The press rejoices over the fact that the World Engineering Con gress and the World Power Con. ference have selected Japan for their sessions, believing that these two important international conferences will help Japan to learn a great deal more, and confessing that, industrially, Japan still is Behind better organized and equip ped Occidental lands, The Japanese people who are never contented with abstract cotrines and theories: they. are rather of the kind that want to translate theories into something tangible, and-this has been particularly so in the industrial field where, because of this characte tie and a plodding perseverance osides: other reasons, the industrial progress. of Japan hes been 40 marvellous. Another—worth-while thing is that the better type do not fail to realize their limitations, and; in this connection, the "Chus Shogyo," the only commercial daily Japan, which may be regarded the prototype of the "Financial fews" of London or the New York. "Journal of Commerce," in an editorial to-day warns the people against being led into the "une Sustifinble. belief," just because the World Engineering Congress and the World Power Conference are doing held in Tokyo, that industrially Japan is an equal of other industrially-advanced nations, and hopes that magnates here, instead of trying to throw: dust into the eyes of the visiting delegates, will rather let them see the actual conditions, receive expert criticism and thereby remedy shortcomings.
However that may be, to. the impartial stranger and' non-technical writer, there is no denying the fact that the selection of the Japanese capital for two such big scientific conferences may ightly. and pardonably be regarded as testimony that Japan is one of the big industrial nations of the world.
The Government's Economy Campaign Extremely gratified: is Premier Hamaguchi and his official family atthe daily proof of the popular response made to the Cabinet's appeals for economy. People, in order to relieve the Government's financial stringency, are reported de sending. in constant gifts of money, jewels and other valuables tombs sold and the proceeds used as the Government thinks fit in order ter improve the country's -finances. These gifts and donations have come from all parts of the country:
'The proprietor' of an" Osaka machine plant, had-a. talk.with his employees on the matter, The result was that they all agreed to contribute something, and he was able to send the Government Yen 2,000.
'According to a law' on the statute books, these free contributions from private individuals may not be accepted by the authorities. Being in something of a quandary, a special Cabinet Council was convened Jand it was decided to abrogate the Jobsolete law. Accordingly, executive order was issued. to-day, declaring this law null and void, and empowering prefectural authorities as well as _smunicipal officials of certain rank to* accept gifts provided these were for a national purpose, such as for diminishing the country's indebtedness to foreign lands. The deletion of this law from the state books is expected to bring in a much larger amount of contributions, as it is believed that many people, when taking their gifts to prefectural or municipal offices, were informed that the law forbade the Government from accepting voluntary donations from private individuals. "The Opposition on Retrenchment The retrenchment policy of the Hamaguchi Government is nothing else but high-sounding propaganda, according to Mr, Kii Inukai, leader of the Seiyukai, the principal Opposition party, who was chosen to take the place of the late Baron Tanaka, Mr. Inukai emphasized that he was not opposed retrenchment, but that he found the Government's plans for this purpose to be worthless, in that, while there much noise made, what is] bid, actually: saved is so absurdly small fas not to be worth mentioning.
re are also believers in economy. and proper retrenchment," said Mr. Tnukai, "though, to read the papers, one would think that Mr, Hamaguchi was the inventor of economy. Our for retrenchment involves tens of millions, but without driving either' the public business into the gloom of despair, as Mr. Hamaguchi did so recently."
All this is regarded by polities! wiseacres as mere election propaganda, for a general election is looming on the horizon, and the Government's iterations and reiterations about the country's financial foundations being precarious to the extent that only Minseito cement can stave off a collapse and reinforce them are regarded ing similar light, Indications are many that the political dovecotes have begun to flutter. The Opposition is to go on the "stum," from one end of the country to' the other next week, its main line of campaign being' to make little of the Government's economy efforts and to stampeding the voting public into a fear that if Mr. Hamaguchi and his Cabine continue to be at the. helm much Tonger, grave distress is bound to cen ave through the "wrong idea of economy" held by the Government. 'To counteract the Opposition paign, the Government is planning to oppose: every: Opposition' speaker with a Minseito many and" actual fisticuffs are expected if) this' is done, as has always been the case in the too are preparing: for. the coming general elections. The Shokai Minshuto (Social Democrats) have announced that they will put up as many as 50] candidates, while the Nippon Tai-shute (the: Proletarian Party of JJapan) declare that they: will wase fight for 40 seats. The various Labour bodies are' expected' to contest 20: seats or 0, all these figures for the: new parties being without precedent in the history of Japan, The Chinese Eastern Railway Impatient at the delay of Nan king: in settling. with' Moscow, the (Current News), one: of the most popular and generally reliable organs of Tokyo, says that Chang. Hsueh-liang has definitely decided [td enter into separate negotiations with Moscow and that it has been practically. agreed to appoint. Dr. Wellington Koo: as the Chinese delegate. 'The. despatch. adds: that the Moscow."comrades" are willing, General: Chang," it is' said): on; more. than:. one—ceeasion:: asked
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.