JAPAN'S PROSPERITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 310, 30 December 1915, Page 6

JAPAN'S PROSPERITY.

i INCREASE OF SPECIE RESERVE, BOOM IN STOCKS. | (Received 11 a.m.) TOKYO, December 29. The Diet adjourned after a stormy ses» sion, due to the Oura bribery case. The 1915 statistics show an excess oi exports over imports of twenty million sterling, as against an adverse balance in the previous five years aggregating twenty-six million. The Government has also sold ten millions worth of arms and munitions, resulting in a great increase of the European specie reserve. There has been a boom in stocks, some of which have risen several hundreds pel ' cent. Enormous profits have been made in shipping and other industries. The Oura case referred to in the cable has reference to the naval scandals. lit 1913 Japan was scandalised at certain charges, in which it was alleged higl/ ' Admiralty officials and at least one admiral on the active list had accepted bribes from munition manufacturers, including the German firm of Krupp's, in connection with the supply of naval xuri-* tione. Tbe matter caused a great deal - of political disturbance last year, several stormy scenes taking pace in the Diet ; and it has been an important factor it causing trouble in Japan's political lif» S during the present year.