Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-02
FREE SILVER IN JAPAN
How It Has Fostered Manufac-
 turing in That Country.
A TRAVELLERS CONVERSION
R. Van Bergen After Living in Japan Is Forced by Cold Facts to Become g.
 Silver Champion

"How long did you reside in Japan?" asked Post-Dispatch reporter of MT. R. Van Bergen, who represents a syndicate of American newspapers in the capital of Athat country.
 q lived there from 1869 to 1875, and re- turned to give an account of events dur ing the war"
 What struck you as most occupying our people since you returned?"
 What do you mean? In politics? O, undoubtedly the silver agitation, and think it is but right that such vital question should be decided at the polls next November"
 Tn what way?"
 "Why, when I left the United States was wholly in favor of the gold standard, but actual facts as seen in the far east have thoroughly converted me, as they have every resident there, no matter to what nationality he belongs"
 What is the cause of this conversion"
 "The facts, as they are daily paraded before our eyes. What do you think ena- bled Japan, an impoverished country without credit at home or abroad, only ten years ago, to borrow respectively 30. .OO0, 900, 5OO00.O00 and 1OO000,OOO of yen (dollars) from her own people? Nothing but the fact that both Europe and the United States had confined themselves to gold standard"
 HOW do you explain that!
 "Why, ten years ago, that is, before gold attained a fictitious value, there was no factory in Japan. It Is essentially an agricultural country, and the Japanese were satisfied in exporting tea, silk and curios, and buying of other countries what they needed of manufactures. But when silver began to go down, when the Japanese dollar, intrinsically worth more than the dollar of our daddies, went down in value, and they were compelled to pay as much as yen and sen fer every dol lars worth, they thought it was about time to manufacture their own goods. And what is the consequence?
 "Prior to the time I speak of the cotton spinners of Lancashire, England, found ready and remunerative market in China and Japan, and the aboriginal hand-spln- ming gradually disappeared, since cotton goods could be imported more cheaply. But gold assumed fictitious value ten years ago, and while for gold countries prices remained identical, those nations where silver was the medium of payment were compelled to pay premium which was severely felt in importing goods. En- terprising Japanese established a modern cotton spinnery with 800 spindles in Osaka Today 600,000 spindles are at work day and night. In Osaka alone there are 800 factories with chimneys 200 feet high and 200 with chimneys 25O rect high"
 'Inen you uO not doclipe odPaH . pAoo perity to low wages?''
 "Wages are, of course, a factor. But wages have risen in Japan 100 and 200 per cent. Remember, they are paid in silver, which Is the standard of value, and buys as much as 1t ever did. But those wages, because they are in silver, represent only one-ha1f the value in gold, and conse- quently, suppose the workingman there receives the same wages as his fellow worker here (which he does noD, even then the expense to the manufacturer would be only one-half of what the em- ployer pays here, because the latter pays in gold"
 "Then you do not aScriDe Japan s pros perty to protection?
 "Japan. by the treaties, is limited to a 5 per cent duty ad valorem. so as far as tariff is concerned, she can't have pro- lection, but she is protected through the folly of those nations who insist upon a gold standard. Do you think the Japanese are going to purchase any luxury when for every dollar they have to pay two of their lawful coin?
 "Japan can sell to China, India, Aus trala and charge half price and make fair profit. That is the reason why: when our factories stood idle, those Of Japan paid all the way from 12 to 2S per cent in dividends. It is no wonder, then, that every American who feels interested In the welfare of this country should be for silver and hope that the coming elec- tions will prove victory for this cause Read Consul-General T. R. Jernigan' s report in the consular reports of last year. From 1893 to 1894 our importations of cotton into China fell from f39 ,000, GOO to f29 000 0O0 and the fall has been much heavier since. MT. Jernlgan Is, of course, in touch with the administration on the financial question, but notwithstanding this. his report is one cry of anguish for ciIverp