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When I was in the Cabinet I attempted two reforms—executive and economic; but, unfortunately, before their accomplishment our Ministry had withdrawn from their position.

As the result of the Chino-Japanese War, our Government resources expanded tremendously, so that now we see an increase of from 80,000,000 to 280,000,000 yen. But this fact adds nothing to the muscle and the blood of the country, it gives nothing to the economic development of Japan. In other words, our national resources have not developed correspondingly with our Governmental resources. This condition of affairs cannot be left alone. We must reorganize it, and, therefore, the Government must give its attention to it. The first step to check this overdevelopment of Governmental resources by means of executive reorganization is the practice of economic policy in general.

The second step pursued in economic policy is to gain an accurate knowledge of any existing defects as they actually are, and which require careful attention. I refer here more especially to the matter of the supplementary Budgets submitted by the Cabinet to the Diet. It has become almost habitual for our Cabinets to propose a supplementary Budget as soon as the general estimates pass the Diet. Thus, when I was in the Diet, this supplementary Budget occurred several times in one session of the Diet. This, I think, ought to be stopped, as it tends to disorganize our financial system. I might here call to mind the similar condition which existed in the English Government. My mission was to investigate the affairs of government conducted by these nations, with a view to prepare for the opening of our Diet, and I took the Japanese Constitution to show to and receive comments from the statesmen of Western countries. I had the pleasure of discussing it with several distinguished men of the British Empire, among them being Mr. James Bryce, who is renowned as a scholar of constitutional law and for his work in the Cabinet. His view was somewhat as follows: ‘The Japanese Constitution does not allow the Diet to cut off the amount of the estimate of the Cabinet without the consent of the latter. I believe it is a fine provision. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that there is another point to be guarded against. That is, the question of allowing a member to bring in a Bill to increase the amount of expenditure of the Government. This is provided against in the English Constitution by a rule in the House of Commons, but I fear that the same evil will develop in Japan that arose in England; and although I think this Constitution of your country is a splendid one, I predict that within ten years of its practice your Cabinet and your Parlia-