JAPAN SEEKS GOLD

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 17

JAPAN SEEKS GOLD

EMPEROR GIVES HIS WATCH With the war in China dragging into its third year, the Japanese people are surrendering their hoarded treasures of gold, literally by the truckload, to enable the Government to replenish es rapidly-dwindling gold reserves, writes Kimpei Sheba in the ‘ Chicago Tribune.” The articles include ancient coins a quarter of an inch thick and considerably larger than a silver dollar, tea kettles and cups, vases, trays, and jewellery. Japan was known as long ago as at the time of Marco Polo’s travels as a land fabulously rich in gold. This is only now being borne out by the large quantities of golden articles which have been brought to light. The vast amount of such articles which has been hoarded has amazed most people here. The Japanese always have had a weakness for gold. They use more gold in their teeth than possibly any other people. A tremendous amount of gold is also used in their paintings, carvings, clothing, and lacquer-ware, but this, of course, cannot be recovered. One thing from which they can recover a lot of gold is a golden dolphin, eight feet high, the scales of which are said to be of solid gold and which adorns the gabled roof of the castle at Nagoya.

Most of the hoarded treasures will bo kept by the Government until one year after the termination of the war in China. The Government is eucour-

aging the people to sell their gold holdings. The Minister of Finance may make the sale of gold compulsory _if the people. are unwilling ■to part with their hoarded treasures. Persons failing to report their gold outside of gold teeth, Will ba severely punished, the say. The Emperor, Hirohita, is understood to have given up his gold-rimmed spectacles and gold-encased wristlet watch to set an example to the people.Ho also has turned over most of hit possessions of gold or those containing gold to the Bank of Japan and is living extremely frugally. He uses a 15s chrome Watch, cotton towels, underwear, and socks. Very few of. these articles, it is said, have not been mended. Efforts of the Government to have married women voluntarily give up their gold wedding rings have not met with much success. A delegation of leading feminists recently informed.the Government that all women are willing to give up gold ornaments and trinkets but are less willing to Surrender their wedding rings. “ Wedding rings are symbols of chastity,” their spokesman Said. “ Removing a wedding ring signifies abandonment of chastity. Suppose such things are abused for propaganda, purposes, how would Japan appear in the eyes of the world? ” she asked. _ Japan, including Korea, which is rich in gold resources, produces on an average slightly less than a million fine ounces of gold each year, or about one-sixth of the average annual production of the United States. Japan's gold mines already < have .been worked long and hard and it is difficult to expect any great increase in production. The Government, therefore, is turning its attention more and more to Manehukuo.