OBJECTIVE IN JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26731, 29 March 1948, Page 5

OBJECTIVE IN JAPAN

SELF-SUPPORTING ECONOMY EXTENSION OF AMERICAN AID PLANNED TOKIO, Mar. 26. America plans to make Japan the “ workshop of the Far East.” This was announced to-day by the United States Under-secretary for the Army, Mr William Draper. He said Congress committees were now considering a Bill to make an immediate grant of 180,000,000 dollars to Japan in addition to the annual appropriation of 300,000.000 to 400,000,000 dollars for “ disease and unrest.” . Mr Draper said that Washington considered the establishment of a selfsupporting economy for Japan a primary objective. The Japanese recovery programme had been developed on basically the same principles as the recovery programme for Europe. The Army and State Departments believed that in order to mgke Japan selfsufficient, a certain amount of industrial raw materials would have to be supplied for a- short period. “Not Aimed Against Russia” Mr Draper denied that the United States plan was aimed against Russia It had been designed honestly and wholeheartedly to save the American taxpayer and to put the Japanese on their feet, so that they could go forward as a democratic nation. Mr Draper said the Potsdam Declaration, fixing post-war Japan’s economy at the 1930-34 level, had not been interpreted by America as meaning that the level should not be increased at some time if the Japanese, by their own efforts, showed that it was possible without endangering peace. He added that the tendency since the end of the war had been to consider factors overlooked then. The maximum contemplated cost to the United States in any one year would be 580,000,000 dollars, but this would be on a reducing scale, with the objective of making Japan self-sufficient by 1952-53. Government Workers on Strike

Three hundred thousand Government workers began a “ vacation ” strike at midnight. Unless negotiations are successful to-day, an additional 700,000 workers are expected to join the strikers in a series of zonal “vacations” within the next few days. The occupation forces are not affected, but all other telephone, telegraph, and postal services were tied up to-day. The tram services were suspended for two hours this morning.