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Constitutional Imperialism in Japan
[Vol. VI

army by two divisions. Katsura had come back[1] to political life as Premier and was also organizing a new political party (Doshikai). The new Premier and Saionji had effected an understanding, by which an oral message was to be given by the new young Emperor to Saionji, asking him to use his influence to keep the Seiyukai from pressing its opposition. But when Saionji delivered his message to the Seiyukai, he found them strongly united in declining to conform to the desire of their President. They were even more bitterly opposed to Katsura for dragging the Throne into the contest. Their attitude, as Satoh points out (p. 90), “was tantamount to disobeying an Imperial command.” Katsura suspended the Diet and intended to resort to dissolution; he is reported to have even carried in his pocket the Imperial Order for dissolution, but, when he realized the strength of public opinion against him, he resigned. Some of the newspaper comments on this struggle are interesting and instructive. The Chuo Shimbun, Tokyo, speaking of “such a hot encounter between the executive and the legislature,” says:

While its occurrence during the national mourning was to be regretted, it had the effect of chastising the clansmen and saving constitutional government from ruin.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo, said:

What took place during the last three months shows that the center of gravity in the political world has been shifted from the executive to the legislative department.

Inasmuch as the new Ministry under Yamamoto was practically a Seiyukai Cabinet, the rest of the session was quiet.

The thirty-first session was not so peaceful. When it transpired that the proposed budget included a very large sum for naval expansion, while at the same time naval scandals were being exposed, the popular disaffection became very great. The Seiyukai, with a large absolute majority as the result of

  1. ↑ He had retired to the posts of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Lord Chamberlain to the new Emperor Yoshihito.

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