Evening star., 1923-09-09
Regular Army Forms Ring of
Bayonets About Stricken
Districts Thousands of
Refugees Live in Tents.
CAPITAL TO REMAIN ON
SAME SITE DESPITE RUIN
Bodies Still Uncounted One Week
After Disaster - Wedding of
Prince Regent May Be Post
poned Indefinitely - Imperial
Navy Arrives at Yokohama.
By the Associated Press.

tsmber "a report is current
here that the American am
bassador, Cyrus E. Woods,
and Mrs. Woods have lost
their lives at Toxic. The ru-
NOR is credited to Japanese
foreign Office announcement.
Owing to the disruption of
communication facilities it has
been impossible to clarity the
report.
State Department officials are at a
loss to explain the reported death OF
Ambassador Woods in Japan in the
light OF several messages received
from Japan since the earthquake and
signed in Mr.. Woods name. The
first message reached here Wednes-
day and reported conditions in Toxic
and appealed for aid. Other mes
s1geS were received Thursday and
the Department has been presum-
ably in communication with the
American ambassador since.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, September 8-Within a
ring of bayonets extending around
the gigantic shambleS where week
ago Toxic and Yokohama were in
flames, teeming millions of japanese
are feverishly laboring, piling up the
dead, clearing away the ruins and
building temporary structures to
house the homeless thousands, who
are encamped like great armies in
tents in the streets and the plazas
where the cities stood.
This ring of bayonets, backed by
japanese soldiers, symbolizes the
power that saved Japan after earth
quake, food and fire had laid waste
one OF the richest and most thickly
settled sections OF the island empire
land the district where nearly all
the foreigners in the country live.
Army Was Intact.
When every other instrument Of
law and order seemed annihilated,
with the new cabinet only in the
process Of taking office. the Japanese
government still had it's army.
The army had its own transport and
its own commissariat ready for
earthquakes for, in a land of rumb-
ling VOLCANOES nightly, fires and earth
ouakes weekly and disastrous ty-
phoons every year. horror is never
far away. Immediately after the
first great shock a week ago long
lines Of khaki clad troops marched
toward the stricken district from the
barracks which top many of Toxic S
hills and knolls, and provincial di-
visions were ordered to the district
around the capital.
In the open spaces about the i'm
perial palace, and In the Hlolya,
Demo and Asakusa parks, according
to dispatches reaching London, the
troops stacked arms and took up the
.
down, by the hundreds, flimsy houses
hmilt of paper and wood and by dyna-
a.iting the more permanent struc-
lures With the water mains torn
I'D by the earthquake the destruc-
ton of housese in large numbers by
the soldiers was the only means ef-
fectively to stop the spread of the
flames, and thus prevent the burning
of the entire city.
Bar Entrance to Surious.
Around the devastated districts was
thrown a line of soldiers which cut
off Toxic and Surrounding towns from
the rest Of Japan. Only those on
government business or relief work
ers with sufficient supplies Of food to
maintain themselves, were permitted
to pass. Even newspaper men. and
photographers had difficulty in gain
ing entrance. ''''''.
Through the military lines were
escorted thousands of refugees, walk
ing, riding in rickshas and man
pulled carts; carrying all their worldly
possessions; they were on their way
back to the country districts. to re-
main there until new houses have
been constructed.
Central Relief Supplies.
- When the land and sea disturb
ances settled down and the fires
burned themselves up to the barriers
of the. palace moats and the wide
lanes which had been torn out by the
fire fighters, other military forces
took up the relief work and recon-
struction. on which all energy now is
concentrated. The military is also in
CONTINUED on Page 81, Column -