JAPANESE BUYERS TO BE ABSENT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21867, 21 August 1936, Page 11

JAPANESE BUYERS TO BE ABSENT

COMING WOOL SALES IN AUSTRALIA PURCHASE IN SOUTH AFRICA I AND SOUTH AMERICA (U*IT*D PUSS AfISOCIATIO*— TfIPTaxa*rJ (Received August 21, 12.15 a.m.) TOKYO, August 20. It is reported that the Ministry for Commerce and Industry and wool interests have jointly decided not to send buyers to the new season’s auctions in Australia, as has hitherto been customary. During recent weeks big firms have been sending numerous buyers to South America and South Africa.

Replying to the broadcast address made by the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr J. A. Lyons), a Government spokesman (Mr Amau) said that Japan was awaiting Australia’s proposals for a resumption of trade negotiations. He reiterated that the dispute was the result of Australia’s virtual prohibition of imports of Japanese merchandise. Mr Amau said: “We are not interested either in Australian politics or wool sales.”

The newspapers regard Mr Lyons’s broadcast as a bluster, as, while Australia has not shown any indication of budging to enable the resumption of negotiations, she is, undoubtedly worrying a good deal over the prospect of Japan’s abstention from the forthcoming wool sales, so Japan can well afford calmly to wait and let the effect of the latter sink in.

AUSTRALIA READY TO NEGOTIATE MINISTER’S STATEMENT (Received August 21, 1.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 20. Sir Henry Gullett, Minister in charge of Trade Treaties, replying to the Japanese cablegram, said the Commonwealth Government was ready and willing to resume negotiations with Japanese representatives here, but according to the Japanese Consul-General in Australia he had not received any instructions from his Government on the subject.