Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-19

of a great rice warehouse and
a large number Of rice stores.
Disorders broke out in Toxic on>
Tuesday night. A crowd OF five
Thousand which was prevented from
&ongregating in the park marched to
the Ginza, the great thoroughtare OF
thec city, where they stopped and
damaged 200 stores and restaurants,
raideh rice depots and unsuccessfully
attacked the ministry of the interior.
Twenty Policemen Injured. =
Ninety arrests were made and
twenty policemen were injured. To-
kio tonight is occupied by heavy de-.
tachment IS of police and infantry. The
newspap >ers are forbidden to publish
news of any kind relative to the rice
riots.
The rioters entered and pillaged
houses i'm Asakusa, the great recrea-
ton RESORT of the middle and lower
classes.| A number of the disturbers
were wounded by the police.
At Osaka during demonstration,
telephone wires were cut and several
tramwlays were forced to suspend
service after passengers had been
woun9ed. Troops were called out and
25 policemen and many rioters were
hurt,J Five hundred persons were ar
rested. In outlying towns the people
attacked the police with bamboo
SPEARS. oo
lAt Maizuru, where 1000 workmen
iron the naval arsenal joined the
yopulace in sacking the rice stores,
many persons were injured in fight
i with the police.
Empire Faces Social Crisis.
Newspaper comment here seems
to indicate that the food riots
throughout the country are an ex-
preston of growing unrest among
the people, and to reflect the belief
that the empire is advancing toward
social crisis. The riots are spreading
involving the poor and the middle
classes.
1t is remarked that the uprisings
are often anti-capitalistic, mobs de-
stroying the property and voicing
anger at evidences of luxury. Geisha
girls have been stoned in the streets
and the houses of the rich have been
assailed. The war has increased the
luxuries of the rich and the misery of
the poor, as insufficient wages are
paid. The riots are the first of the
kind to occur since Japan was opened
to western civilization. j
Emperor Contributes Literally.
The seriousness of the situation led
to a special meeting of the cabinet,
which decided to appropriate $5,000,-
600 for purchasing stores of rice for
distribution among the people at a
moderate price. The emperor moved
by the distress, has contributed 5,000,-
900 yen to the national rice fund.
Street cars are being utilized in Toxic
by soldiers, who distributed rice in
districts, where the suffering is re-
ported.
The press joins in tribute to the
emperor for his generous contribu-
ton, indicating the spirit of the rul-
ers and the wealthier classes, but the
newspapers generally blame the gov
ernment for its tardy remedies. The
conservative newspaper, Jill Shimpo,
especially criticises the government,
and says that as a result of its policy
the nation finds itself in the throes
of insurrection.
Several millionaires have con-
t1buted 100000 each to purchase
rice for the poor. The Mitsui and
the Iwaski families have each con-
trbuted 100000 to the fund. There
is an abundance of rice in the en-
pre, but it is held in storage by
farmers and brokers. The govern
ment's aim is to force the rice market,
but it has avoided regulating the
price
Dynamite Used By Rioters.
London, Aug. lSAA dispatch to
the Exchange Telegraph company
from Tien Tsin, dated Friday, says:
The japanese rice riots are prov
ing the worst outbreak against the
constituted authority witnessed in
many years. The rioters are resort
ing to acts OF extreme violence such
as the use of dynamite and incen-
diarism"
Shoots Down 60 Planes.