REBIRTH OF JAPAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17183, 29 October 1923, Page 8

REBIRTH OF JAPAN.

BUSINESS RESUMING. GETTING BACK TO NORMAL By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney “ Sun ” Cable. (Received October 29, 12.50 p.m.) TOKIO, October 28. The Yokohama Exchange will resumo its silk operations on November 1. The Tokio Rice Exchange will reopen a month later. The main through railway line resumes traffic to-morrow. Some branch lines will probably bo abandoned altogether, as they cannot he rebuilt at 1 resent because the looseness of the ground renders cuttings impossible. Japanese railway and road repairs arc amazing to foreigners, who had not expected the re-opening of copa, munications .short of six months. Tokio is digging herself out of the ruins and rushing temporary constructions. Yokohama is less advanced, xhe ruins still covering many corpses. Th© Pres? is resuming political discussions. the question of manhood, franchise being prominent. The Foreign Office announces that it is ready to resume pourparlers with Russia as soon as it is convinced that Russia will not force another deadlock. RELIEF WORK CLOSING. YOKOHAMA NEW SILK CENTRE. Bj> Telegraph—Pre*» Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received October 29, 1.5 p.m.) TOKIO, October 27. Kobe was the centre of activities in fc reign relief work during the earthquake period. The foreign residents laised £40,000. The fin© Oriental Hotel was commandeered for foreign refugees, some thousands of whom flocked to Kobe. Most have now de, parted for their own countries or elsewhere. Relief work is drawing to a close as the funds have run out. Mr Forster, the British Consul-Gen-eral, states that no more food supplies rre wanted, but blankets would be most useful. Otherwise, the best form of help is monetary contributions. Kobe is filled with tourists. All the hotels are crowded. The fight between Kobe and Yokohama for the papture of the silk trade ended in a victory for Yokohama. Kobe is overstocked with Australian frozen meat, which is selling at cut rates. Immediately after the disaster, a big stock of meat consigned to Hong Kong was deflected to Yokohama and Kobe. It arrived in quantities beyond local demands. The meat was offered to the Japanese Government, which declined, as it had sufficient. This meat had no relation to the relief supplies sent from Australia, as it was given to the Japanese Relief Committees by the Hong Kong people.