RE II W$ OF BOOKS appeared, owing, it is stated, to abundant harvests in that eonntry. There h. as been a snbstantial fall in other.ire.ms too. The only noticeable increase is in the ease of ?nd/go, due no doubt to the stoppage of the supply of aniline dyes from Germany. The second factor which eontribnted to alter the inter- national trade balance of Japan was the almost phenomenal growth of her shipping business. The war naturally caused a great dearth o! bottoms, for a considerable number of the vessels belonging to the belligerent powers were requisitioned for military purposes. Japan was thus enabled to obtain a very much larger share o! the world's carrying business, and her shipping was extremely brisk. The following table, based partly on the Financial and Econo?ni? H nnual of Japan for 1914, and partly on the one nuder review, shows this clear- ly. The figures refer only to steamship commies. ?e?r d a, Authorheal Pa:d up o Yen 70.484.000 1918 23 1915 24 7@.?34,000 62.484,000 ? -3286 65.796.500 i ?487 G Tonnage 1,528,264 Yt,?t 74,,?00,000 (nearly): (nearly). 15,700.000 (nearly). 21,451,000 (nes?.ly). $3'0
all this, numerous diagrams, and a map of Japan. Separate
figures are given for Korea and other Japanese Provinees. Altogether the Annual is brimftd of the most interesting information. The arrangement o! matter is extremely good, of considerable interest, as which this wonderful land is The Annual contains, besides tiens, which will be found indicating the rapid strides taking in her industrial march. trade. But while the effect of the great war is reflected chiefly in the figures relating to volume of foreign ?rade and shipping, there are other figures relating to Finance, Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, Banking and Money lVIarket, and Communion- rate of interest more than trebled. This was no donbt partly due to higher freight rates, bnt mostly to greater briskness of 10'7 Thu? while the paid up capital, and gross. tonnage increased but slightly, net earnings went np by almost 50%, and the average
