HARD TIMES IN JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 302, 17 December 1908, Page 4

HARD TIMES IN JAPAN.

The Tokio currcspoiiduiit of tile Sa.i Francisco Argonaut writes: A dislike for Americans lias been slowly interim; through, all classes of Japanese society for some time, but not until this year lias it readied the shopkeepers, who, devoid of the tact and polish ~f tliciilietters. frankly confess it. There are several reasons for this animosity. In tile, first |)lace America, justly or unjustly, is held responsible fortlic present hard times in Japan. The recent "Wall Street, panic, besides cruelly affecting money markets (lie world'over, has .impoverished and kept at home the majority of those wealthy Americans whom Japanese dealers have, long considered ■their natural prey. Worse still, it has taught (he few millionaires: travelling abroad in. spite of adverse circumstances caution in spendiiifr their monev. done are the good old days when oil kings and pork packers bought one dollar trays for one hundred dollars, wlioit railroad magnates found everything '■too cheap." because the ..old dollars tllcy brought over mysteriously doubled by the subtle rulings of exchange when turned into yen. \n\v globe-trotters from the States declare that everything is "too dear.'' They have learned to commit the unpardonable sin of bargaining and bring a shrewd business instinct into their iplcasurc. Used in moderation, this shrewdness would be .justifiable, even, praiseworthy. Hut overworked, it sometimes proves disastrous in Japan. A case in point happened ;,. few weeks ago. whm a rash , citizen from Missouri saw a pa.ir of exceptionally fine vases in a Tokio exhibition ami ipriccd. them. The artist, their creator and a man of reputation, said, "Two thousand yen/' "Well. I guess I'll give fifteen hundred." replied the man from .Missouri, winking at his wife as if to say, " Von don't catch the old .man napping." Uefore he could draw out his pocket-book the irate Japanese, indignant at the idea of bargaining over these beautiful children of his hands, like another Virginins, struck llieni down on the .spot and turned away with such a look of contempt as only a Japanese can summon at need.