CLOSING A GERMAN BANK

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1651, 16 December 1916, Page 4

CLOSING A GERMAN BANK

The closing of the Yokohama branch of the Deutsch-Asiafisehe Bank, by order of the Japanese Government, says the Japan Times, removes at least one strong cause of fear of German mischief-nut kingin that country. Though not informed of the exact reasons, the public seems to have made a. shrewd guess of the ground on which the stringent order was based, and it is no wonder. The treatment extended to the German prisoners and German civilians in Japan has been marked with generosity that far exceeds tho requirements of modern rules of war and international law. It was expected in the circumstances that the Germans would keep quiet and abstain from all acts of ingratitude. As a matter of fact, however, the prisoners are constantly trying to escape, hi which attempt some of them have succeeded, besides bringing on themselves charges of insubordination and otherwise showing unwarrantable conduct. As for merchant* and other civilian*, they went about arrogantly, some of them assuming Japanese names for their business, while suspicions have fallen on many of continuing espionage. Where did the money come from for the escaped prisoners to take them out of the country? Where have those spying and scheming Germans been obtaining funds with which to carry out their secret enemy work'? The authority above quoted did not know whether the Government was in possession of evidence showing any connection between (heir actir vily and the German Bank in Yokohama. But as lopg as the bank remained open the public could pot but regard i( as the fountainhead of German intrigues in Japan.