Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1914 — OKUMA IS THE GRANDEST OLD MAH OF JAPAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OKUMA IS THE GRANDEST OLD MAH OF JAPAN

Popular, Though Long Kept in Background Politically. AGE IS NO BAR TO ACTIVITY Founder of Waseda University and Now Premier of the Empire, He Had a Wonderful Career— Likes Newspaper Men. Tokyo, Japan.—There is only one Okuma in Japan or in the world. He Is a positively unique character. As far as years go he is called an old man and should long ago have been Oslerized. But he is really only sev-enty-six years young and has declared that he expects to live fifty or so years longer; says Ernest W. Clement in Chicago Newß. And in spirit he is certainly still a young man. Lie has never been called one of the “elder statesmen;” but he deserved the appellation as much as they did. He was prominent in public service before any one of them; but he was sidetracked into private life because he dared to differ with the policies of others who later rose into prominence and he has been kept in the background because he was considered too liberal, even too radical. He has survived all except three or four of his old colleagues and rivals, namely, Yamageta, Matsu kata, Inouye and Oyama, the only remaining Genro. And, in the opinion of many, It is an instance of the survival of the fittest; although, in perfect fairness, it must be stated that some

consider Okuma a garrulous old man, unfitted for further public, service. Generally, however, he is called a “grand old man,” like Gladstone. Okuma’s career has been a long and versatile one. He has been politician, statesman, educator, orator, author, horticulturist, etc.; &nd he has shone in every capacity, in every position. In his political life, he shares with Count Itagaki the honor of pioneering in the agitation for "constitutional government and in the organization and development of political parties. He has held the portfolios of finance, agriculture and commerce, foreign affairs and he has been premier, though it was only for a few months in 1898. In the present cabinet he temporarily assumes also the post of home minister. ■- When Olfuma was driven out of office Into the ranks of the opposition, he began to devote his leisure (if such a word is appropriate concerning a man of his activity) to education and -literature. He founded the great Waseda institution of learning as a protest against the narrowness and bigotry of the official system of education. And that Institution has ever since been a grekt center of academic freedom. He has also engaged In authorship -and will probably be especially famous for bis “Fifty Years of New Japan,” among many valuable literary productions. And he has been probably the most popular orator in Japan; he has certainly been In great demand for public addresses on the greatest variety of •objects. And he always seems to be so well prepared on all bis subjects, that it is a cause of much wonder bow he keeps so iyell posted.. He has a largo private library, and is very well read, a very widely read, scholar In “Who’s Who In Japan,“ his recreation is given, doubtless on his own authority, as horticulture. He certainly has a fine collection of tropical plan's, especially of orchids; an<f he is always ready to open his, gardens to visitors.

A Tokyo dally has given us the following account of his daily life, the Interest of which is not diminished bnt rather enhanced, by its Japanese English:’ '

“Every morning, leaving his bed at five, he takes a stroll in bis nice garden with his wife, aged sixty-five, who takes his hand, for about an hour, in order to breathe in fresh dir in the morning, or walks In the house, supported by a cratch. From this one •act we can learn what care be takes'

of his health, and there is reason that he keeps good one. He is sev-enty-seven years old, but strong as youth, nay,- the womanish young men of today must feel ashamed of their weakly constitution. As it is, people think that he will perhaps live one hundred and twenty-five years, as he says frankly.

“After taking exercise, he sits for breakfast, and reads newspapers afterward. About 8:30 or 9, he sees numbers of visitors —politicians, business men, educationists, religious men, newspaper meij, civil officials, military officers, people from the country, and others, with whom he likes to converse much. Of course, he does not sink into monomania. His topics of conversation are rich and many-sided; he is fond of talking on any subject whatsoever as much as he listens to others. •

“In the afternoon, he starts from his Mansion by motor car to be pres nt at several kinds of meeting, and in many cases he addresses public speeches. “Coming home at 4:30 or so, he takes a bath. Cleanliness seems to be what he makes much of. Look! he has always a bright countenance. There is no bit of the bad habit with the sol-called ‘eastern great men,’ who are rather proud of paying no attention to dirtiness. Refreshed by bathing, he takes dinner, after which books and magazines are read. By the way. his hobbies yre playing the go and potted plants. Needless to say, his greenhouse is well known among Japanese as well as foreigners. The time when he goes -to bed Is ten, by which o’clock he does not fail to come back.

“As for food, a paper says, he is not particular, though he sometimes orders for a special kind of meat, such as' the meat of a wild boar or the like, and Japanese meals are generally preferred to foreign food. He does not drink much, nor does he smoke,” Count Okumk is so hospitable that he is doubtless the best-known to foreigners of all tbe public men of Japan, unless it is possibly tbe late

Prince Ito. The latter may have been better known In some ways because he was a statesman.in power, bnt the former has . been best known personally. Okuma is very popular with the newspaper men, because be is not only so frank but also bo hospitable. He evidently believes that reporters are n6t overfed, for he always supplies them uot merely with news but also wltb refreshment for the Inner physical man In the shape of good food and drink. He never lets them go away hungry or thirsty. And he

likes to joke them, too. He is said to have remarked to % group of reporters, “It is remarkable how you fellows like to come here in these days of the high price of rice!” It is reported that when Kiyoura was interviewed by some journalists about the rumor that he was to be he replied: “I have only been smelling the eels, but have not hhd the dish offered me yet” When Okuma had been only talked about a little as a candidate for the premiership, he said: “I have not yet had even a smell of the eels!” Later, when he was said to have been offered the post by the elder statesmen, he remarked: “I am just smelling the eelß and have even been allowed to look at them. If one smells them too long and looks at them too much, he may come to wish to eat them!” And when he arrived home from the palace after he had received the imperial order to form a cabinet, he remarked to a crowd of reporters: “I have just eaten the eels!” (Eels are a favorite dish with a delicious odor.) The weakness of the .new cabinet lies in the fact that it is composed of rather heterogeneous elements, which may not be able to work long in harmony. Although General Oka, minis- ~ ter of war, is popular, Viscount Oura, from his former affiliations with the bureaucratic elements, is unpopular; there is, a suspicion that his conversion to party politics is not genuine. f But the strength of the minority is in its premier, who is so popular, and in whom the people in general have great confidence. In fact, this administration is an interesting combination of a personal and , a party ministry, whose real premier, or head is surely Okuma;

Count Okuma, Premier of Japan.

General Oka, Japanese War Minister.