JAPANESE PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 232, 2 October 1933, Page 9

JAPANESE PROBLEM.

PRESSURE OF PEOPLE.

"SHE MUST HAVE MARKETS."

THE BANFF CONFERENCE. After listening to Miss M. Seaton, one of Xew Zealand's delegates to the Institute of Pacific Relations Conference held recently in Banff, Canada, who returned by the Monowai this morning, one became possessed of an uneasy sense of disquiet and unrest, for she spoke of nothing but trouble throughout the world. "And that," said Mi3s Seaton, "is just how I left the conference." Of the many problems discussed, 'economic, military, naval, racial, those concerning armaments, and many another, perhaps the one which would interest New Zealandere the most was that of Japan, and concerning that problem Miss Seaton had interesting information to give—though she, following out the rule of the conference, would draw no conclusions. First she mentioned .Japan's increasing population. According to figures given by Dr. S. Nasu, a Japanese authority on food and population, Japan was at present at the threshold of a twenty years', period during which tho population would increase rapidly. After that period, it would probably remain stationary. '•But," said Miss Seaton, "the point is this: We who arc concerned with the Japanese \ roblcm have to live in that twenty years' period. That increase meant about 1,000,000 a year, every one of whom had to be housed, fed, schooled, and maintained in the same way as the rest of the people. "Immigration is no solution, therefore Japan must industrialise. She herself has no, or very little, raw materials. If she is to industrialise she must have raw materials, and she must have markets. The Japanese will not starve, and, from their point of view, who can blame them ?" Economic Competition. Miss Seaton spoke of economic competition. In the cotton industry the result of recent developments had been that the rough work in the industry had passed from Lancashire to Japan, and England had been hit hard. But now the same rough work had passed from Japan tp China, and now Japan was hard hit. The result was that both England and Japan wore feeling the effects—all due to competition. In that strain, citing similar instances, Miss Seaton said she could continue indefinitely, since all those points had been discussed, but no finality had been reached.

Eastern Standard of Living. "Then again, much has been said r about the Japanese standard of living," t said Miss Seaton. "That was also fully " discussed, and the question '• was asked, r Is the difference one of standards or of ' ways? In other words, are the stan--1 dards of living different, or the ways of ' living? An eminent American authority on statistics--! will not mention his ' name, for in the institute we do not do J that —cited this example: In an American factory, in which Japanese and r American workers were employed, both on the same wages, and the same social standard, family budgets were prepared ( to ascertain the way in which those same . amounts of wages were spent. The amount saved was not told. While the Americans had spent their wages on motor cars and rich foods, the Japanese had spent theirs on books, education generally, and their little gardens. "Xow," said Miss Seaton, "who main tained the higher standard of living Or, is it just a difference in the ways o, living?" Procedure of Conference. In view of Uic fact that while the institute had discussed the ways to secure peace, the world seemed to be drifting nearer to a clash, as far as could be deducted from tho cable news. Miss Seaton was asked whether the deliberations of the institute were not just a little like Nero fiddling while Rome was burning, whether stark facts were not passing the outside of the doors of the conference chamber. Miss Seaton replied in the negative. "We do, and did, definitely face facts," she said. "Accurate and full information is laid before the conference of things and conditions just as they are. We do not attempt to deny that the world is full of trouble. It is present wherever one looks. "Further, what one delegate will cite as the truth concerning a given situation will be found on discussion not to contain the wholo of the facts. Another delegate will cite other facts from his' point of view, and in the ensuing conversation the full facts are. adduced. We do not overlook any fact, but we try tp put it in its correct perspective. "Discussion was the more free because the conference neither attempted to pass resolutions nor to come to concrete solutions. Tlie members do not wait upon governments trying to urge certain lines of action or requiring financial aid. The institute finances itself, and is therefore independent. Its aim is to promote international goodwill, and its method is to call a conference every two years where delegates can meet and discuss the pressing problems of the day. In between conferences, groups in each country carry on research work and get tho actual facts of the subject. These facts are published and are available to anyone who wishes to make use of them." Education for Peace. While no resolutions were passed, the conference was agreed on one point: the need for education for peace. She explained that it was not merely education against war that was meant, for that was negative, but the definitely positive line of thought of the education for peace. The education of public opinion towards a broader international view and a deeper intolerance was also a subject of discussion, as were proposals for avoiding trade conflicts by national planning. In fact, this might be said to be the first international conference in which "planners" from the various nations were able to get together and discuss plans for what they believed to be a new international economy, in which planning, adjustment and control would replace international hostility. "The conference," Miss Seaton concluded, "is regarded as having Iwen most successful, relieving tension between national groups, bringing about a better understanding of the complex problems involved in the clashing that has marked the experience of nations with interests, direct or indirect, in the Pacific area."