The wedding statistics for this Are Japan's militarists, particularly those who egged on the Siberian adventure and, in the teeth of opposition on the part of "year, gathered from the Hibiya the civilian authorities and the Marriage Shrine in Tokio, one of general public, aided Simionov, the most popular places for mar-Dietrichs and Merkulov in various nages, and the marked absence, so ways, thereby prolonging civil far, of ostentation with regard to strife in the Russian Far East, the observance of the New Year responsible for the quasi-tragedy show clearly which way the econo-that is being enacted at Gensan, mic wind in Japan is blowing.
Korea, to-day? This question is There are several different cere-exercising all sections of the monies connected with the rites of Japanese public, and the number Hymen in this country, and the who think that the military clique prices range according to the rituals is morally guilty for a portion of performed. This year, even the the miseries of the Russian refugees wealthy families have been content is by no means inconsiderable. with a pine, bamboo, or plum The Japanese public here is also ceremony—the lowest, in price at rather grieved over the fact that any rate, of the colourful prescribe the Japanese Government has taken ed forms for wedlock, and, although no active steps to minimize the more weddings have been solemnizsufferings of the unfortunate peoed during 1922 than during last ple stranded at the Korean fishing year, the marriage shrine has not port, although the Japan Red been' very materially benefited.
Cross, which has rarely acted for] Elaborate wedding receptions, a the relief of foreigners, has em-been eliminated from the rejoice feature of recent years, have also barked on the mission of mercy and the Korean Government-General ings attending the unions of famil-has also joined hands. Believing ies, while invitations sent out to that the apparent apathy of the relatives and friends for the mar-general public of Japan proper is
gifts will not be received by the riage invariably state that wedding [in funds for relieving the distress due to lack of leadership in secur-
bride and bridegroom. This is be-of the Russians, the Society for the cause, according to Japanee Promotion of Love amongst Man-etiquette, the giving of a present kind has taken the matter in hand, necessitates reciprocating the gift and expects to be able to send conin some form. Guests who give siderable help shortly. The Society wedding presents are generally en-intends enlisting the aid of Japantertained at elaborate wedding reese of all classes and its intensive pasts, and the stern need for campaign for funds will be directed economy in these days, owing to on the plea that Japan has some lean purses on all sides, is met by responsibility for the condition to the happy couple accepting ne which the Whites have been reduc-gifts and thereby avoiding the need ed, "as it is, in a certain way, the of giving a costly wedding recep-result of military intervention." tion. It is an excellent plan and The Government is to be asked to is, perhaps, as exceptable to the handle the matter from a national guests invited as it is to the young point of view, while the Foreign people who have to set up house Office will be called upon to sub-for life. scribe on the ground that such action will be one of the best ways The campaign for economy is be-of convincing the world that ing pressed further, and when 1922 "Japam does not turn a deaf ear—the Year of the Dog, according to to the call of humanity." the Japanese calendar—gives way The recent earthquake in South to 1923, the Year of the Wildboar, ern Japan has added a bit of terri-the New Year ceremonies will be as tory to the Empire, a small pro-plain as possible, or so at least. the mentary, about 1,200 square feet in organizers of the Society for the area, being forced upwards from Betterment of Ordinary Life, hope. the bed of the ocean. The locality Handbills by hundreds of thousands in which the tremors were most have been distributed all over the felt is a mass of ruins. Huge country emphasizing the folly of boulders, some of them thrown out exchanging presents at New Year, of the crater of Mount Unzen, block -erecting elaborate decorations and the streets in various parts, while getting into debt through belief in huge trees have been uprooted and the indispensability of new clothes strewn along the highway. Several for the entire family at this period. thousands of houses have been com-Well-known speakers, men and wopletely shattered, many built in a men, make addresses wherever 2 semi-foreign style being wrenched crowd collects urging economy for off the stone foundations built the sake of individuals as of the several feet into the earth. The nation. The Japanese celebrate the} residents are still afraid to return New Year according to the Western j to what were their homes, and all -ealendar, although there are certain rural districts where the Chin—ese calendar is yet adhered to. manner of alarmist rumours are prevailing amongst the simple country folk, so much so that fishermen have hauled such of their boats as have not been damaged far inland, fearing a tidal wave. Hundreds of villagers, who had returned to their devastated homes in the belief that all danger is now past, are leaving rapidly as a result of reports that the worst is yet to come. The most noted seismologists of Japan do not believe that anything worse than the resumption of activity by Mount Unzen is probable, and add that the eruption will not be accompanied by very severe shocks. Mount Unzen is situated far from the inhabited and cultivate ed portions of land in the vicinity, and the seismologists also believe that the flow of lava and discharge of ashes will not do much appreciable harm. Large squads of policemen have been sent to the afflicted areas to maintain order and to quiet the people who insist on abandoning their homesteads and their farms.
Details of a piracy that for ferocity and brutality even eclipse the spoliation of the Sui-An are at present receiving wide publi: ity in the Japanese press. One of the Japanese who took part in the dastardly business, pricked by qualms of conscience, revealed the matter to a Tokio lawyer, who forthwith took him to the Metropolitan Police Station where he made a clean breast of the whole affair. Two other accomplices have also been arrested, and, with little persuasion, they corroborated the statement already made by the first confessor. It appears that. in September a small Japanese vessel was despatched with certain car, the White forces. When the ship was in Russian waters, the skipper is alleged to have forced the men to capture and loot two ships belonging to Russians, the entire crews of both being murdered. One of the ill-fated vessels was cncountered off the coast of Alexandrovsk. It was boarded, and after all the valuables had been seized by the Japanese pirates, the whole personnel, consisting of Russians and Koreans, were put to the sword. Some jumped overboard, but were shot while in the water. The captain of the vessel, a Korean, pleaded for his life, but no mercy was shown, perhaps on the ground that dead men tell no tales. This the second piracy by Japanese during the year, the first being an attack off Formosa on the British officers of a vessel that had been sold in England to a Japanese firm and which with a Japanese crew and British officers was being brought to be delivered in Kobe.
Japan Shaken by a Bank Scare; The Artless Maker of Fraudulent Whiskey Dec. 20.
A scare that might be compared with the great silk panic that shook financial Japan to its very foundations in 1920 has just caused serious runs on more than 30 banks or branches of banks all over the country. Beginning in Kobe and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.