The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-11
JAPAN CAN
EASILY TAKE
QUAKE LOSS
island Empire Far From
Down and Out as World
Power.
Power
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMs,

Times Staff Correspondent.
81 TUPENDOUS and pressing as
y Japan's need of help for her
- stricken people undoubtedly is
today, there is no need to worry about
the future of Japan as a world power.
Hysterical estimates that Japan, as
a Nation, has been set back thirty
TO fifty years by the disaster are clean
off the track.
Within from five to ten years Japan
will be back on her feet, stronger
than ever, and better off for the an
guish she is now suffering. Her whole
future will be given new slant, po-
lltically, economically, hygienically
and perhaps to some extent, racially,
By the present blow.
Japan is one of the richest coun.
tries in the world. Her national debt
is only $1,762, 100000 with a total
population of 1900, 900. The public
! debt of the United States is $22, 500,-
100000 with a population of 40, 000,-
900. The disproportion is striking.
PrOspered During War
Japan prospered during the World
War as did no other Nation Her
war expenditures amounted to but
$40 900 900, just a bit of pocket change
when compared with the $22 ,525, 000.-
0o0 expended by the United States;
s44 900, 900, 900 by Great Britain; $685.
900, 900 900 by France; $12 900, 100000
by Italy, or even the $1,000, 100000
by little Belgium and the $500, 000,-
900 by Roumania.
Her Ioceoc in, vna,, amounted ann
killed as against Frances 1886. 900,
not to mention others. and her popu-
lation is nearly double that Of France,
On the other hand, Japanese busi-
ness went up like a skyrocket. Be
tween 1908 and 1913 the number of
her Industrial establishments doubled,
her horsepower increased six-fold, the
number Of operatives tripled. and her
foreign trade quedrupled.
Money Stands at Par
Her money has stood at par or a
little above, in dollar exchange, while
the French franc fell to one-third its
normal value and even the English
pound sterling skIdded way below par.
Japans losses in the earthquake
will scarcely so above $5.o00.000. She
can absorb every cent Of this and
still be proportionately better off than
England or France. or even the
United States. with their heavy bur
den of war debts.
These facts are not stated to the
dlsparagement of Japan. Nor must
they be taken to mean the japanese
people do not need help. They do.
sorely.
Dream Is Sidetracked
If Japan's military party really
entertained secret ambitions to con.
quer a large part of the world by
force Of arms. that dream will have
10 be laid aside for a while. And by
the time It can be taken up again, ia
panese liberals increasing all the
time. may be strong enough to put
damper on it.
Toxic and Yokohama, wiped off the
map for the time. will spring back to
life as brand new, modern cities. with
wide streets, improved sanitation and
the rest. They VIII serve as models
for the rest Of Japan.
Racially. the Japanese must have
seen the whole world treats them as
kin and their exaggerated race con-
sciousness-a stumbling block and a
danger to them and the world-may
now subside into its proper place.
Re It said to Japan's credit, she
won't be down long.