“Piracy” Of British Designs By Japan

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28397, 2 October 1957, Page 13

“Piracy” Of British Designs By Japan

LONDON, Sept. 30.

The Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Aiichiro Fujiyama) was believed to have discussed the alleged “pirating” of British designs by Japanese manufacturers when he called on the British Board of Trade today. Mr Fujiyama, who will leave for Japan tomorrow at the end of his visit, saw the Minister of State at the Board of Trade (Mr Vaughan Morgan). A Board of Trade spokesman said the call was a courtesy one. The two Ministers had discussed economic and trading problems. But informed sources said the alleged "pirating” was also discussed. Soon after he arrived in London, Mr Fujiyama was under fire from British correspondents about the alleged pirating. “Discourteous” An interviewer for Independent Television showed the Foreign Minister a packet of British-made ball bearings together with a second package which, the interviewer said, was made in Japan but which bore a British label.' The interviewer asked: “What are you going to do about this?” Mr Fujiyama did not answer, but his interpreter interposed: "This is discourteous.” The interpreter insisted that notice should have been given of such a question, but the interviewer continued to press for an answer.

Mr Fujiyama sat silently between the two men throughout the incident.

Earlier, Mr Fujiyama had said that he would look into the question of Japanese manufacturers using British labels. If the Japanese manufacturers were at fault, he would take steps to see that was corrected, he said.

The "Daily Express,” in its version of the incident, said the interviewer, Robin Day, pulled out two boxes of ball bearings, identical except that one box made in England, was labelled ‘‘Pollard” and the other, made in Japan, was labelled “Bollard.” The “Daily Express” said the First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in London, Mr Hideki Masa' i, who was interpreting for the Foreign Minister, shouted: "I think this is out of order. You should have given him advance notice that you were going to do this.” The interviewer said no-one had told him to give advance notice of any questions.

‘‘This is treacherous,” fumed Mr Masaki, “this is discourtesy.” according to the "Daily Express.” It added: "Robin Day was undaunted. ‘Wasn’t it treacherous and discourteous,’ he countered, ‘for Japanese firms to copy British designs?’

"Then, from the back, another Japanese rushed forward. ‘We stop there,’ he ordered. “The cameras stopped. Mr Fujiyama still sat there, not having said or done anything—except to stop smiling,” the newspaper's report said. During his visit, made at the invitation of the British Government, Mr Fujiyama had a number of meetings with the British

Foreign Minister (Mr Selwyn Lloyd). He told reporters last night that as a result of his talks with Mr Lloyd he felt that the views of the British and United States Governments on the international situation were much closer to each other than he originally believed.

Purchase Of Reactor

The Minister for Fuel and Power (Lord Mills) also had talks with Mr Fujiyama. They were understood to have discussed plans for the Japanese purchase of a British atomic reactor.

Later today Mr Fujiyama called at No. 10 Downing Street for lunch with the Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan). British guests at the lunch included Mr Selwyn Lloyd, the president of the Federation of British Industries (Sir Hugh Beaver), the president of the Japan Association (Sir Edward Crowe), the president of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (Sir Ronald Garrett) and Sir Esler Dening, a former British Ambassador in Tokyo. It was expected that Mr Fujiyama and Mr Macmillan would discuss the letter asking for close study of Japan’s-new disarmament resolution sent last week to the British Prime Minister by Japan's Prime Minister, Mr Nobusuke Kishi.