The Washington herald., 1922-01-02
BRITAIN LABORS
To PRY U. S. GRIP
FROM JAP TRADE
London Welcomes Mis-.
sion of NippOnese Busi-
ness Leaders.

LONDON. Jan. Headed by DIR.
Takuma Dan. managing dill ector OF
the great Mitsui organization. the
delegation Of Japanese business men
touring the United States has ar
rived here from America.
There are twenty-three delegates
in the party. which is composd of
leading representatives of Japan
ese finance and industry. The mis-
sion "a entirely unofficial. and Is be-
ing undertaken to study industrial
and municipal organization both
IN America and Britain. Full ar
rangements for the visit were made
through the government department
of overseas trade here. and the par
ty's Itinerary in Britain includes Wis
it's 4to Manchester, Birmingham,
Glasgow. and Sheffield.
TIE delegates will be conducted
through the Croydon airdrome. the
big civilian continental embarka-
ton air station. and the Metropoli-
tan police authorities will explain
TO them London's methods Of han
ding trafic. They will study Eng
llsh railways, look over the London
underground subway systems, and
Preparations have been made for
the party to be received by the lord
mayor of London. and they will be
entertained by leading members CT
the Associated Chambers of Com
merce, Lloyd's Register Of shipping.
the Bankers Association and the
London Chamber of Commerce.
Hope to Stimulate Trade.
while the Japanese mission comes
entirely as unofficial observers, II is
hoped that the presence of these
important Japanese business men
in London will result in an increas-
ed stimulation of Anglo-Japanese
trade. Due to the depreciation or
the English pound and the higher
relative purchasing power Of the
Japanese yen, Japan is one Of the
few countries who are in a good
position to buy England's goo1s.
Trade has increased. and a strong
bid has been made by England fer
the Japanese market, Lut despite
this fact America still holds 33 per
cent OF Iapan's trade. conIras:e6 TO
81 per cent held by England. China
comes next with 20 per cent
In the metal trades, for example,
the Unite States has madc a grea,
advance, at the expense of the Unit
ed Kingdom, according to Official
British hgures. Before the war the
United Kingdom supplied Japan
with about 40 per cent of her iron
and steel requirements, while the
United States held only about Is
per cent of the trade. In 1890 the
proportion had been reversed, the
United States selling Japan rs per
cent of the iron and steel she used.
and the United Kingdom zJ per
cent.
America Wins Lead.
In machinery also the lead has
been taken by the United States.
Britain supplied Japan with SO per
cent Of her machinery before the
war. the balanc being divided be-
tween Germany and the United
states. Last year America supplied
20 per cent Of Jspan's machinery de-
mands.
Despite the tremendous Industrial
strides taken by Japan, agriculture
still remains the most important in
dustry of the archipelago and in re-
cent years Japan has become a big
importer of fertilizers. Sulphase
Of ammonia is one or the best fer
tiIizers for her big rice crop, and
before the war almost all her i'm
ports of this material came from
Britain. Last year so per cent was
bought in the United states.
America has also taken the lead
iu chemicals. securing four-fifths of
Jspan's entire purchases of caustic
soda and soda ash, all of which was
formerly bought from Britain.
OF the 34.O00.0oo gallons of petro-
leum imported in 1920 more than
thirty millions came from the Unit
ed States.
Raw and piece sirk, cotton yarns
and piece goods form Japan's prin-
cipal exports. and here again Amer
ica leads. She is Japan's best Gus
toner. and statistics show that ia
pans prosperity will depend large
" for years to come upon her ex-
ToTt trade to America.
Copyright, fs2i.)