San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-05
RELIEF LOAN
/ FOR JAPAN.
/ DISCUSSED
sss.fgsar,
Meanwhile America to Try
.i +, to Avert Starvation
and Epidemics.
BLOW. AT U. S. TRADE
Japan Was Just Recover
/. ing From Three-year
Fg,, Trade Depression. 4
By DAVID LAWRENCE.


Copyright, by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. C., Sept. 5.-The
throb of human sympathy, dulled i'll
the years since the war by self-inter-
est. beat fast for the people of distant
Japan today The entire government
strove to help. Distance and made
duate communication made its efforts
of little avail.
From every side have come messages
of sympathy and coincidence TO the I'M
perial japanese embassy, where the
tragedy Of far off Japan can be TO
some extent conjectured. For not one
member of the embassy staff has
heard a word from his family since
the earthquake. Quietly and with
characteristic stoicism, the japanese
officials 90 about their work hiding
their emotions. There is no outward
change Of expression, no panicky hur-
nv in the embassys work, simply u
methodical application to the count
less details suddenly imposed on the
embassy staff.
Judging by the wards and districts
mentioned i'll the press dispatches,
japanese officials estimate that be-
tween seven and eight millions of peo-
ple ere directly affected by the earth
quake and fire and that almost the
entire population Of the island empire
will feel the business shock.
Starvation is Feared.
What can America do? The Japa-
nese are grateful for the expressions
of sympathy and the offers of help.
They themselves can give little advice.
They know nothing of the transporta-
ton facilities available. The two
most urgent necessities are food and
shelter. The interior railroad seems
TO have been paralyzed. Fortunately
most of Japan can be reached from
ports. :,
Enough japanese shipping is avail
able TO transport food from one port
10 the other. But the supplies which
can be rushed from China and the
Philippine Islands will be OF great
help. The American government can
help most, it is pointed out, by rush
ing tents and cereals.
At best it will take several days for
food supplies to reach Japan. OIL
cials think that the destruction of the
business area in Toxic and Yokohama
with the scores of warehouses neans
n serious food crisis that can hardly
be remedied before starvation. must
take it's toll. The greatest fear Is
held that the sanitary system of To-
kio, having broken down, will not soon
be restored and that epidemics are in
evitable. The japanese army is eX-
pected to adopt forceful measures to
clean out the city of as many survivors
as possible so that the supply of TODD
and sanitation can be regulated. but
all this will take several days. Mean
while the anxiety over what is tran
spring today is intense.
just Over Depression.
Japan has just been in the throes
of an economic depression which mas
for three years kept Japanese indus
try in n state of uncertainty. The
bottom of the depression had been
reached. The depression was similar
to that experienced by the United
States. except that the japanese re-
coyery has been much more slow. When
therefore. the wants Of the living have
been attended to and the population
is cared for. there will be an even
greater crisis. Banks in Japan are
bound TO be ruined unless the govern
,ment helps.
The possibility of huge relief loan
to be floated by the japanese govern
ment in America is talked of. but until
some definite word is received from the
Toxic government as to the extent Of
the damage, nothing definite along
that line can be estimated. Something
governmental will have to be done in
Japan to help private business. As
for loan. the credit of the japanese
government abroad is excellent and
she would have no difficulty in raising
virtually any sum, as her national
wealth is extensive. Though officials
of the American government do not
care to comment on it, they are aware
that a blow at Japanese-American
trade has been struck by the hand Of
fate and that the purchasing power
of the japanese people will be affect
ed by the disaster.
Word that all members of the
American embassy staff are safe was
communicated by the Department of
State to the japanese embassy, where
relief was expressed at their good for
tune.
1t takes an earthquake or disaster