Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-08-18 | Page 34 | Rioting in Japan

RIOTING IN JAPAN. Evidently the Japanese government has failed to check the operations of tho food speculators of Nippon, and there is serious rioting as a result. There aro also industrial disturbances all over the country, Tokio being an exception ex-ception on account of military and police po-lice repression. The primary Vuse of all the trouble is the fact that tho prieo of rice, the staple food article of the Japanese, hast doubled twice during the past year owing to tho existence of a corner. We used to have corners in this country, and wc know moro or less about how prices can be manipulated by thoso who make money their god. So we are inclined to sympathize with the poorer classes of Japan who receive re-ceive very small wages for their work, and are consequently unable to provide for their families in war time. It is only a short time since Japan entered the ranks of civilized nations, and we must give the islanders eredit. for making mak-ing great progress. , But, while they have assimilated western ideas that are beneficial, they have also picked up some questionable methods of getting along in the world which are sure to bring troubles in their train. It is the aim of the government at Tokio to make the nation rich and powerful. It is the aim of the individual Japanese to become wealthy. In the mad struggle strug-gle the proletariat is being overlooked and the profiteers are running things with a high hand. There is some danger dan-ger of nn internal explosion.