VISITOR FROM JAPAN

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 13

VISITOR FROM JAPAN

INTEREST IN WIRELESS. LINKING PACIFIC COUNTRIES. A Japanese visitor, Mr. Kakichi Uchida, president of the Japan Wireless Telegraph Company, arrived at Auckland last week. He is interested in obtaining data upon which the company, which owns three of the biggest transmitting stations in Japan, hopes to establish direct wireless telegraphy with Australia, India, Java, Sumatra, Siam, French Indo-China and the Philippines. “I have been making inquiries about wireless in New Zealand,” said Mr. Uchida, “but until you have stations capable of carrying on long-distance communication, such as we have in Japan, I cannot see any immediate prospect of communication on a commercial basis with your country. It will be necessary to build a station in New Zealand equipped wnth a 40 k.w, transmitter, but the station I looked over in Wellington was only 5 k.w. No doubt, it will come in time.”

Mr. Uchida has had a distinguished business and political career. During the war he was Vice-Minister of Communications in the Japanese Government, and visited Great Britain on sevJ eral occasions on matters connected with the improvement of shipping and telegraphic communication between Japan and the Allies. After the war, when he retired from'Government service, he obtained from the State a sanction to establish the Japan Wireless Telegraph Company, which has since grown to immense proportions. For six years he was civil governor of the Island of Formosa, finally being appointed GovernorGeneral. He is a member of the House of Peers.

“This is my last visit io New Zealand,” he said, “but 30 years ago I went to Australia as secretary of the Japanese Government Shipping Board to arrange the establishment of a line of Japanese steamships between Australia and Japan. The service did well, and there is now more than one line with steamers calling at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

“'lt did not require this visit of mine to New Zealand to convince me of the necessity for closer trade relations between my country and yours,” added Mr. Uchida. “I know that many New Zealand business .men are desirous of seeing faster steamers visiting the Dominion from Japan, and there must be enormous opportunities for developing New Zealand’s markets in my country, especially in wool, frozen meat, butter and cheese. Of course, we produce our own dairy produce, but I have not tasted such good butter in Japan as I have these last few days in New Zealand. “In return, Japan would - send you more silk and cotton. I can state confidently that several Japanese shipping companies would not take much persuasion to -send fast cargo vessels to New Zealand, and, I believe, passenger steamers by-and-by. Shipping and wireless ■ communication between our respective countries should do much to improve trade and economic prosperity.” Mr. Uchida 'expressed pleasure at everything he had seen during his brief stay in the Dominion. “It struck me that that there is a great similarity between New Zealand and Japan,” he said, “not merely because they are both sea-girt and dependent equally on pastoral and industrial pifzsuits, but also as . regards their scenery, especially their snow-cap-ped mountains, their forests and their hot springs.”