vantages. In
the first place Japanese wages have increased so rapidly that in the
last fifteen years they have nearly doubled, and, secondly, it must
be remembered that Japanese labour is not so efficient as that of
Europe and America.

ENGRAVING: SEAL OF MUTSUHITO, THE LATE EMPEROR

RAILWAYS

The work of railway construction, which may be said to have commenced
with the Meiji era, has not advanced as rapidly as some other
undertakings. The country has now only 5770 miles of lines open to
traffic and 1079 miles under construction. All these railways may be
said to have been built with domestic capital. Nearly the whole was
nationalized in 1907, so that the State has paid out altogether
sixty-six million pounds sterling--$325,000,000--on account of
railways, an investment which yields a net return of about three and
a half millions sterling--$17,000,000--annually.

THE MERCANTILE MARINE

Another direction in which Japanese progress has been very marked is
in the development of a mercantile marine. At an early period of the
country's modern history, her statesmen recognized that transports
are as necessary to the safety of a State as are soldiers, and, in
fact, that the latter cannot be utilized without the former. The
Government, therefore, encouraged with liberal subsidies and
grants-in-aid the purchase or construction of ships, the result being
that whereas, in 1871, Japan's mercantile marine comprised only
forty-six ships with a total tonnage of 17,948, the corresponding
figures in 1910 were 6436 and 1,564,443 respectively. In the war with
China in 1894-1895, as well as in that with Russia in 1904-1905,
Japan was able to carry large armies to the Asiatic continent in her
own vessels, thus demonstrating the wisdom of the policy pursued by
the Government, although it had been habitually denounced by the
enemies of subsidies in any circumstances. Shipbuilding yards had
also been called into existence, and there are now four of them where
vessels aggregating 87,495 tons have been built.

THE ARMY

It has been seen that the Satsuma rebellion of 1877 severely taxed
the military resources of the empire. In fact, the organization of
special brigades to supplement the conscripts was found necessary.
Therefore, two years later, the conscription law was revised, the
total term of service being increased from seven years to ten, with
the result that the number of trained soldiers who could be called
out in case of war