faz Yokohama newspapers which arrived on Tuesday bring intelligence of certain changes in the Japanese Cabinet. Count Inouye, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has resigned but still remains a member of the Cabinet as Court Coun: oiller, Count Ito, the Premier, takes the Foreign Office temporarily, Count Kutoda has joined the Cabinet as Minister of State for Commerce and Viscount Hijikata, who succeeded Viscount Tani in that position, has been moved to the post of Minister of State for the Imperial Household. The effect of these changes is thatthe Premier, Count. Ito, resigns an office % the Household which was probably little more than a sinecure, the holding of which gave umbrage the constitutional spirits among countrymen, and takes for a time a post equal in importance to his premiership. He is now in the same position as Lord Salisbury, holding two offices, either of which would tax the strength and ability of any first class statesman, Count Inowye, who held as high a place in the eyes of foreigners as the Premier takes a Court Office which is pretty much the same as if Hamlet were to try his hand in the part of Polonius. Our contemporaries in Yokohama do not say whether it is expected that Count Inouye's retirement from active political life will end, aiter or retard his revolutionary plans in changing the dress of Japanese ladies. But we presume it will not affect this; which may he assumed to be a part of the continuous policy of Japanese statesmen. In it the late Government succeeded when it failed in Treaty revision.
The causes which led to the resignation of Count Inouye had not been made known either to the nation or the foreign press. It is generally assumed to have been on account of his failure in the negotiations for revision of the Preaties. The resignation does not appear to have been altogether unexpected, say our contemporaries, nevertheless it came upon them and the public as a surprise. It is also said that it was expected in many quarters that Count Inouye would have resigned office when the negotiations for Treaty Revision were suspended. It is now alleged that he did in fact resign then, but that from loyalty to his colleagues he consented to continue in office utu, as one paper says, "the situation had been maturely discussed and until measures could be taken to deal with the embarrassment his retirement must make." Another paper says that it was his friendship for the Premier which induced him to hold his resignation over for some weeks; while a third contemporary says that he consented to remain in ofice, after resigning, at the solicitation of his colleagues in consideration of the difficulties which his resignation might cause. These are all the same story somewhat differently put and wrapped up with the mass of words in which some of our Yokohama contemporaries revel. The native press is apparently divided in opinion about the changes in the Cabinet, the Nichi Nichi, the semiofficial organ; says in a word that the Cabinet has lost Count Inouye but has ined Count Kuroda whose influence is very great. It thinks the Ministry is as strong as ever. On this part of the subject one of the foreign papers gives these notes from other native sheets—"The Choya says that though a few ministers have changed seats, it fails to see how this will change the administration, If Count Inouye resigned because his policy was not approved of, then the whole of the Cabinet should have resigned, as the responsibility must be equally shared by the other members. ('The Choya has since been suspended.) The Mainichi says the alterations will not do at all. The general belief is that the present Cabinet will not be able to hold together long, and that more striking changes in its composition will be made shortly."
It would seem to be impossible that a statesman of Count Inouye's abilities and force of character can long fill such an office as that to which he has been transferred. It no doubt will afford him sufficient leisure in which to review his recent political policy, and this may be of service to him. He has leant too much on one European power and has thereby excited the not unnatural jealousy of another, and this has contributed as much as anything else to the failure of the Treaty negotiations when these seemed all but completed in the manner which his countrymen so ardently desired. This is a matter in which the foreign press in Japan has been silent, but what went on during the time when the Treaty negotiations were proceeding was well known to those who Interested themselves in Japanese politics. No doubt Count Inonye's admiration for one European country led him to believe that in trusting to her and pushing her interests in Japan_he was doing the best for his own nation, but prudence might have suggested to him that this would excite the jealousy of another power. It did not do so with Count Inouye, and some people believe that this mistake of his has cost him and Japan dear. But according to the Mail Count Inouye has been compelled to retire, because his countrymen have been unable to keep up with the progress made in international policy by the Government of which he was a member. Hence, the people could not understand how temporary and mutual cou-cessions were necessary in the 'T'reaty negotiations. The revision of Treaties is to be postponed until Japan's codes are fully compiled, and this the Japanese who lagged behind the Government interpreted into an abandonment of Count Inouye's programme. It may be so. But to many people it will seem that the commoner folk in Japan saw that some one had blundered, and uaturally inferred that it was the Minister
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.