The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-10

per cent on the daily balances of it's depositors.
 Another Japanese bank the Dai Ichi Ginko, the president of which is Baron Shibusawa, has a capital of 100000 yen and there are foreign banks with capitals ranging up to $2oooo,O0o and with enor- nous reserve funds Among these is the International Banking company of New York, which has capital and surplus or $6, 800, ,000
 As to Japanese banks, they are to be found all over the country. There are more than 20O0 of them and their capital, all told, amounts to more than ha1f oii- lion ven. Nearly all the leading banks , of Tokio are paying dividends and some very large ones. The One Hundredth
 bank in 1906 paid 30 per cent. An odd thing about these banks is that each has its seal at the head of it's advertisement.
 The seal of a man or business firm is more important than the signature and
 payments are chiefly made by seal.
 Japan and Our Panic.
 I called this morning on the vice minis. ter of foreign affairs, MT. 1shii. and had a short chat with him over the nnanclai situation as it exists here today. He says that the hard times will not be Of long continuance and that the new arrange ments which have been made by the government will lead to rapid improv- ment. Said he: "One of the chief causes of our present lack Of prosperity IS the depressed condition which has prevailed in the United States during the past year. Your country is our best customer. Our trade with you amounts to more than s2OO, ,O00, GOO and in ordinary years we sell you more than s1oO,O 900 worth of Jap anese goods In 1906 our exports to the United States amounted to more than s125. .0OO. .O00 Your panic of last year has materially decreased the demands Tor our goods and this is one cause of our man cial distress Indeed our relations with you are so close that we feel any change of the business situation in your coun- try.
 Japan in Manchuria.
 The conversation here turned to Man | churia and I asked MT. Ishii whether 1t was so that the Japanese were capturing all the trade of that country? .It is not SOL was the reply. Indeed,
 our trade in Manchuria is so small that we are ashamed of 1t. We are doing all we can to get a bod there, but are not succeeding as we should. Our exports ] are less than 81 100000 in value, which Is but a small part of the foreign trade" 1 "Have the Japanese any advantages over other nations as to that trader | "No, I think not
 But. Your Excellency," said l, T have understood that your steamships are car rying Japanese goods at especially low | freight rates and that bountes are given 1 on such of your manufactures as are ex- ported to Manchuria.'
 That Is mistake" said MT lshii, we l have no such bounties. Our goods nave | to stand on their own footing. It IS true l that we are subsidizing our steamsnips' 1 for we believe that it pays us to increase our merchant marine in that way. Japan Friendly to Uncle Sam.
 "What is the feeling here as to the ! United States%' r,.. "It is of the friendliest nature. rms talk about war and i'll feeling IS only found in the yellow journals or the two | countries. and especially In those O. l America. Our friendship with you began i witb inc opening of Japan in the days oi l Commodore Perry. and it has grown ! steadily believe that the best or 1eei. inc exists between the better classes or hotb countries and that such reeiing will continue" .. c,,... "What do you think of the Chinese bovcott of Japanese goodsT'
 .srt was somewhat of surprise to us' as if was to the United States when the | T,b,nese boycotted American goods. It ] seeme to me that this is one of the eie- | ments we shall have to reckon with In our Asiatic trade of the future. The | Chinese have learned the power Of such | combinattons, and I believe that they
 win use them more or less against other
 nations with whom they are trading. In- deed, see no remedy for such a satna-