Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1138

 1016 JAPAN

II. Local.

The revenue of the Departments for the year 1912-1913 was 82,854,156 yen, and expenditure 82,814,734 yen. Of the revenue 64,190,931 yen was from rates. The revenue of the cities in 1911-12 was 84,488,057 yen (20,504,651 yen from rates), and the expenditure was 71,708,681 yen. The revenue of the towns and villages in 1911-12 was 107,561,595 yen (79, 068, 474 yen from rates), and the expenditure was 107,488,465 yen. The total local debt at the end of 1911 was 184,656,785 yen.

Defence.

I. Army,

Service in the army (or navy) is universal and compulsory. Liability commences at the age of 17 and extends to the age of 40, but actual service begins at 20, All those physically capable of bearing arms are divided into two classes, the 'fit,' and the ' absolutely fit,' The numbers necessary for the first line (or active army), called Geneki^ are taken solely from the ' abso- lutely fit,' Service in the ranks is for 2 years in the infantry, 3 in all other arms ; then for 5 (or 4) years and 4 months in the reserve ( Yohi). One year volunteers are admitted. Reservists are called out twice for training during their reserve service, for 60 days on each occasion. Having completed 7 years and 4 months in the first line, including its reserve, the men are transferred to the second line, called Kobi. Service in th.'^ Kobi is for 10 years, with tw^o trainings of 60 days each in the whole period. At the end of their Kobi service the men are in the 38th year of their age, and they are passed into the Kokumin, which is the territorial or home defence army. In this they serve for 2 years and 8 months, to complete their total service of 20 years.

The reserve for making good the waste of war, or supplementary reserve is called Hoju, It is composed of the balance of the ' absolutely fit ' recruits not required for the first line, and of as many of those classed as "fit" as may be required to make up a certain fixed number. They all serve in the Hoju for 7 years and 4 months, during which they have a first training of 90 days, and two subsequent trainings of 60 days each. After completion of this period of their service they are passed to the Kobi, in which they serve for ten years, like the men who have passed through the first line. Like them also they are finally passed to the Kokumin for 2 years and 8 months, to complete their army service.

The Kokumin is divided into two 'bans.' The first ban comprises all the men who have passed, as shown above, through the first line and land- wehr, or through the supplementary leserve and landwehr, and who there- fore have only 2 years and 8 months to spend in the Kokumin. The second ban is the levy en masse of all those capable of bearing arms. It includes (1) those Avho though ' fit ' are not required for the Hoju ; (2) those Avho for various reasons have been exempted from military service ; and (3) the young men between 17 and 20 years of age wdio have not been called up. None of these classes receive any military training, but they can be drawn on in case of national emergency.

The partially trained men who have been passed into the Kobi from the Hoju are not included in the fighting units of the Second Line. They supply the large number of men required for the transport service on mobilisation, and for the expansion of other departmental corps.

The field army of Japan consists of 19 divisions, including the guard.