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> an. Aurte
were threatening Japang' industrial world. He said that
representatives of socialist Organizations in Americą," England, Switzerland, France, Italy and other countries had larged to come to Japan and thanks to the distribution of
secret pamphlets had worked up a somewhint alarming amount of interest amongst the operatives. This influence was growing daily and Mr. Oka appealed to the Works Managers to do what they could by ameliorating conditions in their mils,' to avert the evil effects of this 30cialistic propaganda. Later on in the week a debate was held at one of the leading clubs in Tokio at which Mr. Oka again addressed the Keeting. In this instance he was not so pessimistic as some of the
other speakers. He apparently likened the rice riots to a
temporary fit and said that he thought perhaps the danger
might be passed over if the trouble which caused the fit
could be put right. Viscount Uchida the late Ambassador to Russia, however, took a far more gloomy line and consid- ered that the situation was extremely dangerous. From other sources I have gathered however, that 27. Oka is the only one of the leading Offcials in the Department of Agriculture · and Commerce who has really taken this labour question seriously to heart, and that the others are trusting to luck for the future. That there is unrest and very grave unrest is I think without doubt. The late feeling of respect for persons in authorit seem to have vanished. I was par- ticularly struck by this during my recent visit in the
South. During the mast few years I have at one time and another visited many factories in Japan, both large and man? and in going through them one of the noticeable features has always been the respect shown by the employees towards the resident of the Company, or the Hill Manager who might be taking me round. Whether the respect was genuine or only! conventional it is difficult to say, but in any case it ex- isted, and both men and girls nlwaye made the proper Japanese |
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