JAPANESE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 8

JAPANESE TRADE

Extraordinary Growth of Recent Years

MUSSOLINI’S FEARS

Influence in Abyssinian Situation Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 24. ’’lt, is quite clear that Mussolini, in addition to other influences, is concerned with the success of Japanese trade in Africa,” said Mr. Edward C. Carter, secretary-general of the Institute of Pacific Relations, who is visiting Auckland in the course of a study tour of member countries of the institute. "Mussolini is probably unnecessarily alarmed with reference to Japan’s designs in Abyssinia, but he cannot have left unnoticed the extraordinary growth in Japan’s trade with Egypt, where in the textile Held Japan has dealt such body-blows to Lancashire,” Mr. Carter said. “There has been talk of a union between members of the Abyssinian and Japanese Royal families, but I think this has been exploded as mere gossip. It is true that in order to raise her standard of living and to provide for her swollen, military and naval expenditure Japan must continue to find ever-fresh markets in every part of the world. This need is accentuated by American tariffs, restrictions in several British countries, and by embargoes 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,” Mr. Carter continued. “In spite of the innumerable barriers to Japanese trade, it has shown an almost, unbelievable increase in the past three years. It is time that the people of the Occident stopped talking about ‘sweat-shop’ conditions in Japan and studied the real reasons for Japan’s industrial success. The secret of this does not lie primarily iu low wages, but in efficient industrial man-agement—large-scale production, modern machinery, shrewdness in purchasing raw materials, and clever marketing.” Mr. Carter said the Japanese had a world-wide organisation to study Hie tastes of consumers, and as a result manufacturers were quick to respond to popular demand. Industrial trouble was avoided, as loyalty to the employer was regarded as a patriotic duty, while there was also such magnificent Government support that nearly all the industry of the country was being developed on a national basis. “Cutthroat” competition between factories did not exist to nearly the same extent as it did in some European countries. In his opinion, with Mussolini determined to enforce Italy’s right to expand, it was impossible to predict what action any other country would take, Mr. Carter concluded. It. seemed that the only thing that 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.