services within a few months ap
proximating 1.600.000. and with a
further reserve susceptible of prepa
ration within eight months of 1.600.
000 additional.
Provision tor the army is made
In the budget appropriations for two
or three of the government depart
ments In addition to that which ap
pears In the army schedule, so that
It is difficult to determine the exact
amount. The peace strength of the
army includes units not appearing
in the regular establishment. These
auxiliaries, according to military ex
perts, really increase the regular
(peace) army from approximately
320,000 to at least 400,000, and make
available for immediate call trained
reserves to the number of 400,000
more, which could be mobilised for
service within ten days.
Of the regular establishment, there
are in round numbers 40,000 troops
in Corea. 25.000 in Siberia, 10.000 in
Manchuria,. 5000 in north Saghalien,
8000 in Shantung and 6000 in For
mosa, besides those scattered around
distant islands owned by Japan anJ
in those mandated, to it under the
authority of the Versailles treaty.
Apparatus Cuts Off Fingers.
EUGENE, Or., Oct. 1. (Special.)
Kenneth Lockerbie, 16, lost three fin
gers of his right hand while working
with the machinery in the manual
training shops of the Eugene high
school yesterday. Fred Chess, head of
this department said the accident is
unexplainable, as all the machinery is
equipped with protection appliances
according to law.
S. & H. green stamps for cash.
Holman Fuel Co., coal and wood.
Main 353; 560-21. Adv.
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TWIN FALLS. Idaho, Oct. 1, A
new witness in the case of the state
against Lyda Meyer Southard, charged
with the murder of her fourth hus
band, Edward F. Meyer, now on trial
here in district court, is sought by
Prosecutor Frank Stephen in the per
son of Lester Thornberg, a friend of
the defendant' prior to her marriage
to Meyei.
Thornberg was a resident of Twin
Falls for about a year. He was em
ployed at newspaper work in Twin
Falls.
While Stephan has dropped no hint
of the purpose for which he expects
to use Thornberg, the statement is
made by friends of the young man
that he became acquainted with the
woman during the time she was em
ployed as a cashier in a Twin Falls
restaurant where Thornberg took his
meals, that the two became friendly
and that Thornberg talked freely of
his desire to marry her.
Poison Declared ground.
Thornberg carried a government
life Insurance policy of $10,000. At
this time Mrs. Southard was known
as Mrs. McHaffle, although her name
was properly Mrs. Harlan C. Lewis.
Lewis married the defenaant at Den
ver March 10, 1919. and died at Bil
lings, Mont., July 6 of the same year,
the cause of death being given as
gastro entetitis. Lewis carried a life
insurance policy of $5000, which was
collected by the widow.
Prosecutor Stephan has stated that
an autopsy revealed the presence oZ
poison in the body of Lewis and that
he Is in possession of evidence to
this effect.
Venire of 40 Men Exhausted.
The present whereabouts of Thorn
berg is unknown. He is supposed to
have gone from Twin Falls to Pull
man, Wash., for vocational training
at the Washington State college,
leaving there some time ago.
Today's session in district court
came to an end when the special
venire of 40 men was exhausted under
examination by the prosecution and
defense, and a further special venire
was ordered for presentation In court
hether
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Main 417U.
Monday. Elisor W. H. Thompson was
ordered to obtain the venire.
Eleven men were in the Jury box
when court adjourned for the day.
Both the defendant and her hus
band, Paul Vincent Southard, were in
court during the entire session, as
was W. J. Trueblood. father of the
accused. In an Interview given out
by Trueblood today he reiterated
statements previously made that he
and his wife intended to stand by
their daughter throughout the trial.
Rather Too Much to Ask.
Magistrate (sternly) Why did you
not Interfere in this disgraceful
fight?
Polloemian Faith, yer honor. Ol
hadn't the heart to tntyfere in the
best folght Oi saw since Ol lift Con
remara." London Tlt-JJita.
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