Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-06
JAPAN DISASTER
WAKES SYMPATHY
ASLEEP. SINCE WAR
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service &c The Journal
Copyright, 1928.

WASHINGTON, sept. 5.-Ine
throb of human sympathy, dulled IN
the years since the war by self in
terest, beat fast for the people of
distant Japan today. The entire
government strove to help. Distance
and Inadequate communication made
it's efforts of little avail.
From every side have come mes
sages of sympathy and coincidence
to the imperial Japanese embassy,
where the tragedy of far-off Japan
to some extent can be 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 go about their
work, hiding their emotions. There
is no outward change of expression,
no panicky hurry in the embassy's
| work, simply a methodical applica-
ton to the countless details sudden
ly imposed on the embassy staff.
Judging by the wards and dis,
tricts mentioned IN the press dis
patches, japanese officials estimate
that between seven and eight mil.
lion persons are directly affected by
the earthquake and fire and that
almost the entire population of the
island empire will feel the business
shock.
Problem for America
What can America do? The
Japanese are gratful for the expires
sions of sympathy and the offers OF
help. They themselves can give
little advice. They know nothing
of the transportation facilities avail
able. The two most urgent necessi-
ties are TODD and shelter. The in
terror railroads seem tS have been
paralyzed. Fortunately most of
Japan can be reached from ports.
Enough Japanese shipping is avail
able to transport food from one port
to the other, but the supplies which
can be rushed from China and the
Philippines will be Of great help. The
American government can help most,
it is pointed out, by rushing tents
and cereals.
At best it will take several days
for food supplies to reach Japan, Off
Gals say the destruction of the bust
ness area of Toxic and Yokohama,
with the loss of the warehouses.
means a serious food crisis that can
hardly be remedies before starvation
must take it's toll. The greatest
fear is held that the sanitary syS-
tenn of Toxic having broken down.
will not be restored soon and that
epidemics are inevitable. The Japa-
nese army is expected to adopt force
full measures to clean out the city
Of as many survivors as possible so
the food supply and sanitation can
be regulated, but all this will take
several days. Meanwhile the anxiety
over what is transporting is intense.
In ThrOes of Depression
Japan has just been in the throes
of an economic depression which for
three years has kept japanese in
dustry in state of uncertainty. The
bottom of the depression had been
reached. The depression was SINH
lar to that experienced by the United
States except that the Japanese re-
covery has been much slower.
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 I'M
less the government helps. The pos
siblity of a huge relief loan, to be
floated by the japanese government
in America, is talked Of, but until
some definite word is received from
the Toxic government as TO the ex-
tent Of the damage nothing definite
along that line can even be estimat-
ed. Something governmental will
7, t,, he i'm fn
private business. AS for a loan, the
credit of > Japanese government
abroad is excellent and she would
have no difficulty in raising virtually
any sum, as her national VIZ 18th is
extensive.
American Trade Hurt
Though officials OF the -.merican
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. Japa-
nese people will be affected by the
disaster.
Word that ali members Of the
American embassy staff were safe
was communicated by the depart
ment of state to t. : Japanese en-
bassy where relief was expressed at
their good fortune. The japanese
embassy expects the government
wireless stations not far from TOXIC
to be working before another tWen-
ty-four hours have elapsed and that
a courier or te, csraph system will be
established by the government so
that the entire world may be APP
prised OF Japan's needs and the eX-
tent of her loss,
1t takes All earthquake OF dis
aster, somehow, TO demonstrate how
close together the peoples of the
world really are. There isn't a
though of color or race distinction
or erstwhile rivalries-ali are united
in extending to Japan the hand Of
help. On demonstrations such as
these are built after all the most en-
during friendships.