Empire Decisions On Future Of Japanese Industry

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1947, Page 5

Empire Decisions On Future Of Japanese Industry

CANBERRA, August 30. The economic disarmament of Japan should be designed to ensure that Japan would not become a charge upon her former enemies, delegates to the British Commonwealth conference on the Japanese peace settlement decided yesterday. The sessions of the conference were devoted to economic questions which are likely to arise at the full Japanese peace conference, and to the question of reparations. When it adjourned until Monday, the conference had begun the discussion, of the supervisory machinery that might be required in Japan after the treaty is signed to ensure that the terms of the treaty are,carried out.

It was decided yesterday that the terms to be imposed on Japan should be hard enough to ensure the security of the Allied nations who were the victims of Japanese aggression, but not so harsh as to destroy the effectiveness of the measures nor prejudice the development in Japan of a workable economic democracy. Economic Basis The conference decided. that: (1) consistent with the overriding requirements of security, Japan should stand on its ■ own feet economically; (2) economic control should be clearly defined, easily enforceable, and not multiplied unnecessarily; (3) production in some strategic industries should be prohibited, and in others limited to definite levels governed by the'Japanese or world need; (4) subject to security, the causes of low living standards should be removed, and Japan should accept the minimum international standards in industrial and commercial conduct; (5) the right of workers’ associations should be preserved, and the Zai-

batsu corporation should be dissolved; and (6) Japan should be compelled to comply with international commercial obligations, as, for example, some of the conventions of the International Labour Office. Naval Ships and Aircraft

In the field of Japanese industry the conference agreed that the construction of aircraft and of naval vessels should be totally prohibited. Similarly, it was recognised that there should be strict control over the construction of merchant shipping. In this way it was agreed that Japan should be prevented from acquiring the skill and capacity which would allow quick expansion in the event of war.

Some industries, it was agreed, should be limited. This limitation would apply, not only to the quantity of production, but also to the processes to be used, so that byproducts of a military nature, .for instance, could not be produced. Renewed Soviet Proposal

According to a Moscow message, Russia has sent a Note to the United States, again insisting that the question of convening a conference to draft the Japanese peace treaty should first be discussed by the Big Four Foreign Ministers.

The Note also said that Russia regarded as not well-founded the arguments which the United States had advanced in an earlier Note in support of the American call for an early conference in Washington of 11 nations to discuss the Japanese peace treaty. Russia contended that the proposed Washington conference violated the Potsdam decision that the Council of Foreign Ministers should conduct “necessary preparatory work” on the peace settlement. ..