Japan's year of natural disasters came at a time when she could least afford it because of the heavy expenditure in the China campaign and mounting difficulties of foreign trade.
Damages from the disasters amounted to scores of millions of yen. Most of the losses were suffered by the poor class of Japanese who are struggling to keep abreast of the increasing living costs.
June 13: Train wreck, resulting in 25 deaths and 108 injuries among a group Of school children, June 29: Kwanto flooded by heaviest rains in 60 years July 7: Floods in Kobe and Osaka Cities still not fully recovered from the floods.
July 14: Inland sea area flooded.
August 2: Kobe again flooded.
August 13: no less than 1,300 persons killed in northern Korean floods.
Early spring storms wrecked dozens Oi ships while avalanches took a heavy toll among mountain hikers.
In each instance, the Japanese painfully and methodically rebuilt the affected areas, but the accumulation vf disasters is undoubtedly having its effect.
The authorities Hope the capture of Hankow will improve the spirits flagging under the monetary drains and losses of relatives both through Government railroads have also War and natural disasters.—United been heavily hi
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