The daily sentinel., 1914-01-24
JAPAN IN SORE
STRAITS DUE To
HEAVY TAXATION
Famine Threatens Whole Nation
Because Of Heavy Burden
Caused by Her Wars.
Associated Press.

Toxic, Jan. 24.-Despite official
utterances to reassure the public, ia
ran is declared in other quarters to
he suffering from an economic de-
preston. In the northeastern sec
tion a famine has made the situation
particularly acute. In some cages
schools have had to close because
there was no money to pay the teach
ers and because the children, weak
from lack of food, were unable to at
tend. The Hokkaido government has
asked the central government to ad-
vance Sl5. 100000 for relief funds.
The CHIEF cause of the general de-
preston, which began about the time
of the death of Emperor Mutsuhito,
is the heavy taxation of the people
which is necessary to pay the inter-
est on the national debt of over a
billion dollars. The wave of elation
among the people at the close of the
victorious war with Russia and a
patriotic business boom also caused
Il general rise in the standard of liv-
ing and the price of commodities
scared as result of the more luxur-
ious level of expenditure Then
came reaction. This was due to the
burden of extraordinary taxes to
meet the war debt and constant ex-
penditures in the building up or a
big army and navy
The government. however, is at
tGcking the problem heroically by
making heavy retrenchments. Much
to the dissatisfaction of the army, it
has been decided to abandon for the
present. at least, the long-standing
proposal to create two more military
divisions.
Baron Takahashi, the minister of
finance, promises a reduction of
taxes to tighten the burdens of the
people. He will endeavor to con-
tinue the practice of redeeming the
national debt by S25, 100000 yearly.
He looks forward also to an increase
in the amount of capital invested in
the establishment or expansion of
banking and industrial enterprises,
Costly harbor improvements may be
delayed but the authorities are ac-
lively planning to build new water
works system in the city of Toxic
and construct a sewage system of
which the metropolis stands badly in
need in the interest of public health.
For these improvements loans will
probably soon be sought in Europe.
But it is by increasing her export
trade that Japan hopes to find real
relief. Continuous order in China,
where revolution upset the market
for Japanese goods, and the opening
OF the Panama canal are greatly de-
sired as furnishing means for aug
nenting the exports and thereby re-
ducing the balance of trade which
now stands against Japan.
Everybody is also looking forward
eagerly to the coronation of the new
emperor next fall as signalling
bright prospects by the increased de-
mand for labor and putting a large
amount of money into circulation.
The Japanese business men who
visited the United States four months
ago have decided upon campaign
for closer understanding between the
two countries. At a recent reunion,
upon the anniversary of the party's
return after four months stay in
America, resolutions were adopted
asking friends in America to assist
in furthering the traditional friend
ship between Japan and the United
States. 1t as decided that members
of the party should send personal
letters to their American acquaint-
ances seeking their aid in this cause.
This is but one of many indica-
tions of Japans earnest desire to be
understood by the United States as a
first-class power and to bring an end
to the movements in the United
States which hit the japanese.