Directory_and_Chronicle_1897 — Page 50

JAPAN

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Previous to the last change of Government, which restored the ancient Imperial régime, the administrative authority rested with the Shogun (Military Commander) whom foreigners were at first led to recognise as the temporal sovereign, and with whom they negotiated treaties of peace and commerce. The Shogunate was founded in 1184 by Yoritomo, a general of great valour and ability, and was continued through several dynasties until 1869, when the Tokugawa family were dispossessed of the usurped authority. Under the Shogun three hundred or more Daimios (feudal princes) shared the administrative power, being practically supreme in their respective domains, conditionally upon their loyalty to the Shogun; but their rank and power disappeared with the Shogunate. On the 7th July, 1884, however, His Majesty issued an Imperial Notification and Rescript rehabilitating the nobility, and admitting to its ranks the most distinguished civil and military officials who took part in the work of the Restoration. The old titles were abolished, and have been replaced by those of Prince (Ko), Marquis (Ko), Count (Haku), Viscount (Shi), and Baron (Dan).

REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

Owing to recent events, the Budget for 1896-97 is very different from its predecessors. The revenue, including an instalment of the war indemnity, is estimated at about $138,000,000 and the expenditure at $152,000,000, being an increase of $47,000,000 in revenue and of $62,700,000 in expenditure over the previous year. The increased expenditure is due to interest on war loan and temporary loans, and to increases in the army, navy, and public works. Thus the expenditure for the extension of the navy has been voted at $94,000,000 to be spent in the next seven years, and $43,000,000 for the expansion of the army. Excluding the indemnity and subsidy for the occupation of Wei-hai-wei, the revenue is $97,200,000, or an increase of only $7,000,000 over the previous year. To meet the deficit of $14,000,000 (after including over $40,000,000 of the war indemnity in revenue) new taxes have been imposed which are estimated to yield over 52 million dollars, and the net increase in revenue is estimated at 26 millions. The increase in the war department for the current year is $19,261,180, and in the navy department $29,392,750. The large appropriation of nearly 95 million dollars, during seven years from April, 1895, for naval extension is exclusive of ships in course of construction. Of this sum 47 million dollars are for new vessels, nearly 34 millions for armament, and about 14 millions for buildings. For the increase of the army the extraordinary expenditure, spread over five years, is more than 43 millions of dollars, of which 17 millions are for "construction and equipment,' 14 for forts and their armament, 8 for manufacture of arms, and about three millions for extension of existing arsenals. This expenditure is expected to be exceeded. There are supplementary budgets for Formosa and Wei-hai-wei, which bring the total estimated expenditure to $196,999,165.

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The public debt of Japan amounted in 1896 to $520,753,119, of which only $1,203,408 was a foreign loan, and this latter is to be extinguished in 1897. It is intended that the existing national debt shall be paid off by annual appropriations extending to the year 1934.

ARMY AND Navy.

The armed force of Japan is divided into the Standing Army, the Reserve, and the Militia, and the troops into five classes. When on a peace footing the Army numbers 69,090 men, and on a war footing 267,896 men. They are stationed in various parts of the Empire, which is divided into six military districts, having headquarters at Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Kumamoto. Each of these military districts contains in time of peace 4 battalions of Infantry, I regiment of Cavalry, 2 batteries Artillery, 1 regiment of Engineers, and I regiment of Transport Corps. Camps are estab- lished in 56 places. Not included in the above are the Imperial Guard composed of 5,336 picked troops, which bring up the strength of the regular army, in time of peace, to some 74,426.

The navy of Japan consists of one barbette ship, one ironclad frigate, three steel coastguard ships, ten steel cruisers, nine steel gunboats, three composite sloops, one torpedo gunboat, a number of wooden vessels, and fifty-five torpedo boats. There are also in course of construction in England two first-class ironclad battle ships each of 13,411 tons, to steam 18 knots, carrying four cannon and thirty-four quick-firing guns; and in Japan one steel despatch boat of 1,800 tons, with a speed of twenty knots, and carrying twelve quick-firing guns, and one steel cruiser of 2,800 tons, with a speed of 194 knots, and carrying twenty quick-firing guns and four machine guns. The most powerful vessel at present in the navy is the barbette ship Chinyen, formerly the Chinyuen, captured from China in 1895; her displacement is 7,335 tons, her speed 14 knots, and her armament, which is now undergoing some alteration, consisted

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