Once upon a ti ring-leader of who planned to raze th foreign settlement of Yokohami the ground and to put all foreigners to the sword, But not long afterwards, he saw the error of his ways and established the first Japanese bank, on Westefn lines, in the very: city he intended to hurt, a that, in those days, soon enjoyed the jeonfidence of the big foreign firms doing business in the then extra: territorial settlement of Yokohama.
This strange personage who, from 1a bitter hate of everything foreign, was destined to be one of the con: necting links between East and West, was born in 1840 at a small village on the outskirts of Tokyo, then known as Yedo. He belonged to a wealthy fai ly and is among, the few makers of modern Japan who never changed anti-alienism was the jis conversion. Because he foreign devils" tensely, the last Shogun, Kei kagawa, promoted him to the rauk of personal retainer of the Shogun-He na special 1 Restoration, was sent on a tour of investigation of Europe. reached that continent when it was} in a condition of flux, following the Austro-Prussian war, but he "had opportunities to study how Western methods pieced together the broken! threads of business and ance and restored the war-shattered economic fabric to normal.
These methods, he thought, with—proper allowances. made for the special 1 needs of h own country, would be well suited for Japan.
He return. ed from Europe with something of [respect for the "foreign barbara a respect that took away much <f the edge from his anti-foreignism.
The Great Awakening When he returned, momentous happenings had taken place The Shogun had abdicated] the Boy ict_tinge of pro-discernible, especial Newly: awakened Japan determined to make itself as strong and as great as! Western nations, and was already' sending students to Europe an' America to learn not only the art and science of war, but also to se cure that knowledge which helped the Occident to forge to the front Shibusawa was granted an inter. view with the Emperor and at this terview some of the keenest minds, of the nation were present. The young man recounted his observa. tions in Europe and told what then was the Supreme Council the Nation that, only by modernizing the country's business, finance and commerce, could Japan ever hope maintain 2 strong army or to hav fleets like the other Powers. other words," he said, to. make Japan great and strong, as desire of us all, money is needed and the money can only be had by throwing overboard our old systems in business and finance and substituting for them the more advaneed methods of the West."
His argument convinced all present and he was persuaded to] accept the directorship of the Taxation Bureau, an important office i: the Finance Ministry. He steadily rose until be became Vice-Minister of Finance and then resigned to be come a merchant. This act of his; created a feeling of almost consternation. A' merchant! Why, that word was synonymous with dezradation in the Japan of those days.
About this time, the Japanese Government sent an important mission to the United States and to Europe under Prince (then plain Mr.) Ito One of the frat essential was a National Bank, and Mitsu thought the country needle:
the father of the present Baron Iwasaki, and four other wealthy men founded the (Dai-Ichi Ginko (The First National Bank) of which. Shibusawa became the president, A Household Word By this time, the name of Shibusaw was known everywhere. The people reposed unquestioned faith in him and when he founded branch. the por ies, forei such Dig corporations like the Standard Oil Company of America, availed themselves of the services of Shibusawa's bank,—This action was; prompted not merely out of respect, to Shibusawa, but was also, for the purpose of giving every possible assistance to the latest fledgling the comity of nations. The convertible notes of the bank bore Shibusawa's picture; no other would satisfy the public and the name of Shibusawa was interwoven in the current talk of the da Shibusawa was now a confirmed pro-Occidental, but there was one phase in his character that could not be converted, Great off were made to have this Grand Man a of Japan become a Christian, the Into Mr. John Wanamaker in parti cular putting forth indefatigable efforts in this direction, 'The story goes that, at one stage of his pleading when Shibusawa was in the States, the two wept because they' could not see eye to eye on thi tone subject onfucious wrote, said Shibusawa, "that when Heaven wants to make a' man or nation great, it first tests him severely in order to strengthen and build up character. On the other hand, Jesus said that the persecuted are blessed for theirs' is the Kingdom of Heaven. The two amount to the same thing. Why then try to convert me?"
Working of Karma count Shibusawa today is! like an autumn leaf, seared and marked by the passage of time and by hig manifold Inbours, but he's not by any manner of means with ered or "played out." One of the greatest disappointments in his lite is said to be the passage of the American Immigration Bill. When! passion was at its height in. 1924, consequence of this legislation, Viscount Shibusawa, despite his years, "stumped" the country, ent merating the services rendered by the United States to Japan at al critical time in the nation's hist He often remarks, with quaint Oriental philosophy, that the Imm gration Act is but' the working of Karma. "I once wanted to do to the foreigners. The mere shutting out of a few Japanese, although regret it very much' for sake of my country's prest cannot be compared with the mad impulses that once actuated me and thousands of my countrymen," he has been known to say.
Viscount Shibusawa is not a very' rich man, due largely to the fact that he used what wealth he amass-towards the uplift of his country and in helping the needy. He does not like the spotlight of publicity] and does not care to have his biography written. "I would rather} this is not done," he has told many, "because when you or anyone else writes the'life of an old man like me, I feel og though people think] that Tam going to die soon. assure you I have no intention of seeking final rest yet. Besides, I am not sufficiently known to have my life written up."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.