It has been decided to celebrate the Coronation ceremony of the Emperor some time in November next year. By special request of His Majesty, every effort will be made to have the solenmization as simple and as least expensive as possible. His Majesty is well known to be a lover of the simple life and has more than once enjoined on his subjects the necessity for thrift and frugality. When he maried it also wes a special wish of his that all celebrations connected with the nuptials should be shorn of unnecessary ostentation and cost, Thus, in his latest request to his officials, His Majesty once again is "proving in practice what he hi in precept.
It has not yet definitely been decided where the Coronation cere-many wilh be held, Kyoto, the old mountain capital of Japan, hallowed by many a monarchical memory and tradition, is thought by some to be the most fitting place, but there is, just as powerful a body of men who desire that the ceremonies be solemnized in Tokyo. These main-lat Tokyo to-day is the imcity of Japan and that the staging of the public ceremonials here greatly will reduce the expenditure involved. Since the late Emperor was buried in the outskirts of Tokyo, an old precedent thereby being broken, it is more than: possible that Tokyo, and not Kyoto, ultimately will be chosen as the venue for the "coronation ceremonies. Tokyo citizens intend to mark the happy dey by completing, on the day chosen for the Corona: tion, a public building, such as a City Hall or a National Library.
The Recent Bank Crashes No'less than 26 banks, out of those which had to close their doors some Weeks ago, still are suspending payment. Their aggregate deposits total a little over Y, 700,000, 000, involving about a million people who axe directly or indirectly concerned. The half-yearly settlement day soon is due and, with these banks still remaining closed, a considerable amount of uneasiness pervades the situation. The poorer depositors have been hardest hit and efforts are being made to secure some readjustment before the semiannual settlement day arrives. The Bank of Japan is authorized to advance loans to these banks, in accordance with the recently-enacted Emergency Financial Law, but aid will be extended only if these institutions will open permanently. This condition, it seems, cannot yet be fulfilled satisfactorily by the financial institutions concerned, To the honour and credit of eeveral of the managing directors and chairmen of these banks, it- must be said that they have, in many instances, offered their entire private property to make good the losses of such banks with which they were connected. Marquis Matsukata, for instance, who has been actively con. neeted with the Kawasaki Dockyard of Kobe, is reported to have volunteered his entire fortune to put the dockyard and the 15th Bank (creditor of the dockyard) on proper footing again. Japan' financial magnates are busy working. out a scheme that will not be mere patchwork, but will shield these i stitutions, when they have re-started, against a possible new run and consequent closing of their doors again.
Three plans are being moot-
To amalgamate all the old banks whose matters have not yet been readjusted into a single new one; (2) to hand the affairs of these banks to the six principal banks of Japan whose credit has remain uw shaken; and (3) to secure further cans en immovable property carry on. It is generally thought that the third measure proposed not be resorted to and the reeuscit tion of the banks in question will be worked out through one or other of the first two measures proposed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.