Imperial Japan 1926-1938 by A. Morgan Young

Author:A. Morgan Young [Young, A. Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Asia, Japan, Reference, General, Social Science, Ethnic Studies, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781136917387
Google: -abHBQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2010-10-18T01:03:47+00:00

CHAPTER XIX

SAITO AND THE SPENDING POLICY

SAITO commanded respect, but nobody was really satisfied with his appointment. Most dissatisfied of all was the professional politician Dr. Suzuki, president of the Seiyukai, whom Saito was anxious to placate, but who refused anything short of the Premiership. He could hardly prevent other Seiyukai men from joining the Cabinet when invited; indeed, there was fierce competition between the two big parties for the loaves and fishes of office; but a day was to come when Suzuki arrogantly put loyalty to himself before public service and expelled members who consented to serve in any Cabinet not headed by himself.

It was an elderly Cabinet, the average age of the members being sixty-two, even with the almost youthful Goto’s forty-nine to bring down the average. Mr. Takahashi, one of the seniors, began with a rush that looked favourable at first to the military plans. He expanded the untaxable note issue of the Bank of Japan from 250 million to 1,000 million yen, and, though he confessed that he did not like doing it, increased the import duties by one-third in order to make up for the depreciation in the yen. (Similar treatment of the yen by other countries importing Japanese goods was complained of bitterly.) An issue of Government bonds to the extent of 500 million yen helped to make things easier, but though Takahashi spoke optimistically, the Premier, in his first speech, confessed that there was no sign of prosperity and that agriculture was in great distress.

The case of the farmers assumed such prominence during the Saito régime that some account of it is necessary. Agriculture is by far the greatest industry in Japan. The tourist takes due note of the wonderful achievements of primitive implements, and of the picturesqueness of Japanese farming. Since the beginning of the century, however, there had been revolutionary changes. The fields were bearing richer crops than ever, but the farmer’s difficulties increased. Some of these are characteristic of farming everywhere, notably the complaint of the tenant farmer that he cannot earn enough to pay his rent. In 1925 a law was enacted whereby a tenant farmer could borrow four thousand yen at low interest, to be repaid in the course of twenty-five years, in order that he might purchase himself a cho (2 1/2 acres) of land, which the landlord was bound to sell. In the latter part of 1927, Mr. Yamamoto, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, wanted another bill passed for giving further relief, but the Government refused to sponsor it, on the ground that the Act of 1925 was working satisfactorily; 12 million yen out of the 70 millions earmarked for the purpose had been advanced, and a thousand yeoman farmers created; but this was a phantom success, for peasant farmers owning their land were disappearing at the rate of ten thousand a year and becoming the tenants of their creditors, or, in some cases, simply deserting the land and taking a chance on what the towns were offering.

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