Tokyo, Aug. 15.
'The Japanese sfibuld use discretion' in considering foreigners in Japan as spies for many of them are good citizens, the "Miyako" stated in an editorial today. Although the idea of fighting espionage should be supported, the paper added, the authorities hope that the population will not under any circumstances lose the magnanimity expected of a great nation.
The "Miyako" then went on to give figures regarding foreign residents in Japan. On December 31 last, it stated, there were 30,629 foreigners in the country. Of these 19,339 were males and 11230 females. Despite the application last year of new immigration regulations destined to curb the entry of foreigners into Japan, there were 1,772 more foreigners in December 1939 than in December 1938, More than half these foreigners were Asiatics, 16,400 of them being Chinese and 2222 Manchurians. Among the others, 2326 were Americans, 2000 Germans, 1816 Britons, 896 Indians, 535 Frenchmen and 290 Canadians. The number of Britons decreased by nearly 400 during 1939, while the figure for Germans during the same period dropped by about 250. At the end of 1938 there was only one citizen of the Netherlands Irdies in Japan, while at the end of last year there were 17.
Foreigners engaged in business or employed in banks totalled 2,786, of whom 365 were Britons and 395 Germans. There were 848 missionaries, of whom 260 were British and 216 Americans.—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.