KATSURA, TARO, PRINCE , Japanese soldier and statesman, was born in 1847 in Choshu. He fought under the Imperial banner in the civil war of the Restoration, and he displayed such talent that he was twice sent at public expense to Germany (in 1870 and 1884) to study strategy and tactics. In 1886 he was appointed vice-minister of war, and in 1891 the com mand of division devolved on him. He led the left wing of the Japanese army in the campaign of against China, and made a memorable march in the depth of winter from the north east shore of the Yellow sea to Haicheng, finally occupying Niuch wang, and effecting a junction with the second army corps which moved up the Liaotung peninsula. For these services he received the title of viscount. He held the portfolio of war from 1898 to 1901, when he became premier and retained office for four and a half years, a record in Japan.
the rank of marquess. He resigned the premiership in 1905 to Marquess Saionji, but was again invited to form a cabinet in 1908. Marquess Katsura might be considered the chief exponent of conservative views in Japan. Adhering strictly to the doctrine that ministries were responsible to the emperor alone and not at all to the diet, he stood wholly aloof from political parties, only his remarkable gift of tact and conciliation enabling him to govern on such principles. In Aug. 191I he resigned the premiership in favour of Marquess Saionji, after completing the work of financial reform and treaty revision which he had undertaken, and received the rank of prince. On Dec. 20, 1912, he again accepted office as premier. In Feb. 1913, however, a vote of censure on the premier was moved in the Diet for the alleged misuse of imperial rescripts, and on Feb. Io the prince resigned office. His health was already failing, and he died in Tokyo on Oct. 1o, 1913.