It has long been recognized that the Japanese are emotional, but the full significance of this element of their nature is far from realized.  It underlies their entire life; it determines the mental activities in a way and to a degree that Occidentals can hardly appreciate.  Waves of feeling have swept through the country, carrying everything before them in a manner that has oftentimes amazed us of foreign lands.  An illustration from the recent political life of the nation comes to mind in this connection.  For months previous to the outbreak of the recent war with China, there had been a prolonged struggle between the Cabinet and the political parties who were united in their opposition to the government, though in little else.  The parties insisted that the Cabinet should be responsible to the party in power in the Lower House, as is the case in England, that thus they might stand and fall together.  The Cabinet, on the other hand, contended that, according to the constitution, it was responsible to the Emperor alone, and that consequently there was no need of a change in the Cabinet with every change of party leadership.  The nation waxed hot over the discussion.  Successive Diets were dissolved and new Diets elected, in none of which, however, could the supporters of the Cabinet secure a majority; the Cabinet was, therefore, incapable of carrying out any of its distinctive measures.  Several times the opposition went so far as to decline to pass the budget proposed by the Cabinet, unless so reduced as to cripple the government, the reason constantly urged being that the Cabinet was not competent to administer the expenditure of such large sums of money.  There were no direct charges of fraud, but simply of incompetence.  More than once the Cabinet was compelled to carry on the government during the year under the budget of the previous year, as provided by the constitution.  So intense was the feeling that the capital was full of “soshi,”—­political ruffians,—­and fear was entertained as to the personal safety of the members of the Cabinet.  The whole country was intensely excited over the matter.  The newspapers were not loath to charge the government with extravagance, and a great explosion seemed inevitable, when, suddenly, a breeze from a new quarter arose and absolutely changed the face of the nation.

War with China was whispered, and then noised around.  Events moved rapidly.  One or two successful encounters with the Chinese stirred the warlike passion that lurked in every breast.  At once the feud with the Cabinet was forgotten.  When, on short notice, an extra session of the Diet was called to vote funds for a war, not a word was breathed about lack of confidence in the Cabinet or its incompetence to manage the ordinary expenditures of the government; on the contrary, within five minutes from the introduction of the government bill asking a war appropriation of 150,000,000 yen, the bill was unanimously passed.