Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-23
PLEDGES Of JAP
RULERS NOT To
Be TRUSTED
Latest Financial Statement From
Toxic Gives Evidence of Usual
TriCkery and Deceit.
By ROERSIANER.

, CHICAGO, June 23-In the world
Of commerce and finance japanese
perfdy is proverbial. Gross misrep-
resentations, disregard for contracts
verbal or written-are allowable in
the trade ethics Of Japan.
That which is common among
tradesmen always is a reflection Of
the code among the authoritative
class. This is confirmed by the last
statement from the japanese Govern
ment. The document omits an item
that is characteristic Of the tinkering
fiscalism of the Toxic regime.
When, in 1905, Japan's national
debt was consolidated. a cardinal
stipulation was that all war loans.
amounting to SS5OOOO. 600, should he
redeemed within 30 years-every. year
llO,0o0000 yen should be set aside for
the redemption. Though no sinking
fund was started-fnanCe ministers
promised a beginning lat a more pro-
pitiOus time'-the redemptive clause
appeared conspicuously in all annual
statements save the latest. where 1t Is
strlhngly consp icuous by its absence.
loans Japan has increased these to a
grave sum. Nine years ago Japan's
obligations totalcd t.S72,OO0.OOO yen.
To-day, despite solemn promises of
reduction. the Japanese Government
owes 2,716,OOO 900 yen.
More Armament.
But the end is not vet. The Jap
anese Diet has actually approved a
new naval program, involving $780,
100000 yen while the newest Finance
Minister. Tokohashi, wants 800 O0O,-
600 yen for Increasing the efficiency
Of the army in Korea
A financial critic is concerned only
with finance and political economy. L
is his duty to call attention to the
pusillanimity of a government that
ruthlessly breaks faith with its cred
itOrs. But the proposals for increased
ornaments should arouse more curl
osity in Washington than has been
manifested so far.
To the political economist il sounds
odd to hear California berated for her
attitude toward the japanese who
wish to acquire land on the coast.
Japan, on her side, has never allowed
foreigners to own an inch Of land
there. Two or three years ago a bill
to permit this was passed by the
House of Representatives but it was
shelved higher up. never received i'm
perial sanction and never became law.
Foreign Labor Barred.
Japan does not permit any foreign
laborers to work in Japan Not long
ago a Japanese contractor, who had
undertaken to build a railway line,
found himself greatly hampered by
strikes among his natives. He, there
fore, engaged several hundred Chi
uesp A few days after these men
had arrived at Kobe, the authorities
discovered that the laws Of Japan
provide that no foreign laborers
should be allowed to work in Japan,
and all the men had to Oe deported,
the loss falling, Of course, upon them
and on the contractor,
b Furthermore. the taxes on foreign
Insurance companies doing business
in Japan have been doubled. and the
Government now vigorously forbids
foreign vessels to do a coasting trade.
Why in the circumstances. WASH
ingtOn, or any other government for
that matter, should be representative
about rufhing Japan's diplomatic sus-
capabilities is quite beyond the ken Of
a matter Of-faCt economist Viewed
economically. Japan wants everything
and will accord nothing.
In the matter Of her foreign loans,
she has gone very far, indeed, for she
has no sCruples whatsoever to re
strain her She would borrow to the
final farthing. promising the while
everything eXaCted of her-and pay
no attention TO the eEaCtOns. To the
government official a Toxic, moneta-
Ty obligations mean no more than the
word of the average japanese mer-
chant