EASTERN ORGIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 7

EASTERN ORGIES.

JAPAN. Japan, fighting Germany with the Entente Powers, has been living in.luxury and extravagance heretofore absolutely unknown to her people. The food supply is being shamefully wasted, states "a Japanese journalist in an article sent irom Tokio to the New York World,

Tea-houses throughout, the country are doing an unprecedented business. The only way to reserve a room iu any teahouso is to reserve it a month in advance. War millionaires and ship millionaire-? have been buying summer villas and country houses until no summer villa in Japan is vacant to-day. Many millionaires have rented entire hotels in summer resorts. One recently p v < a. 'ip of £7OO to a maid iu an hotel in which lie stayed one week. Other millionaires arc following the example ■of exliorbitant tipping. Dinner parties casting £lO to £SO a plate are frequent ni large restaurants. One restaurant in Osaka refuses to serve any dinner under £5 <; ;)late. An orgy of money-making and money-spending is on.

_ rhs Japanese Government has not levied a special war profit tax. Government officials will not impose such a tax, because t'hey themselves are getting rich off tlie war.