Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1894 — LAND OF THE MIKADO. [ARTICLE]

LAND OF THE MIKADO.

Interesting; Facts About the Country Now at War with China. Anything bearing oi Japan or its people is of peculiar interest at the present time. In Id!i2 the country had a population of 41,08!),940. Caste 'holds sway there, the people being divided into three classes, chiefs and members of royal families, those belonging to the warrior caste, and the others are classified as ordinary subjects. The people are mainly devoted to agriculture, there being more than 5,090,000 families of peasant proprietors and nearly 2,500,1)Ju families engaged in tenant farming or in ancillary occupations. Nevertheless the urbun element is considerable, thirty-six towns having over 30,000 inhabitants, six over 10 i,OOO, and thr?e over 300,000. Divorce is much more common in Japan than in any Christian country. In i,-:i)2 the number of marriages was 548,449, and that of divorces was lla,498. The value of Japanese product! exported in 1c92 was s,il, 178,553, ai against $38,.510,100 ten years before. The foreign commodities' Imported in 1-502 were appraised at $75,903,207, or more by some S4s,OOU,uOO than in 1883. Wo are Japan’s best customer, although her principal purveyor is Grea. Britain. Tne amount of the Japanese public debt in thd year 1892-9-1 was s2'>i, 120,000. The it Waiqe of the metallic money in circulation was little less than $14,000,0J0. Tho t tal value of tho paper money in circulation was *143,054.004 On December 31, 1892, the Japanese Minister of Marine had at his uisposal .09 Admirals and other officers of high grades, 1,122 officers of lower grades, and upwards of 9,000 sailors. Besides twenty-three torpedo boats there were thirty-five war vessels, having an aggregate displacement of i 6,520 tons and carrying ,>u2 guns. At the date above named the regular army consisted of more than 10,090 of-, fleers and non-commissionel officers and almost- exactly 25',000 soldiers. T. e oii.cers are well trained in European strategy and tactics, and the soldiers are arms i with perfected weapons. Buddhism is the religion of tho majority of the people and is supported by voluntary contribution’.