ABSTRACT

This is from the Labour World, now or lately * Sole Organ of Labour and Socialism in Japan ' ; from the two of its pages which are printed in an English language. The Labour World also tells you, in the same English language, that * Socialists in Japan have been oppressed, their writings, speeches are severely censured without least consideration. Their meetings are supervised as if they were of criminals/

Relatively speaking, the English language of the Labour World of Tokyo is good. It has its meaning. Much English is written and printed in Japan of which the drift is very obscure. The vision or the candour of

the Labour World is more at fault than its English. The c sole organ of Labour and Socialism in Japan' should know its arch enemy better than to write of it as i a limited constitutional monarchy of rather an advanced type.' But this ignorance-it is nigh impossible to take it for sophistry-is instructive, and one feels the need of a clue when following up the trail of Japanese Socialism. This ignorance bewrays it. It bewrays it more than its English speech. If I must give Japanese Socialism a place in this record, I must classify it, determine its species. To do this I have to identify it, to distinguish its markings. I make a fair beginning when I light upon ' a limited constitutional monarchy of rather an advanced type,' which, by token of the Labour Worlds 'sole organ,' etc., is Japanese Socialism's notion of its enemy. To achieve my final scientific result I record my first scientific observation : * Japanese Socialism does not know its enemy'; logical inferences : ' Japanese Socialism does not know its mission ; does not know Japan ; does not know itself; does not know what is Socialism ; it knows nothing ; it does not exist.'