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(★)(Hara Kei was without question the most astute politician in the party movement in Japan before the Pacific War. Mr. Najita examines the career of this brilliant political realist as he directed the growth of his party, the Seiyuukai, between 1905 and 1915. On the basis of Hara´s career and especially his adroit maneuvers during the Taishoo Political Crisis of 1912, Mr. Najita reassesses the meaning of political compromise made during this important decade. His book is based on the extensive use of materials not previously employed in Western studies of Japanese party history.／ It has long been argued that Japan´s non-revolutionary parties of this period, through their willingness to compromise on ideological issues, were largely responsible for Japan´s drift toward absolutism and her eventual involvement in the disastrous Pacific War of the 1930´s and 1940´s.／ Mr. Najita rejects this explanation. He ignores the imponderable problem of what effect the parties may have had on Japanese society and explores instead the more basic question of their sustained growth over a span of more than twenty years.／ Differing from those who have interpreted the compromises as signs of political deterioration, the author shows that such measures were the first steps in a logical sequence by which party men gained cabinet positions which enabled them to manipulate the bureaucracy for porposes of patronage. Thus he concludes that the growth of parties in Japan was the result of a shift among party men from ideological to strategic considerations. The author is Assistant Professor of History at Washington University in St. Louis.／ ▼CONTENTS／ ●1.BACKGROUND／The parties in the constitutional order／Yamagata and Itoo in party history／ ●2.THE BASIS OF POLITICAL COMPROMISE (1900-1905)／The background of Hara Kei／Hara´s rise in the Seiyuukai／Hara Kei : Party politician／Compromises with Katsura／ ●3.THE PRAGMATIC USES OF POWER (1906-1908)／The changing nature of the bureaucracy／Hara and some early appointments as Home Minister／Hara and the Governors／The plan to abolish the ´gun (district)´／Hara confronts the Yamagata faction／The breakdown of compromise／ ●4.THE CULTIVATION OF A LOCAL POWER BASE (1909-1911)／Party expansion through a positive economic policy／The broad-gauge issue／The broad-gauge postponed : the mutual understanding of January 1911／ ●5.PRELUDE TO CONFLICT (1911-1912)／Katsura´s announcement of the mutual understanding／Responses by Katsura／Hara agrees to a retrenchment policy : Winter 1911-1912／Yamagata and the Army´s demand : Winter 1911-1912／Katsura´s ´retirement´ : August 1912／Katsura and the collapse of the second Saionji Cabinet : December 1912／ ●6.THE MOVEMENT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT - DECEMBER 1912／Responses from the Seiyuukai／From the fireside of the Koojunsha／The gods of constitutional Government／The re-emergence of Katsura／The movement and Seiyuukai structure／ ●7.KATSURA AND THE FORMATION OF THE DOOSHIKAI - January 1913／Katsura Taroo : party politician／Katsura prepares to form a party／The breakdown of compromise between Katsura and the Seiyuukai／The division of the Kokumintoo／Katsura forms the Dooshikai／ ●8.THE TAISHOO POLITICAL CRISIS AT ITS HEIGHT - February 1913／Seiyuukai unity unimpaired／Katsura, Saionji, and the Imperial message／February 9 : Seiyuukai response to the Imperial message／Yamamoto Gonnohyooe and Satsuma intrigue／February 10 : An Imperial message is rejected／The riots ´to destroy clique government´／ ●9.COMPROMISE AND REFORM IN THE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT／Saionji and the establishment of the Yamamoto Cabinet／The compromise with Yamamoto／The protest against the compromise with Yamamoto／The reforms／Seiyuukai leadership preserved／ ●10.STEMMING THE ANTI-SEIYUU TIDE (1913-1915)／Hara and Katsura after the crisis／The Siemens incident and the collapse of the Yamamoto Cabinet／The emergence of the Ookuma Cabinet, April 1914／In defense of the Seiyuukai : The Hara-Yamagata talks, Fall 1914／Defeated at the polls : March 25, 1915／Hara and Seiyuukai recovery／ ●11.CONCLUSION) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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