ITALY AND JAPAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 241, 25 July 1935, Page 3

ITALY AND JAPAN

QUESTION OF AFRICAN TRADE. MR E. C. CARTER’S COMMENT. (Special to the “Guardian.”) AUCKLAND, July 24. , “It is quite clear that Mussolini, in addition to other influences, n$ concerned with the success of Japanese trade in Africa," said Mr Edward C. Carter (secretary-general of the Institute of Pacific Relations), wlio is visiting Auckland. “Mussolini is probably unnecessarily alarmed about Japan’s designs in Abyssinia; but lie cannot have left unnoticed the extraordinary growth in Japan’s trade with Egypt, where in the textile lield Japan has dealt such body-blows to Lancashire,” Mr Carter said. “There has been talk of a union between members of Abyssinian and Japanese Royal families, but I think this lias been exploded as mere gossip. It is true that in oidei to raise her standard of living and to provide for her swollen military and naval expenditure Japan must continue to find ever-fi'csh markets in eveiy part of the would. This need 1 is accentuated by American tariffs, restiictions in several British countries, and by embaigoes or quotas in various parts of the world. “If, therefore, yet another door—that of Abyssinia—is closed to Japanese trade, Japan’s manufacturers will feel an added grievance. In spite of the innumerable barriers to Japanese trade, it has shown an almost unbelievable increase in the last three years. Jt is time that the; peoples ot the Occident stopped talking about “sweat-shop” conditions in Japan, and studied the real reasons for Japan s success. The secret of this does not lie primarily in low wages; but in ellicient industrial management } aig,e. scale production, modern machinery, shrewdness in purchasing l aw ma terials, and clever marketing. Mr Carter said the Japanese had a world-wide organisation to study tle tastes of consumers, and as a result the manufacturers were quick to ie spoml to popular demand. Industrial trouble was avoided, as loyalty to an employer was regarded as a patriotic duty, and there was also such magni ieciit Government support that nearly all the industry of the country was being developed on a national basis. “Cut-throat” competition between factories did not exist to nearly the same extent as it did in some European countries. In bis opinion, with Mussolini determined to enforce -Italy & right to expand, it was impossible to predict wiiat action any other country would take, Mr Carter concluded. It seemed that the only thing ia would stop Mussolini was the armed force of Great Britain and France; but neither country appeared prepared at the moment to use either economic or military pressure to thwart Italy s imperialistic ambition.