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Anti-British Movement.
270. Fanned by mischievous newspaper propaganda popular indignation at the crafty policy of Great Britain in the Far East began to find expression at the beginning of July in the form of anti-British meetings in Tokyo and other parts of the country, organised by newspapers, local societies, committees specially created for the purpose, and in some cases apparently by municipal or provincial assemblies. These meetings passed resolutions which were recorded and sent to the embassy by post, brought by a deputation or presented during the course of a demonstration outside the embassy gates. On several occasions these demonstrations assumed serious proportions and on one occasion at least the police were hard put to it to restrain the mob from breaking their way into the embassy compound. The meetings and demonstrations were apparently intended to impress upon the delegates to the Tokyo conference on the Tientsin question the fact that the whole Japanese nation were united in their determination to insist on British abandonment of the policy of assisting Chiang Kai-shek, and co-operation with Japan in the establishment of a new order in East Asia. The more violent type of activity was relaxed for a time after the publication of the formula signed on the 22nd July by His Majesty's Ambassador and the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, but broke out again when it was evident that immediate compliance was not being obtained on the Japanese economic demands.
Air Raid Precautions in Tokyo.
271. Air defence drills were carried out in the eastern and northern parts of Japan between the 18th and 31st July. The period of these drills for Tokyo Prefecture was the 18th to 22nd July. The manoeuvres consisted of blackouts, precautionary and emergency alarms, traffic control, mock air raid and fire- fighting drills. For this purpose motor cars drove through the city and threw out balls variously coloured to represent ordinary, incendiary or poison gas bombs. No aircraft took part in the manoeuvres, which are in the nature of a rehearsal for more thoroughgoing exercises due to take place in October.
272. The exercises seem to have been considered successful though there was room for improvement in some directions. The alarm signals were of two kinds precautionary alarms, given by shouting or bulletins, which called for the dimming of lights, and air raid alarms, given by sirens and whistles, calling for a complete blackout, stopping of all traffic and the taking of cover. manœuvres were carried out by the Japan Fire and Air Defence Federation under the supervision in Tokyo of the Metropolitan Police, and in the provincial districts by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Foreign Tourists in Japan,
The
273. Since the outbreak of the China Incident the amount of money spent by tourists has been decreasing until this year when apparently it has begun to increase once more. The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan during the first four months of the year shows an increase of 41 per cent. over the figure for the corresponding period last year. The number of British tourists increased by 56 per cent.. Americans by 41 per cent., French by 53 per cent, and Germans by 80 per cent. The amount of money spent by tourists in normal times is about 107 million yen and so represents quite an important item of national revenue.
Dangerous Thoughts.
274. Mr. Yeijiro Kawai, formerly professor of economics at Tokyo Imperial University and author of several books which criticise the Japanese State from a point of view branded as liberalistic or even communistic, has been convicted, along with his publisher, of violating the Publication Law. His books were banned in October 1938, and his indictment was followed by dismissal from the university. The subsequent wholesale resignation of his supporters produced a state of chaos which lasted two months. Kawai will be brought to trial in the autumn. His prosecution marks another step in the suppression of all liberal thought in the universities.
Spectacular Statistics.
275. It appears that myopia is increasing in Japan. According to investi- gations made by the Minister of National Welfare the proportion of shortsighted students in primary schools in 1925 was 14 48 per cent. for boys and 17-38 per cent. for girls, and in the case of university students it was 48 47 per cent. By 1935 the corresponding figures had risen to 18.02 per cent., 21-93 per cent. and 55.64 per cent. respectively and the present figure for university students is about 60 per cent., a very serious increase from the point of view of national fitness. It is probable that legislation will be introduced at the next session of the Diet to cope with the situation by regulating the size of print, the lighting of schools, the sale of spectacles, &c.
Propaganda from Formosa.
276. It is announced that a new 100 kilowatt wireless station is in course of construction at Kinyu near Kogi in Formosa. Two 200 metre steel masts and transmitting apparatus to the value of 900,000 yen have been ordered for delivery in August. The station is to be used primarily for propaganda broadcasts to South China and the East Indies, but it may also broadcast to Europe and America. It is expected to be in operation by March 1940.
Disadvantages of Gilding the Lily.
278. Mr. Kawai, the spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, recently made a tour of Manchukuo. While he was inspecting the grassy plains round Heiho and Manchuli he was asked by some Manchukuo officials why more Japanese did not emigrate to such fine country. Mr. Kawai is stated to have replied that it was because on maps that area was invariably coloured yellow, thus giving the Japanese. who knew nothing of the place, the impression that it was arid and barren; if the colour was changed to green no doubt there would be mass migrations in no time. It seems that the Manchukuo authorities have decided to adopt this ingenious suggestion.
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