The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-24
FAMINE FELT IN JAPAN LAND.
tRy Aaa6ciated PFesg.l

<Ok1Os Jan- 24---DeSp1Ie OInc1al. uI- terances to reassure the public, Japan is declared in other quarters to he sufrering from an econottiic. depres- <EorS In the north east4gz-s section a famine has made the situation partic- ularIy acute. In some eases schools have had to close because there was no money to pay the teachers and be- cause the children, weak from lack of food, were unable to- attend. The Hokkaido government has asked the central government to advance t1 b.. O00,ooO for relief funds.
 The chief cause of the general de- pression. which began about the time of the death of Emperor Mutsutito Q is the heavy taxa ton of the people which is necessary to pay the inter- est on the national debt of over a bf- ion dollars The wave of elAt1on among the people at the close of the victorious war with Russian and pa triotic business boom also caused a general rise in the standard of living and the price of comme dities. scared as result of the more luxurious level of ekpahditlIres Then came feaGtion- This was due to the burden of eatra- ordinary taxes to meet the war debt. and constant expenditures in the building up of 9 big army and navy.
 The government however, is attack Ing the problem heroicalIy by making heavys retrenchnaent Much to. the F been decided to abandon for the pres ent at least, the 1orig-standing pro- posa1 to create two more military di- visions,
 Baron Takahashi, the minister of finance promises a. reduction of taxes to Egften the burdens of the people. He win endeaVor to continue the prac- tice Of redeen1ins the national debt by $25s OdOs 0 00 yearly He looks for ward ralSo 10 an fncrease in the amount of capital invested ln the es- tablishEaent or expansions of banking and 1ndusT1aI enterprises. Costly harbor improvements may be delay ed but the authorities are actively planning to build a new waterworks system in the city of Tolxie and con struct Sewage system of which the metropolis stands badly in need in the ferest of public health For the ese i'm Drovements 1osds wfll7 pfebably soon be sought in Europe s
 B4tie IS by Increasing her export trade that Japan hopes to find real re- lief Condnnol1s order in China, where revolution upset the market for Japanese goods, and the opening of the PanaElasCa are greatly de- sired as furnishing means for aug menting fl1e exports and thereby re- ducing the balance of trade which now stands against Japan
 Everybody is also looking forward eagerly to the coronation Of thef new emperor next fau a5 signalizing bright prospects by the increased demand for labor and putting a large amount of money into circula ton.
 The Japanese business men who visited the United Etates four years ago have decided upon campaign for closer nnderstah ding betW n the two countries At a recent reunfozs upon the anniV ersary of the partyss return after a four months stay dn America, resolutions were adopted asking friends in America to assist in further-a ing the frad1f1ona1 frieAdshi D between -Japan- and tho United Stat tss It. was decided that members of the party should send personal letters to their American acQuaintances seeking theis [ aid in this cause
 This is but one of many indications stood by the United States as a ffrst4s class power and to bring. al end to the movements in the United States which hit the Japanese.
 It would be a mistake, however, to believe that Japan intends to drop the Cal5feTnza Ian q essestion. On Nt1ie contrary, there is every indication thar She will stick tenaciously to her original position This point of view was voiced by Buci Nakano, president of the Tokio Chamber of Commerce while welcoming d party of Japanese tourists from Sacramento. He said it was source of deep regret that the land question Remained unsettled des- pite the united and assiduous efforts of both the Japanese government and the JaFanese people for speedy so- 1utie9s '7Eczld qEires trther eff fort and the Japanese at home were fully prepared to strive to the last for a Fundamental settlement