There is a 4.01 deal of talk here of how Japan will reimburse herself for the cost of the war, until such time as she can make China reimburse her. The taxes are, as every foreigner has reason to know, very heavy and very eitefully collected an increase of the Tand.tax would be unpopular; so that several of the leading Japanese politicians have thought it well to suggest that the Government should take advantage of the present opportunity to negotiate with the Treaty Powers with the object of recovery for the country of complete Customs autonomy. This would increase the revenue by some 30,000,000 yen per annum, and it is no wonder therefore that politicians of all shades of opinion. are in favour of it—Count Okuma, Count Itagaki, the Liberal leader, Baron'Kaneko Kentaro, and even, it is said, Viscount Aoki, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Te has even been stated that all the Power: concerned save England and Germany hive been sounded by the latter Minister, and been found very willing to let Japan have what she wants, And with England aridge many there will certainly be no difficulty but something should be asked by them in return in connection with the question of foreigners being allowed to own land, ete., ete., especially as all the leading Tapimese are in favour of this boon being granted,'and as the Government has hitherto refrained from granting it, probably because it is indisposed to yield any of the advantages gained in the hurd fight of treaty revision without getting some compensis tion in return, Tokio, 11th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.