Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-15

| of the rice fields-into embankmeuts soy
| tral feet high. but of such a long distance
rom what should be the center of th..
/ str. am. that instead of serving the puIpos..
| Tor which they were made, they only tend
! 10 confine the sediment of the stream With
| In the two embankments. instead of caus-
| ing II to now down the channel Iher,.b By
| constantly raising the bottom of the cur
/ rent above the level of the land through
| which II flows. 1t is, therefore, rot SUI
| rrising that when these streams con-
slderabiy swollen by any exceptionally
| heavy fall of rain they should burst
| through these fiimsily construc ted embank-
! rlents, against which they are thrust by
| the sediment heaped I'D in the bed of the
! channel. and forced over the iow-lying dis
| tricts, there to carry away all before them
until they find an outlet in the open. sea
| This is why We hear of so many floods in
Japan. and of the fearful devastation
| which usually accompanies them.
If one-half of the millions which are
| annually lost by these floods We're spent
| in properly deepening these rivers and
streams we should hear considerably less
of these catastrophes. and the people
once having recovered from the distress
which usually accompanies them. would
soon be in a position 10 properly con-
/ struct waterways necessary for the irriga-
| iion of their rice fields.
What Might Re Done.
1t is true that the government spends
comparatively large sums annually in re-
pdiIi.iS t!It h1lltlllS OF these rivers
and streams. But it is infinitesimal in
proportion to what is necessary. Besides
the work is not done III the way It should
be. 1t is not TO the embankments that
the work should be entirely directed but,
rather. TO the deepening OF the bed of the
streams. When this is properly done tlI,
streams will build their own cnbankmenrs
to considerable extent and the expens.
OF Keeping them In order will be COIN
10 Mt h..
AT the same time as this is being done
| light railways could be built very cheaplr
along the banks of the larger OF these
streams and rivers because the material
excavated could he used in the construction
OF such railways. thereby lessening the
cost and at the same time affordinr a
cheap and easy means of conveying the
produce and products of the districts
around them to the nearest markets or TO
the larger railways of the country If sucI,
a system as this were adopted and prom
eriy carried out the change in the coudi-
ton Of the country would be such that
what is now only the dream of the great
est patriot would be far advanced toward
a successful realization, and in "A more
genuine manner than Yet anticipated. OF
course, considerable capital would be re-
CURED to carry out such improvements
as these until sacn time as they become
seif-paying. And this question OF
finance is Iow the most perpleXing OF all
the problems with which the Japanese
government is confronted il may seem
unvise to propose such extensive works
at the present moment. This, however, L
do not believe to be the case.
Money Could BE Had.
There is plenty of money in the world
awaiting investment. and there are plenty
of investors ready and willing to put their
money at the disposal of the Japanese, ar
any other government, if they are con-
WINGED that it is to be employed for pur-
poses which Will eventually yield an ade-
qrate return. At the same time they .'e-
quire either some reasonable control over
the management of those with whom their
money is 10 be placed for disposal, or some
better and more reliable security than th.
Japanese government is at present either
disposed or in a position TO give. IL is the
want OF adequate control and the absence
of reliable security which prevent the in
Nestment OF foreign capital in Japanese
concerns. L have only mentioned one or
Two OF the primary ways in which ii could
be used TO the great advantage OF the ma
ton at large and to the profit of the in
Vestors. But there many others 10
which ii could be profitably applied If the
policy of the government was directed to-
ward promoting the development of the in
dCstrfes and resources of the country m
that way which would command the conf
dence of foreigners who might be dis
posed to invest money in Japanese con-
Germs rather than to the building up of a
large army and navy, for which there is
no apparent present urgent need and
which, IL long continued on the present
scale. is sure to bring about results which
cannot fail to considerably impede the
progress OF the country. If IL does not in
volve 1t In something considerably worse.