ITIUS PORTUS, the port on the French D coast, nearly opposite over, from which Caesar sailed on his second expedition to Britain in 54 n.c. •Its position has been a matter of much controversy; the majority of geographers, how ever, identify it with Wissant, a village near Boulogne.
ITO, Hirobumi, PRINCE, Japanese states man: b. Choshu, 2 Sept. 1840; d. 26 Oct. 1909. His father was a samurai retainer of the daimio of Choshu, with whom the youth became a trusted agent in his opposition to the Shogunate. While at Yedo in the interests of fiis chief, Ito became acquainted with western methods of warfare, consequent on the visit of Commodore Perry in 1854, and determining to study these in their native countries, with four comrades, left Japan secretly, and even tually anved in London. Diplomatic compli cations arising, owing to his daimio ignoring the right conferred by the Shogun on European powers to navigate the Inland Sea. Ito has tened home before two years had elapsed, but was unsuccessful in his efforts to persuade the daimio of Choshu from opposing the European fleets assembled at Shimonoseki. The daimio defeated, Japan awakened to the power of the I West, and Ito became the impelling factor in i its reorganization on models more in accord with the leading powers of the world. He took an active part in the overthrow of the Shogu nate and the restoration of the Imperial power in the person of the Kotei or Mikado in 1868 was appointed governor of Hiogo, and in 1869 vice-minister of finance. He then became prominent as an advocate of uniform coinage. In this connection he visited the United States and after studying the financial system of that country returned to Japan with the recommen dation that the decimal system of money be adopted, which was done and a mint estab lished at Osaka. In 1872-73 he made a tour of the world, as a member of Iwakura'i embassy, for the purpose of revising or modifying the treaties then in force. In 1872 he became min ister of public works and established a college of engineering and secured the building of the railway from Yokohama to Tokio. In 1876 he again visited Europe to study the constitutions of the various countries for the purpose of re modelling that of Japan. On his return he in augurated a radical plan for changing social customs. Having become minister-president of state he started these reforms in the government offices, eliminating men of the old schools and substituting men of modern training and thought. He also reconstructed the Jaws and codes according to the ideas of western coun tries and carried out many reforms in economy.
In 1882, the emperor, desirous of adopting the form of government, commis sioned Ito to proceed to Europe and America in order to investigate the governmental sys tems of the two continents. While in Europe he attended the coronation ceremony of Tsar Alexander HI, as a representative of Japan, and returning in the following year, he began the work of drafting the constitution of the Empire. One year later Ito was appointed minister of the imperial household and created count. In 1885 he was dispatched to China and concluded the Tientsin Treaty with late Hung Chang; became prime minister is the same year, but in 1888, when the privy council was created, resigned the premiership and was made presi dent of the council. The constitution, the re
sult of his exhaustive investigation, was pro claimed on 11 Feb. 1889, and when the imperial diet was first convened, Count Ito was ap pointed president of the house of peers. Dur ing his second premiership war broke out with China, and it was he who negotiated peace and. concluded the Shimonoseki Treaty. In recog nition of his services during this war Count Ito was created Marquis in 1896. In the same year he resigned the premiership only to form his third cabinet in 1898. Soon afterwards, how ever, at his own request the emperor relieved him from office, and he recommended to the sovereign the leaders of the two political par ties then becoming prominent in the political life of the country. His advice was acted upon and these leaders formed a party cabinet, but soon quarreled and the first party cabinet in the history of Japan ended in failure. Ito then organized a political party, the Constitutional ists, but this action evoked strong opposition from the conservative element. When he formed his fourth cabinet in 1900, Marquis Ito met with firm opposition from the house of peers the members of which were mostly con servative in view. His premiership was short lived ; he resigned in Tune 1901 and in order to improve his health visited Europe and America. He received the degree of LL.D. from Yale University and in England was created grand commander of the most Honorable Order of the Bath. Subsequently he severed connection with the party of his own creation and was ap pointed president of the Privy Council. He failed to reach an understanding with Russia and at once opened negotiations which resulted in the Anglo-Japanese, alliance of 1902. Dur ing the war with Russia, Marquis Ito, as one of the cElder Statesmen" was the most trusted counsellor of the emperor. After the conclu sion of peace which he did much to bring about, he was twice dispatched to Korea, these visits resulting in the Japan-Korea Treaty, declaring the Japanese protectorate over the peninsula. The marquis was ultimately appointed Resident General of Korea, which high office he contin . . . .
ued to hold until his assassination by a Korean at Harbin. The Marquis was raised to the rank of prince in 1907. (See JAPAN; KOREA).
Fitzgerald, tzgerald, W. Cl., Some Japanese Statesmen of To-day' (in Putnam's Maazine, Vol. III, New Yen* J 1908) ; Foster, J. W., 'Marquis Ito, the Japanese Statesman' (in international' Quarterly, Vol. IX, New York 1904) ; Ladd, G. T., 'In Korea with Marquis Ito' (iti. 1908); and Nakamura, K., 'Prince Ito, the Man and Statesman' (ib. 1910) ; Grif fis, W. Statesmanship of Ito' (in North American Review, Vol. CXCI, New York 1910) • Johnston, J. T. M., 'Hirobumi ltd —Japan' (in 'World Patriots,' ib. 1917) ; Pai nter, F., 'Marquis Ito, the Great Man of japan' (in Scribner's Magazine, Vol. XXX, p. 613, New York 1901). •