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was forbidden altogether. The plea was that the Japanese must protect them- selves from the anti-Japanese and pro-Communist elements who sought refuge in the concession areas.
The Tourist Industry.
HOME AFFAIRS.
380. Ever since the war started, the tourist industry has been at a very low ebb, mainly because tourists have regarded Japan as being within the zone of hostilities. It was dangerous to come to Japan.
381. But in Japan it is thought that the hostilities in China are drawing to a close. Japan, like Germany, is desperately hard up for foreign exchange, and tourists bring this precious commodity. She is as anxious as ever, therefore, to put herself over and impress foreign visitors.
CC
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382. Hence the announcement that the Tourist Bureau has been allotted more funds than ever before to widen its propaganda activities and lure tourists to Japan.
383. It remains to be seen whether the police and the port officials, who enjoy such an unenviable reputation amongst travellers in Japan, will help to make this drive a success.
Financial Restrictions as they Affect the People.
Government Bonds.
384. It is the custom in Japan to give large bonuses at the end of the year. This year the Finance and Home Ministries have notified the prefectural offices to urge all company and factory managements to pay part of the year-end bonuses in Government bonds. The percentage of the bonus to be paid in this way varies from a minimum of 5 per cent. where the bonus is not more than 100 yen to a minimum of 40 per cent. where the bonus is 5,000 yen or more.
385. The absorption of these China "incident bonds, by which Japan has been paying for her activities in China, is rendered easy by the fact that the ordinary Japanese rarely expects to redeem a bond; as long as it continues to pay interest (the average rate being at present about 3.8 per cent.) he is quite happy.
Gold.
386. Japan has been drawing considerably on her reserves of gold to pay for essential imports. Every effort is being made to increase the somewhat meagre output of the gold-mines in Japan and Korea, but in the meantime the Finance Ministry is requisitioning all gold articles in private possession. These are not likely to be numerous in a country where comparatively little use is made of jewellery, but there are probably many more old family treasures hidden away than the foreigner ordinarily suspects.
Gasolene.
387. The gasolene shortage continues. The army and navy doubtless have immense reserves stored against possible future emergencies but in Tokyo the restrictions are becoming increasingly severe. Only a gallon a day is permitted to private owners, most of whom have American cars with a high rate of petrol consumption. Not only have most private owners been obliged to lay their cars up, but it is reported that the Government may requisition all private cars. Since the 1st July there has been a regulation enforcing an admixture of 5 per cent. alcohol with gasolene, and this ratio will be steadily increased to 20 per cent.. the alcohol for the purpose being produced from sweet potatoes. Plants for producing the alcohol are being started in several of the southern prefectures. Shortage of Technicians.
388. Japan does not export peasants and settlers to the areas under her control in any large numbers, but she does export numerous technicians, technical experts and entrepreneurs. At the present moment she finds herself with half China on her hands, and the responsibility for the latter's development rests, she feels, with her. This, too, at a time when industry is going full blast and when there is an actual shortage of skilled labour in Japan. Hence, there is a great drive to fill the shortage of technicians.
:
389.
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All technical schools and colleges are being enlarged. Three Imperial universities are being given engineering departments. A millionaire is providing Waseda University, the biggest private university, with an engineering department. All technical institutions are starting night schools. Special engineering institutions, for aviation, chemical fuel research, machine manu- facturing and the like, are being started throughout the country.
Asia for the Asiatics.
390. The following are extracts from a letter sent by Dr. Rabindranath Tagore to the Japanese poet, Mr. Yone Noguchi :-
1.
I thank you for taking the trouble to write to me again. I am flattered that you still consider it worth while to take such pains to convert me to your point of view, and I am really sorry that I am unable to come to my senses as you have been pleased to wish it. It seems to me that it is futile for either of us to try to convince the other, since your faith in the infallible right of Japan to bully other Asiatic nations into line with your Govern- ment's policy is not shared by me, and my mistrust of a patriotism which claims the right to bring to the altar of its country the sacrifice of other peoples' rights and happiness is sneered at by you as the quiescence of a spiritual vagabond.
"I must thank you for explaining to me the meaning of our Indian philosophy, and of pointing out that the proper interpretation of Kali and Shiva must compel our approval of Japan's dance of death' in China. I wish you had drawn a moral from a religion more familiar to you and appealed to the Buddha for your justification.
You must forgive me if my words sound bitter. Believe me, it is sorrow and shame, not anger, that prompt me to write to you. I suffer intensely, not only because the reports of Chinese suffering batter against my heart, but because I can no longer point out with pride the example of a great Japan. It is true that there are no better standards prevalent anywhere else, and that the so-called civilised peoples of the West are proving equally barbarous and even less' worthy of trust.' If you refer me to them I have nothing to say. What I should have liked is to be able to refer them
Wishing your people, whom I love, not success, but remorse
to you.
391.
The full text of this letter appeared in the Indian papers, but, needless to say, the Japanese press has made but the briefest reference to it.
From a Japanese Editorial.
392.
"The old, fat and contented West is still dreaming a sweet dream of fattening on the blood of the East by squeezing the lemon of China.”
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