San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23

AVhohofhos 4'hahtA 49, UNIV tONas
is city of tin roofs and barn-like
buildings. The vista of sharp gables
with sloping gray tiles over narrow
verandahs, delicstely latticed doors
and windows, miniature gardens and
gay colors, all that made it typical
and picturesque, are gone. 1t is crude
but it has come 10 life with an energy
which will not die. Last night the
Imperial hotel had leap year party
not the full dress balls of former
days for dinner jackets were not be-
ing worn on the day of the fire-but
dining rooms, corridors and bar were
filled with diners and two dance
floors were crowded TO the point of
suffocation. The earth continues TO
tremble and buildings may crash with
out warning but those who remain or
have returned are living.
Yokohama and other cities in the
stricken area are still dismal and
dead when daylight fades. As the
stray pedestrian-ricshaws disappear
after dark-picks his way down the
rninlittered streets, an occasional
shack and feeble light silhouetted
against the sky, perhaps passing an.
other furtive traveller ghostlike in
the silence; only the crash of an ex-
ploding shell and the drum-drum of
distant artillery is lacking TO relieve
wars familiar devastation. But the
harbor is gay with the lights from a
hundred ships. Life is coming back.
Shipping Rush Is Heavy.
Sixty-four ships were inside the
sunken break-water and seventy-two
more ocean going freighters were in
the harbor outside, some of them two
and a half miles from shore, all wait
ing to unload, q few mornings ago.
Sunrise in the old festive days, even
in the boom years following the war
when Japan was selling silk at her
own prices and feverishly buying steel
and machinery for endless factories,
never saw as many ships in q single
day. For weeks it has seemed that
the shipping of the world was coverg-
ing on Yokohama. Despite its fallen
docks, shortage of lighters, lack of
warehouses and all the other handi-
caps which have followed the earth
quake, cargo has been forced to come
TO Yokohama-commerce's answer to
the question whether Japan can
abandon il as a port.
The rush will continue until March
81, ending in grand race to get as
many ships as possible into the har-
Dor before the duty-free exemptions
for reconstruction materials and GER
tain articles of prime necessity cease.
A new class of storage "narikins"
newly rich) has already developed.
Any vacant pieces of property from
Hommoku, south of Yokohama, to
Shibaura, the barber Of Toxic, is a
potential warehouse. A few of the
new magnates have erected rambling
sheds where perishable freight may
be sheltered at first class hotel rates.
Most Of 1t is eating up its cost in
the open air. exposed to sunshine
and snow, waiting to be sold to pay
storage charges and port duties.
Building Material Deferi0rates.
Before the embers were cold specu-
htors had cabled to every market for
building material. 1t had hardly ar
rived before the relief supplies from
other countries, the government pur-
chases and more stable materials were
on the way. The speculative stocks
were mostly inferior material and in
stead OF going at the anticipated high
prices, could not be disposed of at
their cost. They remain-about 200.-
600 tons-mostiy small lumber, gal
vanized iron sheets, black sheets which
must be rust PROCEED and wirenail
rods.
It had been piled in the open, DOS
sibly with a tarpaulin over it and
most OF it is so flimsy that it rusts
from the dew at night and the next
mornings breeze blows it full of
holes" explained a shipper.
Boom days when desperate families
would pay any price for the few
boards and nails necessary to build
temporary shelter were few. The
boom has passed and piles of building
material stretch for miles along the
shore from Yokohama to Toxic.
Toxic Is already e new and dreary
city Of galvanized tin roofs, rough
board walls and muddy streets. Make
shift furniture is in the houses.
"tatami" (straw flooring) makers are
working day and night and stocks of
merchandise are in the temporary
stores. 1t has reached the paint era
of blatant reds and green's while signs
in japanese and English already ad-
vertise the wares. The temporary
wooden buildings, constant invita-
ton to fire, can remain five years
longer If the authorities give a special
permit. Except for the Mitsui bank
no permanent buildings are in sight
and it is not known when the authori-
ties will permit them.
Yokohama and the hundreds of
smaller towns which were destroyed
in September must be rebuilt. A de-
cision mas already been made that no
permanent structures can be erected
in Yokohama for three years. In the
meantime temporary buildings must
suffice. There will be plenty of them.
Stores with depleted stocks are al.
ready opened on Benten-dori, the tour
ut shopping street; on Motomachi
where residents bought the same
things at lower prices, and on Thea
ter street, the japanese shopping dis.
trict. The foreign consuls, the banks
and shipping companies have their
little. frame offices on their old sites
she American consulate-the consulate
general has moved 10 Toxic in a port.
able house which was erected and &C.
,cupied five weeks a. IT it was ordered
from the United States. People. only
handful of the former population
are living somewhere for some al
ways come back.
There are even accommodations for
the transients and those who are shy
of Toxic since the second heavy
earthquake of January Is, rocked the
Imperial hotel like n shin in a storm
and left a dozen cracks in its hitherto
solid walls. The Bluff hotel has