The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-04-02

~ VIII -. Brill, Special Commits
slonsr Of the Newspaper Enter
prise Association In the Far East.
TOXIC, Japan. March i2-The
| most Important subject before the
Japanese just at this moment II tho
/ financial question. The government
IL very well satiafied with the work
which the navy has done up 10 this
time ana in also satisfied that when
the land fighting begins the army
will giyc just az good an account %
itself.
All the efforts OF the government
officials. with the exception OF those
who are actually engaged In directing
the naval or field operations. are
/ directed towards the solution OF the
| financial problem. This war has
been IN contemplation for SO many
years that there Ia very little left
TO EueAa work. now thst war has
actually started. Even the financial
measures which che diet wlli be
asked 10 pass when n oonvenrh next
week have been carefully thought
out and there v practically nothing
left % do.
In the first place all expenses are
60 be cut down 20 the very mint
mum. All the possible expenses 81
the war have been figured over a
dozen times and the result of all this
figuring is that & u believed that
the total
EXPENsEs or THE WAR
can be held down 10 800 cos. COO yen.
or tlbe. oo9. esg In American money.
a year This sum. while II seems a
very large one. IL IN reality very
small. Men m Japan who have
made such estimates IN other coun-
tres almost life long study believe
that no other country IN the world
would be abie 10 prosecute = great
var AZ 80 nmaii cost
The japanese are very econon"
tcal race 90 begin with. Their wants
are very few and the expenses OF
the army and the navy are CORE
spondinsiy email. The pay Of the
soldiers and sailors h very small.
indeed. and the cost Of sunteuancs Ia
bower by two-thirds than In any
ether army IN the world. saving only
nat Of China The Japanese soldier
b. net attracted b. the pay and the
easy time be viii have when he
wears the uniform Of his country.
lie 10
EXTREMELY PATRIOTIC.
and even n nc wasn't u would make
very little difference. for he j. com
PEELED 60 serve whether he likes ~
OF not.
The next question that appeals 20
the japanese flnancier In where IL
the money 20 be obtained TO prose-
cute this war. The frat plan IL. %
eearee. = foreign loan. but this The
Japanese ehieet to They arr very
anxioas 20 fikbt this war them
selves without airy help from the
OUTSIDE. They even object 20 Dor
rnwtag money from other nations. IL
has been figured out that the gov
ernfaen, In now In the possession Of
funds for the carrying on Of this
war for az least n months IL u
Were certain that the war would be
over by that time then there would
b., no question 10 trouble the GOV"
eminent. hut will ny The eoncen.
snn ~ opinion seems 60 be that "
viii not. Therefore u win be nsc"s-
sary 90 obtain more money. Then
the question nj once arises VIII u
not be better to borrow large sums
% money now Japan'n
CREDIT ~ EXCELLENT
nj tho present time. but at the end
Of a year and a half 81 war-an6
possible defeats-wiii ~ be as good
Some OF the members of the various
state councils are In favor OF bore
rowing a large sum Of money by
means % a foreign loan NJ once,
while others think that IL would be
wise 90 wait until the money II
actually needed. what will b. done
viii not be decided for some time 90
come.
The methods which the govern
fneut has used and will use 90 secure
the necessary money for carrying on
the war for the first year and a hair
are somewhat peculiar. In the first
place there Is already n large sum
in the hands Of the government for
this purpose. war fund has been
sata bllnhed ard this IL rapidly grow
ing from contributions which range
IN amount from 7oeo.o 900 yen con-
trlbu,ed by the emperor from his
private fortune Go one yen. the
amount 81 hundreds Of contributions
from the very poor OF the country.
All 81 the rich men Of the country
have made large contributions 10
this fund and IL has reached a very
large sum.
The mex, step was the floiaiion OF
"A fopular loan. War bonds are
about 10 be issued In small amounts.
similar TO the bonds issued BY the
United States during the Spanish
war. The first issue OF these bonds
uiil aggregate i00.ooo,o0o yen. The