The str. Yuen Lee sank in, the (Garden Bridge Bend on October 20—three weeks ago. She still remains in her original position, Since the accident, two large vessels—including the Dollar liner President Taft.—have gone aground whilst negotiate ing that part of the river. Whether the grounding of these vessels was directly due to the wreck isn matter for experts to decide, significant that groundings at thi point are not of common occurrence, although it is admitted' that the Garden Bridge Bend has been the scene of many accidents in the past, [chiefly duc, it is understood, to the: feurrents obtaining at this point. Information now obtained from an authoritative source is that, probabi ly with the next feiv days, the masts, and funnel will be removed. One is prompted to ask, why were not the masts and funnel removed before? And what of the rest of the vessel Shipping men view the situation with great concern and the opinion has been expressed that unless in the very near future the possibility of another island" caused by the accumulation of mud on and over the submerged vessel may become an accomplished fact. We have heard much regarding the proposed salvage of the vessel. A local firm was ready to undertake the work. A Japanese company was to be asked to investigate the possibilities of salvage. With all this, the fact remains that nothing, except a survey of the position of the vessel, has been carried out by those in authority The only evidence of control is the presence of green flags marking the wreck, What is going to be done? Will the wreck be allowed to remain where it is until a serious accident Joceurs? If it is admitted by those in authority that the position of the wreck depth of water at that point occasions no risk to shippthat he never missed a cricket match on the county ground. He was equally solicitous and understanding, whether when selling his first pipe to a boy (how sick that boy was afterwards) or a thousand Henry Clays to a magnate from the Forest. He knew everyone for miles round and his conversation was a mingling of intimacy and deference devoid of servility; which seems to be the peculiar secret of a good English shop. When last we visited: the town, our old friend's shop had been enlarged out of all remembrance, and the name of a firm familiar throughout England was above the window, which bulged with every conceivable variety of "smoke". Prices were as low as they can. be in these days of fearful taxation; the service brisk, swift and' smiling. But the transaction had lost flavour.
One thought with longing even of that dreadful pipe. jing, then the removal of the masts and funnel will be sufficient to allow vessels to take their ordinary course, If, on the other hand, the wreck is Jo menace to shipping, then it must be removed and quickly. An Jauthoritative statement would be welcomed of what, if anything, is to lbe done with the wreck, Disbandment in Japan While the problem of disband~ ment of superfluous troops in China the gravest by which this country faced, to a minor degree Japan is also agitated by the difference of opinion that exists between civilian members of the government and ithe Military Staff. Great efforts being made in Japan to economize lin every possible way, and the very existence of the government was recently endangered by a proposal [to ext salaries of all government Jemployees receiving yen 100% month, or more, by ten per cent. [This proposal was withdrawn owing. Ito the overwhelming. opposition that jit encountered, but the approprintions for all the civil departments, Ihave been drastically reduced. While it is true that the amount that is to be expended in the next fiscal year on the army and the navy has been ext down, it is evident from the tone of articles appearing jin the Japanese Press that there a growing feeling that the services should make greater sacri-ices, The difficulty is that the members of the cabinet in control Jef the military departments (the word military of course includes Jnaval and serial) are responsible solely to the Emperor, and not to the Diet, nor to their colleagues. This would seem to render their opposition to proposals of economy practically decisive, but experience shows that positions of privilege that seemed to be invulnerable have had' to yield to the assaults of growing democratic tendencies. The extension of the franchise in Japan iwas brought about in spite of written constitution because public opinion in its favour was overwhelming. Should the cabinet ministers ecnprolling the services force an issue they may sooner ater find that they are madé———Jamenable to the Diet by the irre tible force of the public opinion to [which at present they seem able to bid defiance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.