Evening star., 1932-02-04
EXPLAINS JAPAN'S
HEAVY IMPORTS
Commercial Secretary Denies
Increased Purchases Are
for War.

Tremendously increased japanese i'm
portation of American cotton, automo-
biles, gasoline and other materials dur
ing the past six months has been due
to natural growth Of the Japanese
market and not to preparations for war,
it is stated in protest received here
from Yasuto Shudo, commercial sccre-
tary of the japanese embassy. He Is
located in New York.
Mr.. Shudo's statement was made to
counteract impressions which it was
feared were spreading in the United
States that Japan was laying In war
supplies.
Last Friday newspaper men in check
ing up on the United States trade win
japan for the last six months in 1881
and comparing these figures with those
of the same period Of 1880, aScertained
that American cotton exports to Japan
from July to December. inclusive,
amounted to l.O6eO0 bales, as CON-
pared with 49O, 900 bales during the last
half of 1880.
Statistics also revealed that Japan
purchased 1,0ll automobiles and 233
trucks in December, compared with 1874
ing the same month Japan took 1885,
100000 barrels of gasoline as against
l05 900 900 barrels in November.
officials Guarded.
Commerce Department officials in CIV
ing out these figures were exceptionally
guarded as to what purposes Japan IN
tended to use these materials, although
munitions experts outside OF the Gov
ernment pointed to the fact that cot
ton was one of the chief ingredients
in tr3 manufacture Of powder.
While an investigation was going on
in this department today, protest
against the manner in which Americans
have suddenly looked up the ngures
on American exports to Japan and ex-
plotted them as proof that Japan IS
buying materials from the United
States to prepare for war. was issued
by Shudo from his Office IN New York
CITY.
He pointed out that Japan Is good
customer" OF the United States and has
been purchasing materials in large
quantities here for many years. The
sudden discovery Of this" by the Amer
lean public. Shudo said. has been
turned TO disadvantage for Japan by
American newspapers. to support an
"unfounded assumption that Japan Is
preparing for war
Explains Purchases.
In the matter Of cotton. Shudo said
that in April 1881. American cotton was
26 per cent higher than Indian cotton,
which Is Of an inferior grade. BY the
middle Of November this margin had
dropped to 9 per cent, and on January
is, 1882 they were quoted at even
prices. Because Of this and because
Japanese merchants have been prepar-
ing against a possible abandonment OF
the gold standard by their government
they have been buying American cot
ton in great quantities. he said.
1T is the same thing with many
other things" said Shudo, We buy
wheat from either Canada. the United
States or Argentina, occording to the
best prices, and if more has been pur-
chase recently from this country 1t
is because the price is better"
The commercial secretary said that
America and Great Britain have been
rivals for years in the Japanese tin
plate trade, which Is a large market
because of the many cannerieS in ia
pan OF late there has been a ten
dency to buy more American tin be-
cause it is OF a better quality, he
asserted. but with no increase in the
total consumption and no diyerting the
materials to war purposes.
Need for Automobiles.
CAS- for automobiles" he explained,
I'VE have no plants of our own and de-
pend on the American assembling plants
in our country for cars. There are
only 100000 cars on the islands for a
population OF 100000, So you see
We need cars Also we have not raised
our tariff on American cars as many
European countries have and there
fore there has been no decrease In this
trade.
For the rest. we use more gasoline
and oil as we buy more automobiles .
we need lumber and machinery as our
industries increase, and our fertilizers
and chemicals have shown no increase
other than what natural economic
expansion demands"
Shudo said the whole situation was
grossly distorted to the American peo-
pie, who have not been conscious of
the great consumption Of their goods
in Japan and who are not cognizant of
the background and recent conditions
which have brought about the trouble
between Japan and China.
He said in conclusion he was sure
his government did not want war, and
had no intentions of forcing it, but
pointed out that the anti-Japanese boy
colt of merchants in Shanghai had
finally resulted "in great loss of tenn
per and demonstrations of force"