A Handbook of Modern JapanClement, Ernest W. (Ernest Wilson)
History
A Handbook of Modern Japan
Clement, Ernest W. (Ernest Wilson)
Japan
The year 1910 was also marked by the discovery of an anarchist plot
against the sacred person of the Emperor. Several were arrested as
conspirators, of whom a few were acquitted, a few were condemned to
imprisonment for terms of years, but twelve were condemned to death and
executed (in 1911).
It was in July, 1911, that the term of the revised treaties (which
had gone into effect in 1899) expired, and entirely new treaties
were negotiated with all the powers. As these treaties included no
limitations upon the commercial autonomy of Japan, they marked the
“end of her extra-territorial embarrassments.” And, in particular, the
new treaty with the United States omitted the objectionable provision
of the old treaty (see Appendix), in accordance with which it was
permissible for the United States to limit the immigration of Japanese.
This delicate question was left to a “gentleman’s agreement,” whereby
the Japanese Government would exercise the utmost care concerning
granting passports to Japanese to travel to the United States.
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was again revised in 1911 and renewed
for a term of ten years. The most significant point in this revision
was a provision inserted, in view of the probability at that time
of an Anglo-American Arbitration Treaty, that nothing should entail
upon either “contracting party an obligation to go to war with the
Power with whom such treaty of arbitration is in force.” This was
accomplished before the death of Marquis Komura, who thus lived long
enough to see this increased influence of that alliance in the original
negotiation of which he played a most important part.
That year was also distinguished by the generous Imperial donation
of 1,500,000 _yen_ to start a fund for the relief of the sick poor.
This contribution was supplemented by gifts from all over the Empire,
until the fund has reached a total of about 25,000,000 _yen_. And to
administer properly this large amount, a society called “Saiseikwai”
has been organized, with an Imperial Prince as Honorary President.
The year 1911 is likewise a red-letter year in the political history
of Japan, because, when the Katsura Cabinet resigned, the duty of
organizing a new Ministry was bestowed upon Marquis Saionji (the
leader of the Seiyukai), who made up what is practically a party
administration.
[Illustration: VISCOUNT SONE]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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