OCR Text |
Show some. It's a well known fact that the Japanese are poor innovators but magnificent imitators. If someone starts manufacturing a product in a western country, the Japanese are usually able to produce pro-duce a competitive product, as good or almost as good, at a fraction frac-tion of the price. Between 1931 and 1933, Japan increased her world exports of rayon yarn by 322 per cent; her exports of woolen wool-en yarn by 514 per cent; her ex-j ports of woolen piece goods by 788 per cent. In addition, she is sending send-ing other products into the world market, to be sold at prices American Am-erican end English manufacturers cannot meet. This is partly due to Japanese efficiency and largely large-ly due to low wages, depreciation of the yen and long working hours. The Japanese worker puts in between 55 and 60 hours a week and all major industries have been formed into cartels and trusts, to lower costs. It seems certain that a trade war will develop before long already both England and the United States have put tariff barriers to lessen Imports of certain Japanese Jap-anese products. However, Japan is a good customer of both countriesand coun-triesand it is obvious that if her exports are cut off, she will retaliate by reducing her imports. That is the Pacific question as it now stands, and all the disagreements dis-agreements in London over the naval treaty revolve around these three issues. It is an important fact that, under Japan's form of government, the army and navy are not subject to the control of the Diet they are responsible solely to the "Son of Heaven," Japan's much-beloved young Emperor. Em-peror. Thus, it would be possible for Japanese government officials to talk resoundingly in favor of world peace while Japanese troops and ships set out for war. The government's great housing campaign is beginning to show results. re-sults. Construction touched bottom in 1933, when, during an average four weeks, only $18,000,000 was spent, as compared with $59,000,000 during dur-ing a similar period in 1931. The new campaign started in the middle mid-dle of August, and in the four weeks following $19,000,000 was spent. In the four weeks ending October 13, $29,000,000 went into homes, and $36,000,000 was spent ! during the four weeks which clos-jed clos-jed on November 10. It a estimated that more than 1,000,000 homes, involving an expenditure ex-penditure of $8,000,000,000 would have been built had there been no depression. much stronger position. It is also commonly believed that Japan needs new territory in order to provide room for her people she is vastly overpopulated at present. pres-ent. However, the Japanese are poor colonizers they seem to pos- j sess little pioneering instinct. For I example, some years ago Japanese officials made a determined ef- I fort to send emigrants to Korea. They offered substantial payment, both in land and in cash, to those who would go. Yet only a handful hand-ful of the underfed, underpaid, overworked Japanese peasants were willing to take on the Job. As a result, it seems certain that colonization is a comparatively small item in' Nippon's ambition to move eastward.. The third issue, that of commerce, com-merce, is one of the most irk- ; ECONOMIC j HIGHLIGHTS 1. zzzz The three great Pacific powers the United States, Great Britain id Japan are at present in-ilved in-ilved in a complicated embroglio,. i - tth counter-plots, quiet diplo-' diplo-' icy and plain ordinary hard-1 hard-1 elings dominating the proceed-3 proceed-3 gs and with the chance of med conflict in the offing. - As Raymond Leslie Buell re-r.tly re-r.tly pointed out in a feature r tide in the New York Times, the : ree-power navy discussions, now ing on in London, have reach-; reach-; an impasse because of disagree-5 disagree-5 ent over three vital issues: " (First, the military question, ln-..' ln-..' lving Japan's demand for naval ( ritv with Great Britain and 3 5-3, with Nippon on the short : ,d); J Second, the political question, j rolving Japan's ambition to ex- ) nd into Asia; ' 1 rhird, the commercial question, " ralving the expansion of Jap-1 Jap-1 ese foreign trade, at the ex-nse ex-nse of England and the United 1 ites. Tapan has flatly refused to con-ue con-ue the existing naval ratio i demands parity and threatens 5 sign no more treaties, when i i present one runs out in 1936, : less it is given her. Both En-nd En-nd and the U. S. are afraid ; j agree to parity yet each na-i na-i n knows that if Japan starts J Iding - ships, undeterred by ; 3 aties, they will have to follow. , e result would be a gigantic - je, costing hundreds of millions dollars, and increasing the . juices for war. Once a nation ly develops a first-class naval , ' military machine, it is inev-hly inev-hly eager to try it out on some ,-Versary. s for the second issue, Japan's . iire to take over part of Asia jy be explained in two words: , i p, oil. o nation can be a major per without these commercial fl military essentials, and Japan : I present must obtain all her ,fel and oil from abroad. If she lid control the great, unde-" unde-" ' , foped iron mines and oil fields 'J Manchuria she would be to a |