JAPANESE IN CANADA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 307, 28 December 1937, Page 10

JAPANESE IN CANADA

INTENSIVE DRIVE FOR RAW MATERIALS British Columbia is included in the intensive drive being made by Japan for raw materials, iron, and steel. This search is world wide and •••• eludes South Africa, Tasmania, the Philippines and even islands in the south seas. Japan’s greatest weakness as an industrial power is the lack of iron and steel resources. In April, perhaps with plans of the invasion of China already decided on, the Japanese Government suspended import duties on iron anc. steel and on a long list of products made of these materials, thus admitting that the nation was running into difficulties in keeping up with an ambitious armament programme. Business Week reports that Japan bought more than twice as much American copper in the first five months of this year as in the same period last year. Canada's sales to Japan also showed a 40 per cent increase during the year ending May last. Several months ago according to Ifio same authority, Japanese agents came lo terms with the Granby Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company to reopen its Copper Mountain mines, closed in 1930, and ship all the ore products during the next three years to Japan. It also reported that the British Columbia Nickei Mines Ltd., has reopened its property at Choate and the entire output will be shipped to Japan for refining. Japanese interests are said to have acquired control of iron ore deposits in the Queen Charlotte group of islands off the British Columbia coast and are preparing to ship the ore to Japan for treatment if test shipments prove that it is worth while. Vast timber limits in British Columbia have been purchased recently by Japanese representatives. The Nisson Rayon Pulp Company of Tokio has secured nearly one billion feet of timber in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Japanese interests are also prominent in British Columbia fisheries and the Japanese population is increasing rapidly. All of which suggests it is not improbable that some day a live Japanese question may develop in the coast province.