Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-05
JAPAN ENJOYING GREAT
MATERIAL PROSPERITY
None! POurs Into Country In Such
Quantities THAT There Is
Plethora OF IT,
SITUATION is DUE TO WAR
Entente Allies Arc Buying Immense
Quantities OF Supplies. and More
Orders Being Placed Constantly.
First Great Call Made by Russia.


First Great Call Made by Russia.
TOKYO, March 2.--Nevcr in her his
tory has Japan me, with such q pcriod
OF material prosperity as to-day. This
is entirely due to the war The en-
'crtc allies have been buying great
quantities OF war supplies since the
beginning OF the conflict aud more or
!"rs arc being placed constantly. Money
~ literally pouring into the country In
such quantities that there liz actually
plethora OF II. Money has become
=" cheap tina, bankers have begun to
complain.
The first great call upon Japan has
hc"m made and will continu. TO he
"aho by Russia. The exports TO Rus
-lt hay" realized several hundred mil
lion Yen. They Include not alone mill
t1ry equipment ami supplies. such az
Guns rifles ana ammnuiti"u. but huge
quantities of cloth. man; hundred
thousands OF pair of boots, leather
pouches. caps, sashcs. food products
aud medical supplies Even rice is
ported 10 Russia to he made into
grucl for wounded soldiers and ~ tho
medical expectation notable item is
'iucture OF iodine.
Another great channel In which
Japan is finding prosperity 10 through
her shipping. Her big mcrchau, marine
- not only transporting supplies for
the entente powers, but so FAR az the
orient n concerned has practically
iakcn over At an immense profit the sea
transportation which is held in time
Of peace by til" vessels Of Great Britain
Freight charges 30 all points including
tho United states have SCARED and ia
panesc shipping companies hay" re
Gently petitioned the Department az
Communications 20 sanction a further
increase IN tariffs
france Is ~ present seeking either
- charter or purchase ten or a dozen
steamships. but suitable vessels are
scarce. The prices are almost limitless
III tncir elevation. The extent 10 which
steamers have risen IN value may he
iustauccd by a recent incident At Kobe
The owner OF a steamship. the charter
Tor which had Jus, expired who had
bc..n receiving about $500 a month for
his vessel. received An offer OF charter
a, the rate OF S37 900 per mouth. The
~Ntraordinary demand for hulls Is in
iucing Japanese shipyards 10 WORK day
and night. hut the" cannot hope - APP
uroach tho demand
YEAR ~ EXCEPTION
~ JAPANESE iH\Di.
Tn. wear 1915 was exceptional In
Japanese trade. l.it this Year J.. -
pcctcd 20 prove s,ill NOR. r"mhrhahie.
AS; ycrr the total cxports amounted
TO about $500 600. aud the iupur's
-, about S26s Uuu 600 The total frstu"
~as islS oc0, no" compared With ,l.
preceding y.ar tho figures snow az IN
rcasc Of about 81. 600 600 ou exports
ud decrease Or '5I5ocooo 81 iui-
nyrt- Whereas I'm i'l4 imports ~
rrcc OF trade last year was I'm fav"'
Of exports BY about $4,000 con Nn5-
thinr approachiUl such lar-e N.rss
az exports is unprecedented ' to
annals Of foreign trade iu JapIrt ;!y
-llncing over thu trade returns for tne
Last Ten years u will hr 'OuuJ 'rat
Nith the exception Of 1909 AM 1909,
when exports owing 10 greatly reduced
imports "erc in excess BY ti2.t25 1on,
aud h" sass, 900 r"spcctiv"ly tho ball
ancc OF trade for TIA. remaining ,-Nt
years shows an exec OF Imports rang.
ing from f?3l7,o0o 20 sis,tS5.0Oc. ln
1870 the outbreak q! the war dim
n'shcG the volume Of trade, cspcclalls
that OF imports. This explains the
fact that in that wear ;he excess Of
imports over exports amounted 20 oul;
S?.3l !. 900 rs compared with S+sisa 900
recorded for 1918 and with sis ooo. COS
for 1912.
With the Continuation OF tile war last
wear iTnportations still further dim
finished. while remarkable increase
was noted in the export trade The
markets in India. South America and
other places previously taking German
ana Austrian GOODS demanded JapuneSc
substitutes FOR goods which 40 lourr,
came out from Europe All this com
bined TO create new record in ey-
ports. while the difficulty OF E:urou. in,
sending its goods abroad continued to
- decrease OF imports into japan.
Among the import goods showing :,
Ealing of are iron. dycstu1s and Other
important requisites for Manufacture
INK industry. This had Tho crec. os
checking expectation 70 some extent
ana has encouraged company promo
Ter" 70 form plans 70" placing Japnn's
in' uffrN ana commerce on a self-s,p.
port nc and permanent basis
Ono result of NIL this is that Iapan
"hl'h before the war had come 10
feel apprehension for the stability OF
us note conversion system. has now
specie accommodating 30 its credit 10 the
extent OF 500. 900 600 Ven ar $500 400 OoO
AN amount never before known in its
financial history. The bauk vaults
arc fun Of money seeking investment
GREAT UNDERTAKINGS
START DURING YEAR
\ striking proof OF a change III tho
condition Of mind in the capitalis,
circles was seen recently in the re-
Snonsc TO an offer Of shares OF a dive
stun company, now forming which
we're over subscribed 900 times There
'Ias hccn steady increase in the
capitalization for manufacturing indus
tries. money invested In them in 1919
amounting to s4S.350.0o0 against slo.
-"o,o"o for 1914. Similarly, electric
business, shipping. spinning and rail
ways attracted great Increases of capi.
'ai New business undertakings start
"d last year were larger in capital
Icy S"OOoo,0oO than the year before
la>i taking into count the business
tht showed falling off.
The situation" says the .Iapan
inns. affords strong evidence that the
E"tation of companies and starting OF
PC" enterprises are becoming tho orda.
=: thc day and the season OF timd and
"iirinc capital OF unpaid labor, ana
"ith"rinc dullueas in general is over
mere Is this. OF course, to be prepared
against, that after the war when huge
MmnhorS Of workers Will he rninnsnh