Evening star., 1923-09-06

yesterday afternoon, and all the for-
cign refugees are being taken aboard
Although the foreign colonies OF
TOXIC and Yokohama are about equal
in number. everybody free to leave
Toxic, 1t is thought, would have been
at the mountain and seaside resorts
on Saturday afternoon when the de-
struction started. while Yokohama
was probably crowded with foreign
residents and tourists.
The encouraging reports regarding
the safety of the foreigners however.
give little cause for hope or the es
cape of many among the millions OF
japanese who lived along the shores
of Toxic bay from Yokohuka, on the
southwestern shore of the bay near
the entrance through Yokohafna'
kanagwa and city of Toxic. TO ChIpa
on the eastern side and along the
shores of Sagami bay, on the western
side of the 1zu peninsula. where manA
foreigners as well as japanese spehu
their summers in the shore coioiiie"'
Damage I'm sagnmi Districts.
Tremendous damage has been done
in the Sagami districts, and 1t Is pc
lieved the loss of life there Will be
found to be as heavy as any other
part because of the popularity OF the
resorts, such as KamakuTa ana ia
yama, and the certainty that the tldal
waves must have done terriole oaIh-
age there. as the center of the earth-
quake was in the ocean-oed Sixty
miles to the south.
1t is still impossible to estimate ac-
curately the loss of life, and hgureS
are likely to be inaccurate or inc0m-
plete for days and perhaps weeks, but
reports received here indicate that thc
greatest losses We're in the poorer
districts Of Toxic and Yokohama and
in the intervening industrial suburbs
where tidal waves and tires are Ger
tain to have taken heavy toll among
the thousands unable to escape 10
higher ground.
Waves Drowned Thousands.
In Toxic more than million people
lived in closely jammed wooden struc-'
lures in the low-lying districts OF
Fukagawa. HOMO and Asakusa wards,
along the Sumida river. Their homes
We're only foot or so above the high
tide level of Toxic bay, and the tidal
waves resulting from the seismic DIS
turbance of the ocean bed may have
drowned thousands, or even hundreds
of thousands. as the early reports
stated.
The Japanese embassy here has re-
ceived Scant news of the disaster, and
this merely tells of the earthquake
fires and tidal waves. The embassy is
still cut off from Toxic, and Interrupt
tion of communication between the
Japanese foreign office and its repre-
sentatives abroad is unparalleled since
Japan became a world power.
Banks Are Safe.
The London Stock Exchange re-
fected some uneasiness over the sit
uation yesterday. but the tone of the
market was expected to be better
today result of a message from
Suzuki & Co.'S Kobe office, stating
that, according to refugees arriving
there, nearly all the important banks
in Toxic are safe
News had already been received of
the safety Of the Bank of Japan, con-
tanning the nations gold reserve of
200. 600, 900 yen, and il is thought
destroyed. the Japanese financial bull
WarkS are intact and can furnish
ample foundation for the work of
reconstruction. This work, ii has been
estimated. may require half the total
gold reserve of the country
In commercial circles il is believed
that the drop in japanese govern
ment securities on the London Stock
Exchange has been largely due to
nervousness and lack ot definite news
rather than to any fear of Japanese
inability TO make a financial recov-
cry. 1t is considered there may have
been more cause. however, for the,
slump in Toxic electric light shares
for the plant of this company NAV
have been destroyed.
In the opinion of English business
men, there is probability that many
OF the factories and much machinery
escaped destruction. because most of
the buildings in the industrial dis
trict as well as the residential Darts
of the affected cities were built of